Active Aligners are known in the dental industry as clear aligner therapy, which are custom trays worn in sequence that move your teeth in stages. Think “invisible braces”.

They work by gradually shifting teeth into their optimal position, making your teeth straighter. This is achieved through wearing a series of aligners, each for 22 hours a day, 2 weeks at a time (one stage), which move the teeth up to 0.3mm per stage until their optimal alignment has been reached.

Often Active Aligners are referred to as transparent braces, or clear braces, as they are made from transparent FDA Approved material. This means you will be able to wear them without people noticing.

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Active Aligners move teeth through a process known as orthodontic tooth movement, which relies on the application of controlled, gentle forces over time.

Active Aligners are made from clear high quality FDA Approved dental materials. Active Aligners are smooth, clear, transparent, BPA and gluten free. When worn, Active Aligners are virtually undetectable.

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3:
1) Scan or impression: Visit an Active Aligner Dental Provider to have a 3D scan or impression of your mouth done.
2) Align: Wear your Active Aligners for 22 hours a day until the end of your treatment.
3) Retain: At the end of your treatment, wear your retainers to maintain your straight new smile.

The average treatment time is between 6 and 7 months, however each Active Aligner case is different and treatment times may vary between 2 to 12 months.

Only fully erupted permanent dentition – no primary or erupting teeth. Young teens qualify if all their adult teeth have fully erupted, usually around 13 to 14 years of age.

If you discover an issue with any of the Active Aligners please return to your provider with your faulty Aligner(s) as soon as possible.

If you do not wear your Active Aligners for the minimum recommended time each day, your treatment may not track correctly and the length of treatment may be extended.

Active Aligners should be worn for two weeks at a time (unless your treating Professional advises otherwise).

If, for any reason, your Active Aligners have been removed for an extended period of time, kindly contact your Dental Professional for further instructions.

Alternatively, if you feel comfortable, extend your time on yur current set of aligners by the amount of time they were not worn.

Retainers are critical to keeping your new smile. Please wear your retainer full time for 3 months, and at night after that, to keep your teeth in their new positions.

If you would prefer a fixed lingual retainer kindly contact your provider to book an appointment.

FAILURE TO WEAR RETAINERS, EVEN FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, MAY RESULT IN MOVEMENT/RELAPSE OF YOUR TEETH.

Depending on your medical aid / health insurance: None, a portion, or the full amount may be claimed back for your Active Aligner therapy. Kindly contact your medical provider to see if you are covered for clear aligners.

While some practices do offer finance options, MediWallet Medical Loans are available to you. You can find our more under our finance tab on our website.

Your Active Aligners Provider will submit your scan/ impression for treatment planning, which does involve an initial fee.

However, if you change your mind and decide not to go ahead with the treatment, kindly let your provider know and no additional charges will be made.

Most patients report no effect on speech. However, some patients find that they have a slight lisp when they first start using Active Aligners. This is only temporary while the tongue adjusts to having the aligners in the mouth. 

Yes, you are able to remove your Active Aligners whenever you’d like. However, it is recommended that you wear your Active Aligners for a minimum of 22 hours per day. Only removing your Active Aligners to eat, drink, brush your teeth and floss.

Active Aligners should be removed when you are eating, drinking (except water) or brushing your teeth.

Whenever you are not wearing your Active Aligners, store them in the protective case provided in your accessory pack.

No, you may remove your Active Aligners to eat or drink whatever you please! It is recommended that you brush your teeth afterwards, before reinserting your Active Aligners, when you have finished eating.

Drinks with any sort of colour may stain the Active Aligners. Anything carbonated (fizzy) or containing sugar will adhere to the Active Aligners and is not good for your teeth.

No, your Active Aligners will not smell if you take proper care of them and practice good oral hygiene. Proper care means brushing the inside and outside of your Active Aligners twice a day and rinsing with water each time before you put them back into your mouth. It is recommended that you brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day to maintain good oral hygiene. 

No, chewing gum may stick to the ActiveAligner and therefore is not recommended. If you would like to chew gum, you may remove your Aligners. However, make sure that you wear your Active Aligners for at least 22 hours each day.

If you lose or break an Active Aligner within seven days of your new stage you will need to have a replacement one made as soon as possible. If you have been compliant for the first 7 to 8 days, it may be possible to switch to your next stage (consult with your Provider to see if you will need a replacement or if you will be able to move on to the next stage).

If your Aligner is broken, please send a photo of your broken Aligner/ Retainer to your Dental Professional for Assessment.

There will be additional costs associated with replacing Active Aligners.

Your Active Aligners are numbered in sequential order at the back left of each Aligner so you will always know which Aligner to wear next.

A great way to remember the day you need to change your current aligners for your next set is to set a reminder on your phone or mark it on a calendar. You may also write the date to change on each aligner pack to help you remember.

TRAYMINDER is a wonderfully usefull app available to you, which reminds you when to change your aligners and more. After downloading it, choose Active Aligners, and get started on your Active Aligners Journey!

You might experience temporary, minor discomfort at the beginning of each new stage of treatment. This is normal and is usually described as a feeling of pressure, rather than pain. It means that your Active Aligners are working – moving your teeth gradually, helping you to achieve the desired results. The discomfort should go away after a couple of days. 

Not at all! There should be no interruption to your romantic life because of Active Aligners. We’ve never had a patient complain about kissing while wearing Active Aligners. The key to keeping bad breath away is regular brushing and daily cleaning of your Active Aligners. Also, one of the best features of Active Aligners is that they are removable. You can always take them out when you need to.

Smoking may stain the Active Aligners’ clear plastic and is therefore discouraged.

No, remove your Active Aligners to eat and drink. It is important that you brush and floss your teeth after each meal and prior to re-inserting your Active Aligners, to maintain proper hygiene.

Active Aligners are clear, transparent and virtually undetectable when worn.

Aligner Chewies are used to help seat your Active Aligners against your teeth. They are small soft cylinders made out of spongy plastic-like material (Styrene Copolymer). This is especially important when you start a new set of Active Aligners.

Position the Aligner Chewie between your teeth (either “long way” or “short way” is fine) and bite down. Move it from one end of your mouth to another, continuing to bite up and down, until you have bitten on it with all of your teeth. Please use your Aligner Chewies daily for 15 seconds per side once per day.

Sometimes the viscosity of your saliva may cause a seal between the Active Aligners and your teeth. Try using your cheeks to vigorously swish some water in your mouth and break the seal. If you are still struggling to remove your Active Aligners after doing so, we recommend that you contact your Provider as soon as possible.

1. On one side of your mouth, use the Active Aligners Removal Tool (provided with your case) on the inside of your back molar to slowly pull the Active Aligners from your molar (i.e. from the back).

2. Repeat this process on the other side of your mouth before trying to completely remove the Active Aligners.

3. Once the Active Aligners is disengaged from the molars on both sides of your mouth, you should slowly be able to work your way forward, gently prying the Active Aligners away from your teeth with your fingertips.

You will need to wear your Active Aligners for a minimum of 22 hours per day to ensure your most optimal outcome. Remove your Active Aligners when eating and drinking.

When teeth are actively being moved they will quickly return to their original position, so full time wear is very important.

If you do not wear your Aligners for the prescribed minimum of 22 hours per day, your ActiveAligner treatment time may be extended.

Clean your Active Aligners every morning and night when you clean your teeth. Use a soft bristle toothbrush with cold water and a small amount of soap (you can use dishwashing liquid, aligner or denture cleaner, or aligner cleaning foam).

More detailed instructions can be found in our Patient Instruction Guide.

The Active Aligners should fit snugly with all attachments engaged (there should be no gaps).

Chewies provided in the accessory box are essential for this.

If at any point during treatment your Active Aligners are not fitting, do not proceed further. Contact your Dental Professional for an assessment.

Your prescribing Dental Professional will implement a recall policy based on your treatment requirements.

The following recalls are necessary:

• When IPR has been prescribed at a later stage in treatment (to ensure there is enough space for movement.
• If an attachment de-bonds / falls off.
• If you have an issue that cannot be resolved remotely e.g. aligner is not fitting.
• When the treatment is complete and attachments need to be removed.

PLEASE NOTE: NO DENTAL SURGICAL, ORTHODONTIC OR SIMILAR WORK SHOULD BE DONE DURING ACTIVE ALIGNERS THERAPY

Please keep your Active Aligners until your treatment is complete. Should you need to backtrack due to a lost or broken aligner, or your case is not tracking correctly, they will then be readily available to you to continue treatment without any delays.

Retainers are custom-made devices that keep your teeth in place after orthodontic treatment, such as braces or clear aligners.

They are designed to prevent teeth from shifting back to their original position while the surrounding bone stabilizes and remodels fully.

Retainers should be worn at least 22 hours a day for 12 weeks after treatment has been completed. Thereafter, they should be worn every night.

New advancements in the field of orthodontics have proven that optimal results rest heavily on lifelong wear.

No. Active Aligners are a treatment prescribed for patients by a Dental Professional.

Smile Club Lab is the exclusive manufacturer of Active Aligners and only take instruction from a registered Dental Professional. You will need to visit your treating Doctor who will then provide the lab with their instructions for manufacture.