What Happens If I Don’t Wear My Aligners Enough Each Day?
Signs of Delayed Treatment Progress
There are a few clear signs indicating delayed treatment progress with clear aligners and Invisalign. Patients should be wearing their aligners for the recommended hours and following specific guidelines given by their dental healthcare providers. Not wearing your aligner trays long enough each day can reduce the overall progress, causing your teeth to either stay in the same spot, cause slower progress, or even revert to old positions. All of these outcomes will delay alignment progress, meaning the original timeline of your aligner treatment may be extended. It’s highly recommended that our patients wear their clear aligners, like Invisalign, consistently every day to ensure the best results.
Patients who are wearing aligners for less than the recommended timeframe each day may experience some physical discomfort. Unlike braces, which are in control of your teeth, aligners only work if worn 22+ hours every day. If you’re missing hours throughout the day, your teeth can shift back and make it difficult to fit your current aligner. As time goes on, patients who don’t wear their Invisalign consistently may see the side effects. Moving your teeth back and forth this way can cause gaps between teeth or even require an additional round to ensure the teeth end up in the correct position.
If you’re looking for a dentist who provides clear aligners or are having difficulties with your current Invisalign provider, contact Hutta & Hutta Orthodontics. We are happy to provide a consultation and offer our services to you! Ask us about braces, clear aligners, Invisalign, and any dental questions you have!
How Invisalign Shifts Your Teeth
Invisalign and clear aligners work by patients wearing custom aligner trays that slowly move their teeth into alignment. This process takes months, sometimes even over a year, in order to properly reshape someone’s smile. Each week, the patient switches to a new tray, maintaining a weekly .25mm movement. If used properly, the aligners will straighten the patient’s teeth and correct any visible or internal alignment problems.
Because each week the patient wears a new aligner, they must be consistent. By skipping blocks of time, or days, they are seriously throwing their progress behind. This means sometimes they may not be able to fit their most recent aligner in their mouth. In these cases, dentists may have to make new aligners or even start the process over.
Is Missing One Day Of Invisalign Bad?
Consistency is key to ensuring linear progress with aligners. Your teeth will shift every single day while wearing Invisalign, so any time you’re not wearing them reduces progress. The recommended time to wear Invisalign each day is 22-24 hours. This gives patients time to remove their trays for activities like eating and cleaning without extending the overall time treatment takes.
Aligners work very quickly, aligning a patient’s teeth as quickly as 6 months, and at most 18 months. Inconsistent wear can extend this time and impact the overall progress. Aligners work by shifting your teeth every single day, and missing a day can impact the schedule. New aligner trays can move your teeth in 24 hours, meaning every day you skip your aligners is an extension of treatment time. Teeth can also shift backwards when a patient doesn’t wear their trays enough. Missing additional hours consistently will likely slow progress. Wearing your Invisalign every single day for 22 or more hours to truly see the benefits.
If, on occasion, your trays are left out for an additional hour, your progress won’t be ruined. While it’s best to stick with a 22+ hour goal, if you find yourself falling short some days, we recommend keeping your aligners in for extra time the following days. If you’re struggling to wear Invisalign consistently, speak with your dentist, and they can implement adjustments in your schedule.
How Inconsistent Wear of Aligners Costs You More
Invisalign is a much faster process compared to traditional braces. Invisalign moves your teeth at a weekly rate, meaning consistency is extremely important to stay on schedule. Anytime you miss a day of wearing your aligners, you’re prolonging the process. The further your progress gets from the original schedule, the longer you’ll have to wear the trays. This can also lead to additional dentist visits if your teeth aren’t making the expected progress.
Dentists may have to make changes to your Invisalign timeline. If a patient is consistently missing days and even hours of wearing their aligners, their progress could even backtrack. Extra dental visits, new scans, recreating aligners, and even extending the process all increase the cost of Invisalign. We always encourage patients to follow their treatment schedule as closely as possible, ensuring they wear their Invisalign every single day. By consistently wearing your trays every single day, you can stay on track and have your teeth straight in under 18 months!
Backwards Progress
The unfortunate truth is that when patients don’t wear their Invisalign consistently, their progress may regress. Part of using clear aligners, like Invisalign, is allowing your mouth to adjust ot the pressure of moving your teeth, which is why the process takes months. If your teeth move backwards to their previous state, it can cost you additional money and extend the entire process. This means you’ll be wearing the aligners for additional weeks or potentially months. It’s important that patients closely follow the recommended schedule of wearing their trays for at least 22 hours each day. This means removing your trays for cleaning your teeth, your clear aligners, or for eating are all acceptable, but not for other activities. Consistency is key and prevents progress from being undone. If you’re having any issues with your Invisalign treatment, reach out to Hutta & Hutta Orthodontics today and learn how we can help you!
Consistent Wear for Consistent Progress
It’s important for us to convey to patients that while skipping an hour here or there doesn’t seem detrimental, missed time can quickly add up. As the amount of missed time grows, the seriousness of the problem increases. If aligners are worn consistently every day, the patient will see strong progress and an excellent final result. Instead of trying to move throughout your day, taking your aligners out for certain events, meetings, etc., you have to be diligent.
Schedule An Invisalign Consultation
Hutta & Hutta Orthodontics has provided over 40 years of top-tier orthodontic care in Central Ohio. We provide treatment for all ages, so if you have questions about clear aligners, Invisialign, Damon Braces, Insignia Braces, and more. Schedule an aligner consultation today to learn more about the process!