Metal was what my daughter ended up with—she wanted clear, but honestly, the orthodontist told us she’d probably lose the trays or forget to wear them. Did anyone have luck with clear aligners for kids who aren’t super organized?
We debated clear aligners for my son, but honestly, I worried he'd forget to put them back in after snacks or lose them at school. Our ortho said if they’re not worn almost all the time, you don’t get good results. Did anyone’s kid actually stick with the 22-hour rule? I’m curious if setting reminders or rewards worked for anyone...
My son tried clear aligners for a while, and honestly? The 22-hour rule was tough. He’d take them out for lunch and sometimes forget to put them back in until after school. We set phone reminders, but it wasn’t foolproof—sometimes he’d just get distracted. I totally get your concerns about losing them too. What helped us a bit was tying screen time to wearing the aligners, but it still took a lot of reminding. If your kid’s forgetful or always on the go, metal braces might be less stressful (and cheaper in the long run). Don’t feel bad if clear aligners don’t seem like the right fit—every kid’s different.
I hear you on the 22-hour rule—it’s definitely not easy for every kid. But I’ve seen some teens actually get into the routine after a rough start. Did your son try using a case that clipped onto his backpack or keys? Sometimes just having it super visible helps jog their memory. Also, have you considered ceramic brackets? They’re less noticeable than metal but don’t rely on self-discipline quite as much. Just curious—was it the hassle or the look that mattered most for him?
Yeah, the 22-hour rule was a real challenge in our house too. My daughter tried clipping the aligner case to her backpack—worked for about a week, then she just started leaving it in random places. Honestly, the self-discipline part was way harder than we expected, especially with sports and after-school stuff.
We switched her to ceramic brackets after a few months of back-and-forth. She didn’t love the idea at first (thought they’d still be super obvious), but it turned out they were way less noticeable than metal. Plus, she didn’t have to remember to pop aligners in and out all day. For her, it wasn’t so much about the look as it was just not wanting to deal with the hassle—she’d forget or lose things constantly.
If your kid is organized and motivated, clear aligners might work. But honestly, for us, ceramics hit that sweet spot between low-maintenance and not being super visible. Still had to watch out for staining from spaghetti sauce though...
