How Long Should my Invisalign Aligners Be out Per Day?

asked 3 years ago by Tilly Reed in College Station Texas
Latest answer by Lance Timmerman, DMD
Question viewed 2,266 times

I am doing a medium length Invisalign treatment, I think. I have 8 aligners on top and 14 on the bottom. My dentist told me to keep them out like 10 minutes per meal. I can't eat, brush, and floss fast enough! I am reading reviews from people saying they leave them out all evening if they are going out for the night. How long exactly do I have to keep my aligners out per day?

3 answers to How Long Should my Invisalign Aligners Be out Per Day?

Less is More...

The more they are out of the mouth, the less they work. Long term stability might be compromised by having the forces started and stopped repeatedly. By all means take them out to eat and brush, but anything more than that may lead to disappointment. You have spent a fair amount of money on this service, so I would suggest getting the most out of it.

Lance Timmerman, DMD
Seattle Cosmetic Dentist

22 hour a day wear...

The recommendation is to wear the aligners for 22 hours a day. This allows approximately 2 hours for eating, brushing, flossing, and drinking during the day. Teeth move when there is a constant pressure placed on them. There is some resorption of the bone on the pressure side, and formation of bone as the tooth moves. Unfortunately, the teeth aren't smart enough to know whether it is plastic or braces moving them. All they know is that there is some pressure on them. Since conventional... more

Jason K. Tam, DDS
Toronto Orthodontist

Depends on how much you want to compromise the Invisalign results!

Jokes apart! Invisalign is just another tool to move the teeth. Each aligner comes with a precise movement which has to take place and stabalize over 2 weeks period. If someone is taking out whole evening it will compromise the results. It might not be apparent during the treatment but could be in long term stability of the result. If the prescribed movement is not achieved and stabillized in one aligner, the following aligner might not fit as well and might not track well with teh... more

Bobby Virk, DMD, MSD
Bellevue Orthodontist

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