This post is brought to you by Movemints and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

My smile has always been a subject of insecurity for me.  I always wanted a perfectly straight smile, but the thought of walking around with a mouth full of metal braces in my thirties horrified me.  So when my dentist suggested clear aligners and mentioned I’d be a perfect candidate for them I was thrilled!  However, there were several things I had no idea about until I was leaving the Orthodontist with my clear teeth aligners.  While Invisible braces is still the only way to go for me, I realize now that I wish I had known about some of the important aspects of wearing clear aligners.  

Getting Clear Aligners

The recommended daily wear time of Clear Aligners is 22 hours!  This includes while your sleeping and as much of your awake time as possible.  Which meant no more meaningless snacking throughout the day or eating while I cooked, because each time I decide to eat, I have to remove my aligners, and then brush my teeth and clean the aligners.  The piece of candy my child left on the counter no longer seems worth it as I walk by the kitchen.  

You can drink with the aligners in, but stick with clear liquids!  My dentist told me I was fine to drink with my aligners in, so I continued my iced tea habit for the first couple weeks, then when I went to my next appointment it was easy to see that my clear aligners weren’t so clear anymore.  Now, I try to stick with water or clear juices in between meals, while my aligners are in.

Having plastic trays on your teeth for 22 hours a day can cause you to have dry mouth which doesn’t feel great or help your breath smell fresh.

You can’t chew gum.  This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but I honestly never thought about it until the dentist listed it out in my “rules”.

Luckily I just learned about an amazing product called Movemints™ and they are making life with clear braces so much easier!

Movemints Clear Alignment Mints

• Movemints™ are a discrete, convenient way to comfortably seat clear aligners when you’re on the go while freshening breath and fighting dry mouth.
• The Mint that Fits™ was designed by an orthodontist specializing in Invisalign therapy and has patented grooves that fit between the top and bottom trays. These grooves can help you guide your aligners in place without having to chew on those plastic chewies that patients often receive when beginning treatment.
• Chewies (a small cylinder made of a soft spongy plastic-like material) are reusable and unsanitary. They require placing your fingers in your mouth more, which isn’t recommended, especially during flu season. Movemints are a great tasting, sanitary alternative.
• Movemints are sugar-free, gluten-free and vegan, and are specifically formulated to be eaten with your clear aligners. They taste great and unlike other mints, they leave no residue or granularity that may irritate teeth and gums.
• Movemints are sweetened with xylitol, a naturally occurring sugar substitute that can help prevent dry mouth and is thought to prevent tooth decay. It is low calorie and diabetic friendly.
  (Xylitol is a key ingredient in many orthodontic mouthwashes and other sugar-free mints and gums.)
• Movemints clear aligner mints provide a substitute to gum chewing (which is not recommended while wearing your trays), making it easier for patients to reach the recommended daily wear time of 22 hours.

How amazing are these clear aligner mints?  I have a pack in my gym bag, my car, my pcketbook, and pretty much at arms reach all the time.

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Movemints are a great accessory to have in your on-the-go bag, along with extra retainer cases, an aligner removal tool like the OrthoKey, and EverSmile WhiteFoam which cleans your trays while it whitens your teeth!

Are you excited to try Movemints?  Make sure to visit www.dentalmovemints.com and sign up for their mailing list to receive a 20% off coupon plus other special offers.

Movemints have not been evaluated by the FDA.