How Long Do I Have to Wear Invisalign Retainer

If you are straightening your teeth with invisalign clear aligners and you are close to the end of your treatment, you may be being to ask about what is next and if you need to wear aligners. The answer is yes. After your invisalign treatment, it will be required of you to wear a retainer to firmly hold your teeth from moving back to their former position. You may have gotten amazing invisalign offers to straighten your teeth, and you do not want the time, effort, and resources you put into straightening your teeth to be wasted.

How long do I have to wear invisalign retainer? Now that you know you need to wear a retainer after your invisalign treatment, the next question is how often you should wear them. The answer to this depends on how well your straight and beautiful smile remains. 

For your teeth to stay healthy, your jaw to remain strong, and your bite to be correct, you need to adhere to your orthodontist’s instruction on wearing your retainer. 

How Long Do I Have to Wear Invisalign Retainer

"How Long to Wear Invisalign Retainer?" or "Vivera retainers how long to wear?" Invisalign retainers are protective appliances that are worn after Invisalign treatment to prevent the teeth from moving back to their first position.

Most times, Invisalign patients use Vivera retainers. These retainers are durable thermoplastic appliances that look like invisalign aligners. To make a Vivera retainer, your orthodontist will take impressions and photos of your teeth with an intra-oral camera so the retainer will fit your teeth perfectly.Vivera retainers are as comfortable and strong as invisalign aligners. The retainers are made of clear materials, so they do not affect your appearance in any way.  

When to wear Invisalign retainer

Just like other orthodontic devices, a lot of factors contribute to how long and when you will need to wear them. Factors such as the complexity of the original orthodontic problem and, the age of the patient contribute to when, and how long the patient needs to wear their Invisalign retainer. The length of time it took to correct the misalignment is also a determining factor when it comes to wearing invisalign retainers.

Your orthodontist will provide you with a schedule to wear your retainer. The following are the general guidelines for wearing invisalign retainers.

• 12 – 22 hours for the first 3 – 6 months after treatment
• Only at night for 6 – 12 months and beyond
• 3 – 5 times a week after a year

Note that your orthodontist may recommend a different schedule for you depending on your case. After wearing your retainer for a year, you need to observe if there are any changes in the alignment of your teeth. 

If you feel comfortable wearing your retainer only at night in the long run, it will be sufficient but, you can still decide to have them on for a longer period as retainers also prolong the durability of dental restorations like crowns and bridges.

Why wear Invisalign retainer?

Retainers are worn for long term protection of the investment put into straightening the teeth. Orthodontic issues such as gaped teeth that are corrected with invisalign remain corrected by wearing retainers. Even after a long time, the teeth can move back to their original position, so you have to wear your retainer to prevent this.

Retainers also help to strengthen the underlying jaw bone and support ligaments because the jaw bone and connective tissues also change position while straightening the teeth. 

Caring for Invisalign retainer 

To achieve the best result, you need to properly care for your retainer, while you wear it. Retainers are also exposed to food particles, bacteria, and oral fluid, so you need to properly care for them. Clean your retainer properly every day just as you clean your teeth.

Whenever you remove your retainer for the day, brush it and rinse in warm water to remove any food particle on it. Ensure that you brush all corners of the retainer that are likely to harbour plaque and tartar to prevent the growth of bacteria and subsequent infection.

Deep clean your retainer at least once a week with a mild soap mixed with warm water. Do not use toothpaste as the chemical may damage your invisalign retainer. You can also use a cotton swab that is soaked in a cleaning agent to clean your retainer. Some products are available to make cleaning your invisalign retainer easier. Ask your dentist to recommend one for you. 

Author: Contact London Braces now on 020 37457520 or info@london-braces.co.uk to know more about Invisalign retainers. We also have great Invisalign offers in London for you. Call us now to book an Invisalign appointment.