Smile Point Dental Victoria

4109 Houston Highway, Suite 200, Victoria, TX 77901
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Dental care

Can I wear my retainers during the day?

Retainers are a vital part of your orthodontic treatment. With braces or Invisalign, your teeth move to the optimum position, and a retainer will stabilize that position. 

Rebuilding the bone and securing teeth in the new position takes at least twelve months. That is why the first year of orthodontic treatment is very crucial. A retainer will retain the teeth in position, preventing relapse.

How long should you wear a retainer?

Once you are introduced to retainers after completing orthodontic treatment, you will have to wear retainers full time, approximately 22 hours each day.

That means you will have to sleep with retainers on. During the initial phase of your treatment, you can remove retainers only while eating or brushing your teeth.

After the first three months, retainers have to be worn for at least 12 hours for the next nine months, day or night, depending on what your orthodontist suggests. 

Wearing a retainer makes sure you have a straight and beautiful smile for the rest of your life. After the first year, your doctor might ask you to wear the retainer for 8 hours daily.

Can I wear retainers during the day only?

The duration and schedule for your retainers depend on the phase of treatment you are currently in. If you have just started using retainers, you must wear those for at least 22 hours. As the treatment progresses, your doctor will be in the best position to help you schedule your retainer timing.

Patience is the key

Retainers, or braces for that matter, seem like a big commitment. But it gets easier once you know that you have a beautiful smile waiting for you at the end of the road.

Understand that your orthodontist can help you in the best way possible. In case of any doubts or requests regarding the retainer schedule, reach out to your orthodontist.

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Dental care

Is 20 Hours a Day Enough for Invisalign?

Invisalign or clear aligners will only work if you wear them correctly and as guided by your dentist. Invisalign treatment is done to give you a better-looking and straight smile. The main job of your Invisalign aligners is to apply pressure in different areas of your teeth so that they can move into the next better position. Your Invisalign can only apply proper pressure on your teeth if you wear it for 20 hours or more almost every time.

Why is it Important to Wear Invisalign for 20 Hours?

To better understand how Invisalign treatment works, it is necessary to know why you need to wear your Invisalign tray for 20 hours or more. It is vital to wear Invisalign aligners as directed by your dentist because aligners nudge the teeth through micro- movement into a better position. For these little shifts or micro-movements to happen correctly, you must wear your aligners for several months; the process causes minimal pain, which is necessary for the treatment to work.The Invisalign aligners are only effective when you wear them properly and when they physically contact your teeth. This is why wearing your Invisalign is enough for 20 hours because they will get enough time to put pressure on your teeth to move them into a better position. The Invisalign tray is designed in such a way that failing to wear it for 20 hours can cause various complications and discomfort during your teeth straightening process.

What Could Happen If You Don’t Wear Your Invisalign Properly?

Many complications can occur if you don’t wear your Invisalign as directed. Some of the reasons to wear aligners for more than 20 hours  are listed below:

  • For your treatment to stay on track and avoid discomfort, it is vital to wear your Invisalign for at least 20 hours.
  • To avoid repeating your previous Invisalign tray, it is necessary to wear it for at least 20 hours.
  • For your upper and lower teeth to align properly, you must wear your Invisalign for 20 hours.

Lastly, if you face any problem with your Invisalign treatment, it is essential to consult your dentist for proper treatment.

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Dental care

Does Invisalign move back teeth first?

A lot of people use Invisalign aligners to improve their smiles. Clear Invisalign aligners are a dental treatment used to shape your misaligned teeth better. While using Invisalign aligners, you will see a difference in the position of your teeth because Invisalign helps your teeth to move to a better place to give you a perfect smile.

Invisalign aligners or invisible braces are nearly invisible, and people can’t tell you are them if they don’t look closely. Compared to traditional braces, Invisalign is a more comfortable and easy way to correct your smile. First, they will move back your teeth and then align them properly with the shape of your Invisalign.

How does Invisalign move your teeth back?

After a week or two, you have started your Invisalign treatment; you will notice that your teeth are moving slightly. Invisalign treatment uses the natural processes that are already happening in your mouth to move back the teeth to a better position so they can look less crowded and congested.

First, your Invisalign trays gently capture the forces and compression and manipulate your teeth so that they can reposition gently over time. In addition, Invisalign aligners put constant pressure on your teeth to gradually move them into an alignment that matches the position of your Invisalign tray. Not only this, but Invisalign treatment also helps to create or fill gaps between your two teeth to make them look more aligned and less crowded when you close your mouth. Later after your teeth are moved back to a better position, the movement is followed by the deposition of new bones.

Once you are done with your first set of Invisalign trays, you have to wear your second tray, which will help bring the front teeth slightly forward so you don’t have a problem closing your mouth.

Lastly, if you face any problem with your Invisalign treatment, it is important to consult your dentist for proper treatment.