How Long Do Invisalign Results Last?

Many of the Invisalign cases we do are re-treatments of adults who had braces as a teen.  Most often they stopped wearing their retainer and the teeth relapsed.  Relapse often occurs because there is just too much tooth structure to fit the space where the body wants the teeth to be.  With Invisalign, in many cases we will slenderize the teeth to make them fit better.  This will make them more stable long term, but we still recommend retainers at night.

Invisalign results will last for the rest of
your life provided that you are following your recommended retainer protocol. Most
doctors recommend that anyone who has completed orthodontic treatment, whether
braces or Invisalign treatment, use a retainer to prevent teeth from gradually
shifting back towards their initial position. Because every case is different,
please speak to your doctor to confirm if you need post-treatment retainers.

No matter what method is used to move teeth (invisalign and braces), the teeth need to be retained using retainers for as long as you want to keep the teeth aligned.  Teeth will always have a tendency to relapse once retainers are no longer used.  10-12 hours a night with a retainer is all that is necessary to keep them aligned.

It really depends, with you being a male, some males can grow into their early twenties, especially regarding the growth of your lower jaw. This would cause your bite to change, but your teeth would still be straight.

You say your 24, so you should be ok. Regardless, retainer wear is a must lifetime. If you are able to wear your retainers to bed every night, your result should never change.

Just like the other parts of the body, teeth continually change. This is true whether or not they have been straightened with orthodontics. The best insurance against shifting is long-term retainer use - the retainers often being removable and worn part time. In situations where very extensive treatment has been undertaken, your orthodontist may recommend, for extra protection against rebound, retainer wires cemented to the inner surface of your teeth. With consistent retainer use, you can be assured you will have a lifetime of benefit from your orthodontic treatment!

Great question!  As an orthodontist, we are always concerned about the longevity of our results.  Teeth always want to go back to the way they were because the gums and bone holding the teeth have a memory of where they came from.  Unless teeth are held indefinitely, they will tend to shift back.  That's what retainers are for.  With Invisalign, the aligners are so easy to wear, that most people don't think it is a big deal to wear them while sleeping.  After a couple years of nighttime wear, a person may be able to gradually reduce to one or two nights a week and still maintain the corrections forever.  Now that is something to sleep on!

Invisalign results last just as well as traditional braces as long as you wear your retainers regularly as your Dentist recommends. Usually I recommend wearing them to bed every night for as long as you want your teeth to remain straight. They will move if not maintained.

Invisalign is a wonderful way to straighten teeth that have shifted after braces.  Once invisalign has achieved the goal of straightening the teeth, a retainer must be worn every night to maintain the teeth in the position.  If this is done, the teeth should stay straight as long as the retainer is worn.

As long as you faithfully wear your retainer and the retainer is examined and adjusted for proper fit, then you should retain your results indefinitely.  Be sure to wear your retainers faithfully and if they feel like they don't fit tight have them tightened or remade.

Invisalign is just a more esthetic approach to orthodontics. Teeth will tend to move if not held in place by some method. Usually, with Invisialign a clear plastic retainer is worn at night to maintain the correct and straight position of the teeth.