Need to Wear Retainer 12 Hours a Day After Invisalign?

Its best to follow what they say. We are not the ones who did your treatment so we cannot tell you something that your dentist already said. Certainly wear it full time for a minimum of 3 months, longer if possible.

In my opinion, retention is more critical with Invisalign than it is with traditional braces.  I believe braces' results are more stable than those of Invisaligns.

The key to a successful Invisalign result is retention.  You should wear your retainer faithfully as directed by your orthodontist. 

Once you have completed your Invisalign treatment, it will be necessary for you to wear retainers at night while you sleep.  This keep the teeth from moving back to their original position.

The amount of retainer wear after you have completed invisalign will depend on a few factors. It can depend on the initial position of your teeth, the doctor treating your case, the relapse potential of your teeth, as well as the type of retainer you are wearing. 

In cases that I treat with invisalign in my office who are in retainers, after a certain amount of full time wear, I advise them to wear their retainer at night for the rest of their lives, or as long as they want their teeth to remain straight!

Initially after moving teeth, the supporting bone is not very dense.  Over time, the bone firms up and retention is not as frequent (leading to nighttime wear, usually while sleeping).

It is up to each patient how much they want to do.  If they are told 12 hours and only want to commit to 8-9, they can do that.  They MIGHT find that the teeth move quite a bit with less than recommended wear, so results may vary.

I describe night time use like "magic pajamas".  If I was to say you could be skinny for the rest of your life if you wore certain PJ's, would it be worth it?

Retention and retainers are a personal choice, but not wearing retainers enough may compromise results.