How To Use Aligner Chewies: The Definitive Guide [2024]

Clear Aligner Chewies?

You’ve received your aligner kit and wonder what these small squishy rolls are. Please read this blog before you disregard them as unimportant.

Chewies are small, soft rubber rolls that serve one purpose– to help aligners fit snugly and securely. This is why they’re also called aligner seaters.

They function as tiny cushions that can be bit on to set the aligners on teeth. While some people might not need them at all, for others, aligner chewies are an essential accessory that aids in wearing aligners.

Furthermore, chewies can be used to seat other custom dental trays, such as night guards, clear retainers, and aligners.

Keep reading to understand how to use them, their role in fitting on your custom dental trays, and the general myths about aligner chewies.

What Are Aligner Chewies?

Chewies are small rolls made of medical-grade silicon or rubber meant to endure pressure from your teeth to set the aligners. Chewies are normally included in clear aligner kits, but they can also be purchased separately.

What Are Aligners?

Clear aligners are clear trays made of medical-grade plastic according to an individual’s dental impressions. They snugly fit on the teeth and gently apply pressure to align them. The effectiveness of clear aligners is contingent upon the integrity of their shape. External forces and extreme temperatures can affect their shape. Aligners are made super precise and sometimes need a little push to seat them perfectly on the teeth.

Why Are Chewies Important?

Since custom dental trays such as aligners, night guards and retainers are made with precision, their effectiveness depends on their shape.

Due to their precise shape, wearing them can be tricky initially. There are two reasons why. The first is that the teeth are misaligned and the aligner is made precisely according to teeth shape, but with specific pressure points in places that will exert pressure on the teeth to shift them gently.

The second reason why wearing your first few sets of aligners can require a bit of effort is due to the shape of your teeth. Wearing aligners on relatively straight teeth is easier than wearing them on teeth misaligned in different directions. This is where chewies come into play.

How Do Aligner Chewies Work

Chewies help provide a cushioning effect for teeth to bite into, to seat the aligners. Depending on the misalignment of teeth, aligners will need a little push in some areas such as the molars or front teeth that are too out of place.

Chewies also help remove air bubbles trapped between clear aligners and teeth. By chewing on the aligner seater, air bubbles caught in the clear trays are pushed out, which helps aligners fit better. This works exactly the same for custom retainers and night guards.

Chewies are usually placed between teeth, where aligners need to be inserted with pressure. Aligners may be pressed down with hands, but it may be challenging. If the misalignment is severe, exerting uneven pressure with hands can potentially distort the shape of the aligners.

How to use Aligner Chewies?

1. Sort out your aligner tray for the upper and lower arch.

2. Place your tray on one arch. Aim to get it to fit as snugly as possible.

3. With the aligner on your teeth, place a chewy on one side(right or left) between your teeth.

4. Place the second chewy on the opposite side, so that one aligner tray is on your arch and two chewies are between them.

5. Gently bite into the chewies until the aligners snap on your teeth with a snug fit.

6. Repeatedly bite until any trapped air bubbles are removed.

7. Rinse your chewies and place them in the aligner case.

Where to Buy Aligner Chewies?

If you use an at-home teeth straightening plan such as those offered by ALIGNERCO, your chewies will be included in the kit. You can also buy them separately if needed. You can always ask your dentist for extra chewies if you have received your aligners from them.

How To Care For Your Chewies?

Since they are placed in the mouth, dirty or contaminated chewies can transfer bacteria into your mouth, leading to sores and infection. It is important to care for your aligner chewies right to ensure they are clean whenever used. Here are some pro tips that we have found helpful:

Store them in a case

If you wear clear aligners or retainers, you already know the importance of a carry case and ideally, you carry it with you to store your dental trays when not in use. It is recommended to place your chewies inside your carry case so they are readily available when needed and protected from getting misplaced or dirty.

Clean them regularly

It is recommended to rinse your aligners every day. However, the best practice is to also clean your aligner case as well as your aligner chewies daily This simple ritual ensures that bacteria from one item cannot transfer to another.

Thorough clean

Although regular rinsing with water is good enough to clean them, however, it is preferred to clean your aligner chewies along with your aligner case thoroughly when rinsing alone isn’t cleaning them well. You use denture cleaning tablets, clear mouth wash or an aligner cleaner for this.

Replace periodically

Look for signs of wear and tear occasionally and replace if needed. Keep your chewies away from extreme temperatures and avoid harsh & abrasive chemicals to make sure they last you long. If they show any signs of damage, it is time to order new ones.

Why We Recommend Chewies?

Chewies generally come along with Aligner Kits and are recommended for the following reasons:

Myths About Chewies

There are some misconceptions and myths about aligner chewies; here’s how they are often confused: