Nighttime clear aligners are being advertised more and more as an option for those who want a straighter smile without having to wear aligners or braces during the day. Multiple clear aligner companies are now offering this treatment and it might be sounding like a great option considering it only involves 10 hours of wear per day and you don’t have to be conscious for your treatment! It sounds almost too good to be true and that might be because it is.
Although it sounds appealing to avoid the inconvenience and discomfort of having to worry about your aligners during the day, orthodontic research suggests that this may not be the dream solution that it is being advertised to be. It is very important to consider the scientific research that is behind straightening treatments and to choose a company that values the safety of their treatment above everything else.
What Are Nighttime Clear Aligners?
Clear aligners are an alternative teeth straightening treatment to braces. Treatment involves using a series of aligners to slowly shift your teeth into their desired alignment. They are designed to be more discrete and convenient than braces and are an increasingly popular way of achieving a beautifully straight smile.
The first thing that might come to mind when you hear nighttime aligners might be the night time retainer that you wear after a straightening treatment. They are actually something entirely different. Think of night time clear aligners as night time braces for teeth. They are simply clear aligners that you only have to wear for 10 hours a day, so you can wear them while you sleep.
They can only be used for very minor straightening procedures because the lack of consistency means any drastic shifts in alignment are very difficult to achieve. They are much slower than regular clear aligners because of the lack of wear during the day. They also must be consistently in your mouth for the straight 10 hours because of the lack of wear during the day meaning no midnight snacking during treatment!
Why Don’t EZ Smile Don’t Use Night Time Clear Aligners?
The main reason EZ Smile does not use nighttime aligners is because there is insufficient research proving that it is a safe option for your teeth. The process of straightening teeth with clear aligners is supposed to involve consistent pressure on your teeth constantly for a period of months. In fact, decades of research have found that 20-22 hours a day of light pressure on your teeth is sufficient for properly straightening your teeth. Night time clear aligners involve only 10 hours a day of pressure followed by 14 hours of relaxation. This not only means that achieving results is going to take a much longer time, but it also might not be good for oral health. There are no peer reviewed studies that supports nighttime aligners as a safe and effective treatment option. In fact, orthodontist Dr. C. Lynn Hurst suggests that nighttime aligners may actually be harmful with your teeth being left in a state of inflammation during the day and inconsistent pressure causing your teeth to shift into undesired positions.
EZ Smile’s priority is providing the safest, most effective and efficient treatment possible to our clients. We stick to scientific evidence and the lack of peer-reviewed research is why we do not offer nighttime aligners as a straightening option.
Do I Need Nighttime Clear Aligners?
The reality is that nighttime aligners are not at all necessary. If your main concern regarding committing to clear aligners to straighten your teeth is cosmetic, then stop worrying! Unlike braces, clear aligners are totally invisible so you can straighten your teeth without having the classic metal mouth that is associated with traditional braces.
If you are worried about the discomfort that you may experience when wearing your aligners, the reality is that nighttime aligners can be more uncomfortable than regular clear aligners. This is because the plastic that is used in nighttime aligners is thicker than regular aligners so will feel more disruptive in your mouth. On top of this, the discomfort does not stop during the day. Your teeth have experienced the pressure from the aligners overnight and will still be shifting back to their original position during the day. The treatment is also significantly longer than regular clear aligners so you will be experiencing discomfort for an extended period.
Why Do People Use Nighttime Clear Aligners?
Night time clear aligners might seem like an appealing option if you have reservations about the inconvenience and discomfort of clear aligners.
One of the main pros of nighttime clear aligners is that you don’t have wear the aligners during the day. This mean eliminating the hassle of removing your aligners when you eat and not being seen wearing aligners during your daily life.
The discomfort involved in teeth straightening treatments is only experienced overnight while you are unconscious so, apart from the occasional ache in the morning, you do not have to experience having the aligner in your mouth during the day.
The main negative about night time clear aligners is that it takes more than double the time to complete treatment, you may not get the results desired, and as your teeth are in a constant state of flux (moving then relaxing every day) you may be in more discomfort for a longer period of time than if you choose the proven clear aligners that you wear all day.
How Much Do Night Time Clear Aligners Cost?
You might have noticed that night time clear aligners cost more than regular clear aligning treatments. One of the main reasons behind this could be to disincentives clients from choosing them as their treatment due to the lack of evidence proving their safety and effectiveness.
Furthermore, because of the lack of peer reviewed evidence on nighttime aligners, you could experience your teeth not responding to the treatment as planned. They could remain in the same crooked alignment as you started with or get worse. This could lead you to seeking different straightening treatments which means spending more money. Overall, nighttime aligners will likely end up being more expensive than using regular clear aligners, especially if you straighten your teeth with EZ Smile for only $2499.
The truth is that there is no shortcut to getting straight teeth so why take the risk? Stick with a treatment that is backed by scientific studies and that will be the most effective for your teeth.
Why Should I Choose EZ Smile for Clear Aligners?
EZ Smile’s top priority is to give you the smile of your dreams in a safe, efficient, and effective way for the lowest price possible. If you are wanting to straighten your teeth with clear aligners and have some reservations about wearing them throughout the day, let us put your worries to rest.
We aim to make teeth straightening convenient with no in person consultation required. Straighten your teeth from the comfort of your own home with our EZ Smile customer support team ready to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
We aim to make life as normal as possible with EZ Smile clear aligners. Our aligners are almost invisible and very discreet so people won’t have to know that you are undergoing straightening treatment. Clear aligners are also removable so you don’t have to worry about changing your diet with EZ Smile. While you do have to wear your aligners 20-22 hours a day, you can eat and drink when you want with little inconvenience!
Don’t take the risk on night time aligners and straighten your teeth with EZ Smile. Take our free 30 second assessment online today to start your journey to the smile of your dreams.