Is it OK to not wear Invisalign for 6 hours?
The biggest risk of missing any period of Invisalign® use is that the teeth may shift back to an incorrect position. Invisalign® aligners are intended to be worn for 22 to 23 hours out of the day. Any less than this, and you risk hurting your progress.
Yes, you can take your Invisalign trays out for a few hours, but if they're consecutive hours, it increases the risk of adverse effects. The longer you keep your aligners out of your mouth, the higher the chances of your teeth moving into positions that don't fit your retainers.
When patients leave out their Invisalign aligners for too long, the teeth will begin to shift back into their original positions. In some instances, your aligners may not fit correctly if you try to place them back over your teeth. One of the benefits of Invisalign is that the aligners can be removed from time to time.
Failure to wear your trays for even a few hours may result in noticeable discomfort when the trays are put back in place. That is because your teeth can revert back to their original position while the trays are off.
This is why Invisalign recommends that the trays are worn for at least 20 to 22 hours per day. The trays are designed with the assumption that patients will comply with this rule. Failure to follow this rule can result in complications, discomfort, or even timeline treatment delays.
However, we recommend that you limit the amount of time the aligners are not in your mouth to no more than 2 hours per day. In other words, you need to wear your aligners for around 22 hours every day. Ignoring this advice could delay the date that you finish your Invisalign treatment.
Yes, you can take out your Invisalign aligners on occasion for a special event. There's no need to make any adjustments. You can go about your daily routine while straightening your teeth.
Ideally, you shouldn't ever skip wearing your trays on any days. If you skip one day, it may not affect the outcome of your treatment too much. However, the bigger issue is that it can become easy to skip more than just an occasional day. When you skip trays too often, it can alter your treatment plan.
If patients stay too long without using Invisalign, the teeth may return to their original position, and they will have to restart the treatment from scratch. If patients neglect to wear their Invisalign aligners at night for a few days, such as when on vacation, they may experience pain when putting them back on.
So yes, teeth move overnight, though the change might be imperceptible at first. Regardless of dental decay or bad habits, our teeth usually shift over time, resulting in gaps, misalignment, and crookedness. It takes time to notice a changing appearance.
What happens if I don't wear my Invisalign for 12 hours?
Your Teeth Will Shift
Without fail, if you leave your Invisalign trays out for too long, your teeth will start to move back into their old positions. Orthodontic treatment can move the teeth rather quickly by applying pressure. In a similar fashion, a reduction in that pressure will have the opposite effect.
Never soak your trays in mouthwash or hot water, as they can damage your trays. After soaking, use a spare toothbrush to rid the trays of lingering plaque or food particles.
The simple answer is: “It depends.” For simple cases, treatment time with Invisalign aligners can be as short as six months. Typically, Invisalign will take 12 months to 18 months to straighten your teeth. For more complex cases such as crowded teeth, the treatment time could be 24 months or slightly longer.
With Invisalign or aligner treatment, the teeth are moving forward when the aligners are in, and backward when they are out. Wearing the aligners only at night will cause the teeth to constantly yo-yo back and forth, with no resulting improvement in their position!
For simple cases, Invisalign treatment could be as short as six months. Most treatment times are in the range of 12 to 18 months, though each patient is different. If that sounds like a long time, consider that most traditional metal braces take at least two years to finish straightening your teeth!
Your current aligners may not fit
Your teeth can move in even a few hours which is why not wearing Invisalign for a day can have such an impact on your overall results. Specifically, if they're left out for too long they may not fit again when you attempt to put them back in.
“There are some orthodontists that advise you to keep your aligners on when eating, says Dr. Gire. “Their rationale is that when you use them to function and chew, it helps the aligners set on the teeth more favorably and the teeth will track better during treatment.
If you want to ensure successful treatment, you must wear your clear aligners for at least 22 hours a day.
Ideally, you shouldn't ever skip wearing your trays on any days. If you skip one day, it may not affect the outcome of your treatment too much. However, the bigger issue is that it can become easy to skip more than just an occasional day. When you skip trays too often, it can alter your treatment plan.
The simple answer is: “It depends.” For simple cases, treatment time with Invisalign aligners can be as short as six months. Typically, Invisalign will take 12 months to 18 months to straighten your teeth. For more complex cases such as crowded teeth, the treatment time could be 24 months or slightly longer.
