This is why a person will have to wear their retainer for about 22 hours a day for the days and weeks after Invisalign. They will have to use the advance almost full time for about six months. For some people, this period will last longer than six months. Every patient is unique, which means that the aftercare plan your dentist creates for you may not be the same as that of your co-worker or neighbor.
The general rule is that the longer the corrective treatment lasts, the longer you will have to wear a retainer to maintain the results. Orthodontists typically recommend wearing retainers full time for at least six months after the last Invisalign aligner. Full-time is meant only to remove the retainers for eating, drinking, brushing and flossing. Kathryn Swan, a board-certified orthodontist, recommends that everyone wear a retainer after completing Invisalign treatment.
As with traditional braces, wearing a retainer after completing Invisalign helps you maintain a beautifully straightened smile. If you don't wear a retainer after completing treatment, your teeth will change position slowly. While your teeth won't change dramatically overnight if you forget to wear the retainer, they will change position slowly over time. For this reason, we recommend that Invisalign patients wear their retainers as often as Dr.
Because each patient is unique, every aspect of the Invisalign process is customized to meet their needs. However, the initial protocol for using the retainer is fairly consistent across the board. It is generally recommended that patients use the device 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.
Instead, they will only have to use it at night. This will usually need to be done for 12 months after Invisalign treatment has ended. This is the result of daily wear and tear on the teeth when biting, chewing, swallowing and talking. If you lose or break your last set of Vivera retainers, or you simply run out, contact your Invisalign doctor.
Once you stop using Invisalign, you'll need to use orthodontic retainers to keep your teeth in place while new bone is deposited. Your doctor will tell you how long you should wear the aligners each day, but people generally wear Invisalign aligners 20 to 22 hours a day for the best results. In addition, thanks to a discreet blue dot on the outside of the aligners for teens, parents can be sure that their children are wearing the transparent aligners long enough. This recommendation usually surprises most patients, but without constant use of retainers, there is a strong chance that the beautiful set of straight teeth that you love so much will not be there forever.
However, if you feel that your retainers have been tightened too tight, that may be a sign that your teeth are still moving and you may need to increase the number of nights you wear them. If that's true for you, your dentist will allow you to switch to wearing your retainers every night for at least one more year. Then, your Invisalign clear aligners are designed to apply the right amount of force in the right place at the right time, based on your plan. Your Vivera retainers will be custom-made from an impression or scan of your teeth using the same cutting-edge technology used for Invisalign transparent aligners.
If you lost or broke your retainer and you have a printed copy of your teeth after treatment, they can be used to make your replacement retainers. Invisalign clear aligners are virtually invisible. People may not even notice that you're wearing them. Not wearing the retainer after wearing Invisalign braces will eventually affect the look of your smile, as well as your overall oral health.
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