If you have Invisalign aligner trays, your orthodontist or dentist may have told you to use "Aligner Chewies" during your treatment. An Aligner Chewie is a small cylinder made of a soft spongy plastic-like material called Styrene Copolymer. It looks like a small roll of gauze or cotton.

What Are Aligner Chewies?

You use Aligner Chewies to help close any air gaps between your teeth and your Invisalign aligners. Typically when you get a new set of aligner trays, they may not fit tightly against your teeth at first. Biting on the Chewie helps your trays to fit tighter on your teeth, which helps your treatment progress faster.

To use an Aligner Chewie, just position it between your teeth (either "long way" or "short way" are fine) and bite down. Quickly 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. Then go back and do it again, and keep repeating the process. Most orthodontists will tell you to bite on the Chewie for 5 to10 minutes several times per day. One popular method is to bite on the Chewie for at least 5 minutes before bed. This will help your Aligner tray stay well seated and tight against your teeth while you sleep at night.

Aligner Chewies are reusable -- to a point. You can wash them with a mild soap and re-use them several times before they will lose their elasticity. We recommend that you wash them after each biting session.

You might not get many Aligner Chewies from your dentist or orthodontist, because they are not usually provided by the company that makes your Invisalign trays. Either you or your orthodontist will need to order them. We carry them in bags of 10 sets (20 Chewies per bag) in several different colors and flavors. Click here to see the Aligner Chewies we carry.

Keep Smiling!
-Lynn

About The Author

Lynn S. is the founder and owner of DentaKit.com. Shortly after getting braces in 2001 at age 41, Lynn realized that there was no convenient way for her to find the orthodontic products she needed locally. She created DentaKit.com to give orthodontic patients easy access to products that would help keep their braces and retainers clean and comfortable. Along the way, she also created ArchWired.com and its Metal Mouth Message Board to provide vital information and an online community for adults who have orthodontic braces.

Lynn has a degree in Communications and Journalism, with a focus on scientific writing and research. Before founding DentaKit.com, she was a technical writer and technical trainer for various high-tech companies in Silicon Valley. Since starting DentaKit.com 15+ years ago, she has attended many meetings of various dental associations, and has read and researched extensively on a variety of orthodontic and dental subjects. The articles she writes are always vetted by one or more orthodontists or dentists before they are published.