It is generally recommended that patients use Invisalign aligners for 12 to 22 hours a day, every day, for three to six months. After this point, most patients can stop wearing the retainer during the day. Once you stop using Invisalign, you should use orthodontic retainers so that your teeth stay in place while new bone is deposited. It takes 9 to 12 months for the body to build up enough bone to stabilize the teeth.
At first, you'll probably have to use the retainer just as much as your Invisalign aligners. In other words, it would be advisable to keep it in your mouth for at least 20 hours a day, taking it out only for meals and oral hygiene. This initial stage of using the retainer usually lasts 3 to 6 months. Then, your orthodontist may tell you that you only need to wear your retainer at night.
About 12 months after you're done with Invisalign, you may be able to reduce the use of retainers to just 3 or 5 nights a week for the rest of your life. If your retainer ever starts to get too tight, it's a sign that you're not wearing it enough. Since you must wear your retainers for the rest of your life, it's critical to take proper care of them to avoid replacing them frequently. After completing orthodontic treatment, it is essential to use retainers as they keep the teeth in their current position and prevent them from returning to the position before treatment. It can also increase the chances that patients will forget to use them for long periods of time.
Within 12 months, you are expected to regularly wear the retainers to maintain the shape of the teeth, since the bone was not sufficiently developed. Your doctor will tell you how long you should wear the aligners each day, but people generally use their Invisalign aligners 20 to 22 hours a day for the best results. If your Flint dentist determines that there is enough new bone to keep your teeth stable, they will only allow you to use the retainers at bedtime. For this reason, you won't have to wear your orthodontic retainers as often to keep your beautiful smile straight. Your Red Deer dentist recommends using them for around 20 or 22 hours for the most effective results. If you don't use your retainers, they'll change back into their original positions and become more firmly embedded in place.
For the first three to six months after finishing the aligners, you'll need to wear retainers for 22 hours a day to keep your teeth in place while the new bone is deposited. It's normal to be a little reluctant to use other braces after treatment is finished. If you go a week without using your Invisalign trays, you'll probably run into some difficulty trying to put them back on. In short, you'll have to wear your retainers for the rest of your life after finishing your treatment with Invisalign.
