Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What if I miss a day or am unable to wear my device because I am on holiday?

A. When taking the smile photos, try to get a natural, but full smile, not a forced smile. We are noticing that this is one of the better trends to monitor before and after, we really notice a difference in the smile window and the overall uplift effect on the facial aging triangle in this picture.

Q. Why do I need to have two rest days after wearing the device?

A. As with any exercise programme, it is essential to have rest periods after exercising muscles. To achieve the best results with Oralift, we believe this is also true. The Oralift process is similar to but not the same as exercise. It is the process of adaptation. If you have worn the device too much and overused your muscles, sometimes you will experience “signs of overuse” in the rest days.

Q. During the four months rest period, will I lose all the benefits?

A. The answer to this question is No, for two very important reasons.

Firstly, one of the theories as to why Oralift works is the Microtrauma theory. According to this theory, when you wear the Oralift device, very tiny wounds are created in your facial muscles. After this, the healing process starts. A good example of this is when you cut yourself… the cut bleeds, a crust forms, followed by a scar. All of this happens within a few days, but the healing and reorganisation  of the tissues underneath the superficial skin continues for up to ten months.

We find that once you stop wearing the device for the rest period, the face keeps improving and sometimes the best pictures are seen during the rest period.  When you start wearing the device again after four months, the whole process starts again.

Secondly, our body becomes used to a routine. This is why, when doing exercise it is recommended to regularly change the routine. In our experience, the process of adaptation works in a similar way. A four months rest period is recommended but Oralift is a lifetime routine and you may find that in the future, you may need a longer or shorter rest period, depending on how your body responds.

Q. What happens if the material becomes too stiff before I have completed fitting it?

A. Don’t worry…you can remould it if this happens, but please remember the reheating of the device will need less time.

Q. When I am doing the Touch Test, my teeth only touch the device on one side. Is this normal or have I done something wrong?

A. This is quite normal. The muscles  may be more tense on one side of the face than on the other side and therefore one side may touch more than the other. This is how asymmetries occur on the face. As the muscles relax, you may find that this changes.

Even if they touch on one side, this should be regarded as a tick on your Touch Test.

Q. When doing the Touch Test, my teeth seem to be touching the device all the time.

A. There are two reasons for this: 1) make sure that the thermoplastic material behind the two hard blocks is not higher than the blocks themselves. If it is, remould it and press it down. 2) sometimes the muscles of the face are so tense that it is difficult to create a new yourself freeway space. You should continue wearing the device as long as you do not get any pain, and keep putting a tick when you are doing the Touch Test. These ticks reinforce the trigger that we are trying to set in the brain which will help to stop night time clenching.

Q. I am not sure if I have stopped clenching during day time.

A. It’s a good idea to write in a diary when you find yourself clenching. Once you have established which times you are likely to clench, make sure you are not clenching at these times. For example, if you find out that you are clenching when you work on your computer, you could put a yellow sticker on your computer to remind you not to clench. It is essential that you become aware of any daytime clenching before night time clenching can be stopped.

Q. How do I know if I clench my teeth at night?

A. There are two ways to ascertain this: 1) you should check your freeway space just before you go to sleep, and again as soon as you waken up. If your freeway space feels less when you waken up, it is likely that you have been clenching in the night. 2) if you wake up with your muscles tired or aching, it is likely you have been clenching during the night.

Q. I am sure I do not clench during the day or at night. Do I still have to do the Touch Test?

A. If you are 100% sure the simple answer is no! When you first start to use Oralift you should become aware of any clenching habit. If you did clench and are now sure you no longer do so, it is still worth doing the Touch Test occasionally. People have reported that they started to clench again during a stressful period of their lives, despite having given up the habit for some years. The effects of clenching usually show up on photographs. An occasional Touch Test is therefore highly recommended even if you do not record it because you have become so aware of the fact that teeth should never touch!

Q. How do I clean my device?

A. You should use a product that is recommended for cleaning orthodontic devices.