How Your Invisalign Treatment is Impacted By Not Wearing Your Trays As You Should

Are you seeking an orthodontic option that does not require metal brackets and wires like what is needed for traditional braces? If you are in the Burlington, Ontario area, you can reach out to Dr. Thelam Nguyen and the Tansley Woods Dentistry team, where they offer the Invisalign clear aligner treatment system.

When you begin your Invisalign clear aligner treatment, it will be recommended that you wear your trays for 20 to 22 hours a day, every day. If you neglect to follow these treatment guidelines, you could face complications. Complications could include delayed results and discomfort.

Discomfort

In the short term, not wearing your trays as prescribed will not result in significant delays in results. What you will experience pretty quickly, though, is that your trays may become uncomfortable to wear if you are not keeping them in for 20 to 22 hours a day. That is especially true the first few days after putting in a new aligner tray. When you first wear an aligner tray, you will feel a slight pressure on your teeth. It is normal. What is not normal is when you fail to wear your aligner tray for several days, and your teeth begin to shift back to their original position. That is not usually observable to the naked eye, but you will feel moderate discomfort or, in some cases, even pain when you put your tray back in after a long break. Taking your tray off to eat or drink is entirely acceptable. It must get put back on afterwards and worn 20 to 22 hours a day to avoid this situation.

Delayed Results

As outlined above, failing to wear your trays can result in discomfort as it can lead to your teeth starting to shift back to their original position. When you continue not to wear your aligner trays over a prolonged period, the overall results you are hoping for from the Invisalign treatment may not be attainable in the original timeframe that your dentist laid out. Typically, the Invisalign treatment will take 12 to 18 months, with regular checkups throughout the treatment to monitor progress. If progress is not being obtained due to failure to wear the aligner trays for 20 to 22 hours a day, you may be asked to wear them even longer or, in worst cases, even need a new set of trays to be made. All of this will put you behind the original timeline for treatment completion.

If you are interested in learning more about Invisalign, please call Tansley Woods Dentistry today. You can schedule a consultation with Dr. Thelam Nguyen today by calling 289-812-3610.