Clear Aligner Wear-Time Log Template: Daily Worksheet
A daily aligner wear log records the day's opening state, each removal and reinsertion, and the closing state so you can calculate recorded wear when the record is complete.
Copy the blank sheet below before the day starts and fill it in as events happen. For the wider routine, see the clear aligner tracking guide. This worksheet records time; it cannot establish clinical fit or treatment progress.
Copy this blank daily event sheet
Use paper or your own notes. This is a separate worksheet, not an in-app form. Select and copy the text; add as many event rows as you need. Blank rows are placeholders, not evidence that no removal happened.
DAILY ALIGNER WEAR LOG
Date: ____________________
Clock basis (local time and zone): ____________________
Provider-set daily wear goal: ____________________
Day begins: date __________ at 00:00
Opening state (in / out / unknown): ____________________
Day ends: following date __________ at 00:00 (24:00 below)
Closing state (in / out / unknown): ____________________
REMOVALS — add rows for every removal
1. Out date/time: __________ Back in date/time: __________
Recorded minutes out: __________
2. Out date/time: __________ Back in date/time: __________
Recorded minutes out: __________
3. Out date/time: __________ Back in date/time: __________
Recorded minutes out: __________
Additional rows: ________________________________________
REVIEW AT DAY'S END
Unresolved events or gaps (write none only if none): __________
Clock or zone changed during this day? ____________________
All removals recorded, with no other gaps? ____________________
Recorded minutes out subtotal from complete pairs: __________
Complete-day calculation supported? yes / no: __________
Complete-day minutes out (only if supported): __________
Recorded wear (only if supported): __________ minutes / ______ hours
The simple calculation on this page applies to a full 00:00–24:00 day with an unchanged clock and zone, aligners in at both boundaries, and every removal paired with a reinsertion. If that does not describe your day, keep the entries but leave the complete-day calculation blank. A removal spanning a boundary, a clock change or a zone change needs separate handling; do not force it into this calculation.
What each field means
- Date and clock basis: identify the day and the clock used for every entry. Here, 24:00 means the same instant as 00:00 on the following date.
- Provider-set goal: the target your provider gave you. It is separate from the time you record; do not fill a missing total with your goal.
- Opening and closing states: whether the aligners are in, out or unknown at the exact day boundaries. A bedtime entry is not a midnight observation.
- Out and back-in endpoints: the recorded moments aligners leave and return to your mouth. A meal start or finish is not a substitute for these events.
- Recorded minutes out: elapsed minutes between one removal and its matching reinsertion. Keep each pair on its own row.
- Unresolved events or gaps: anything that prevents you from accounting for the day. Do not silently fill it in with wear time.
- Subtotal: the sum of complete recorded pairs. It can be useful even when the day is incomplete, but it is not then the full day's time out.
- Complete-day minutes out: the subtotal only after confirming the stated boundary and completeness conditions.
- Recorded wear: for the complete unchanged-clock day described here, 1,440 minutes minus complete-day minutes out. This is an arithmetic result from the record, not independent proof of wear.
Fictional example: a complete unchanged-clock day
This invented example covers 00:00–24:00 on one date in one unchanged clock zone, with no clock changes. Aligners are in at both boundaries. There are exactly three removals, all recorded below, with no other removals or unknown gaps. These times are not recommended meal timing, clinical evidence or a patient story.
| Aligners out | Aligners back in | Minutes out |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | 08:30 | 30 |
| 12:00 | 12:45 | 45 |
| 18:00 | 18:45 | 45 |
| Complete-day time out | 120 | |
30 + 45 + 45 = 120 minutes out. The full day contains 24 × 60 = 1,440 minutes. Recorded wear is therefore 1,440 − 120 = 1,320 minutes, or 22 hours.
You can also check the in intervals: 00:00–08:00 is 480 minutes; 08:30–12:00 is 210; 12:45–18:00 is 315; 18:45–24:00 is 315. Their sum is 1,320 minutes. The result depends on the complete record and boundary assumptions above. It does not tell you whether a treatment plan is working.
Check the sheet before using a daily total
- Put events in time order. Each reinsertion must follow its removal on the stated clock basis.
- Check that intervals do not overlap and that you have not counted the same removal twice.
- Review both boundaries and any unresolved events. Three filled rows do not prove there were only three removals.
- Add the complete pairs. If any time remains unknown, label the number a subtotal and leave complete-day wear blank.
- Use the 1,440-minute subtraction only when all the unchanged-clock, boundary and completeness conditions apply.
If an entry is missing, keep the gap visible. The wear-time logging guide covers the ongoing routine. This worksheet is for recording the next event as it happens; it does not reconstruct a missed event or calculate a travel day.
Using a paper log or an app
The sheet leaves the arithmetic to you. TrayJourney, a clear-aligner tracker app, uses manual in/out taps and tallies a daily total. Its default wear goal is 22 hours, adjustable to your provider's plan. For questions about choosing a tool, see the aligner tracking app comparison.
TrayJourney is free to download. Journey Pro unlocks tracking through monthly or annual subscriptions, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Monthly and annual subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled and may include a 7-day trial for eligible customers. Lifetime has no trial. A one-time 24-hour preview needs no payment method. The homepage links to the official iPhone and Android listings.
Does a 22-hour entry mean I should change trays?
No. A recorded total does not decide your tray schedule or establish fit. Follow your provider's plan and ask them about missed wear or fit concerns. Do not use the worksheet to choose compensatory wear or change trays yourself.
Can I use a partial day to calculate a full-day total?
No. Keep the recorded intervals as a subtotal. This page's full-day subtraction requires the complete 00:00–24:00 record described above.
TrayJourney is a tracking companion, not medical advice. Always follow your provider's plan.