Invisalign Braces | Invisalign Clear Braces Summit, NJ (2023)

FAQs

Is 20 hours a day enough for Invisalign? ›

The recommended amount of time to wear Invisalign aligners is 20 to 22 hours per day. This means that the aligners should only be removed for eating, drinking, brushing, and brushing (cleaning the teeth and aligners).

If there is a cardinal rule for Invisalign, it's this: your trays must be worn 20 – 22 hours a day for them to be effective. The trays slowly and gradually shift your teeth into place, so if you aren't wearing them, they obviously cannot do their job!

Generally speaking, Invisalign is understood to be the fastest braces treatment. This is because Invisalign is typically used for treating minor cases, meaning only 20-30 sets of aligners are required over 6-8 months (roughly).

Is Invisalign Really Faster than Braces? In short, the answer is yes. While traditional metal braces require somewhere between 18 and 24 months, the average length of treatment with Invisalign is 12 months. However, the time needed to deliver the results you desire largely depends on how complex the treatment plan is.

With Invisalign or aligner treatment, the teeth are moving forward when the aligners are in, and backward when they are out. Wearing the aligners only at night will cause the teeth to constantly yo-yo back and forth, with no resulting improvement in their position!

However, we recommend that you limit the amount of time the aligners are not in your mouth to no more than 2 hours per day. In other words, you need to wear your aligners for around 22 hours every day. Ignoring this advice could delay the date that you finish your Invisalign treatment.

This is why Invisalign recommends that the trays are worn for at least 20 to 22 hours per day. The trays are designed with the assumption that patients will comply with this rule. Failure to follow this rule can result in complications, discomfort, or even timeline treatment delays.

Yes, you can take out your Invisalign aligners on occasion for a special event. There's no need to make any adjustments. You can go about your daily routine while straightening your teeth.

Your current aligners may not fit

Your teeth can move in even a few hours which is why not wearing Invisalign for a day can have such an impact on your overall results. Specifically, if they're left out for too long they may not fit again when you attempt to put them back in.

In short, you'll have to wear your retainers for the rest of your life after finishing Invisalign treatment. It might sound inconvenient, but it's well worth the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful, straight, healthy smile for life!

Can I skip 2 trays with Invisalign? ›

All of your Invisalign trays are custom-designed to fit your teeth and to adjust to your shifting smile. If you skip wearing them too often, the future sets of trays may not fit. This not only means that you won't get the results that you expect, but that you also might have to pay for entirely new trays.

Invisalign FAQs

Year-long Invisalign treatment usually requires at least 20 aligners or more, with prices starting as low as $3,500-$4,000, but you'll need an exact quote from your dentist.

While ceramic braces are not as unnoticeable as invisible aligners, they are still far less noticeable than metal braces. From a distance of even a few feet, they're almost invisible, and they may be completely undetectable in photos, especially if you also get clear bands to go with the clear brackets.

Because the Invisalign® system makes life easier for their patients, orthodontists often prefer it over metal braces. However, for patients with severely misaligned teeth, braces are the better option. Sometimes, teeth need to be twisted as part of the straightening process.

Technically, you can remove your Invisalign as many times as you want in a day, provided you keep them in for around 20-22 hours daily. However, dentists recommend you remove your aligners as little as possible, only for activities such as eating meals and brushing your teeth.

The simple answer is: “It depends.” For simple cases, treatment time with Invisalign aligners can be as short as six months. Typically, Invisalign will take 12 months to 18 months to straighten your teeth. For more complex cases such as crowded teeth, the treatment time could be 24 months or slightly longer.

For optimal results, Invisalign gradually aligns your teeth, which minimizes discomfort and ensures a precise, healthy smile. It is unrealistic to see changes in one to two weeks. While result speed varies between patients, some patients may begin to notice a subtle difference within 10 to 12 weeks.

What Happens If You Only Wear Invisalign at Night? While you technically can wear Invisalign only at night, in general, no orthodontist recommends it. Wearing clear aligners exclusively at night can potentially double the expected treatment time, even if your case is very mild.

Can you kiss with Invisalign®? The first bit of good news is that the answer is YES, you absolutely can. The second bit of good news? Invisalign's clear design means your pashing partner probably won't even notice that you're wearing any aligners.

Tea and coffee can be safely consumed while you're undergoing treatment with Invisalign clear braces, although you should not drink these beverages while you are wearing the trays. Although you don't have to chew when you're drinking beverages, it's important to remove the trays before consuming them.

How do I survive the first week of Invisalign? ›

When bacteria accumulate in your mouth, you run the risk of cavities, plaque buildup, and even gum disease. If you have Invisalign, you should floss after each meal. If not, you should floss at least daily to ensure you remove any harmful material from your teeth and mouth.

You should be ok with the proper amount of time in the mouth. You are more likely to break an attachment or the aligner itself, but at under 15 minutes each you shouldn't have a significant slow down in treatment. However long you're getting in the full 22/hrs/day, you ought to be OK.

Dentists do not recommend drinking through a straw while wearing Invisalign aligners. Although a straw can reduce staining or warping, it will not eliminate the negative effects drinks besides water can have on the aligners.

Again, drinking beverages with a straw is recommended when you're undergoing Invisalign treatment. A straw allows the liquid less contact with your teeth and less contact with your Invisalign if they're still in. If you simply must drink a sugary or alcoholic drink with Invisalign, use a straw.

Drinking soda with Invisalign worsens the problem. The sugar and acid will be trapped if you have the Invisalign on, hasten the decay process. This is why it is not advisable to drink soda. It would be best to take your aligners out or drink with a straw.

Generally, Invisalign Lite uses 14 trays that aim to complete treatment in 6-12 months compared to the Full treatment that straightens in 12-24 months.

After enjoying, brush and rinse your teeth before wearing the aligners again. Therefore, if you are age 21 or older, you can enjoy alcohol as long as you take out your aligners first. If you forget and drink something like red wine, it may stain your aligners pink. Then, your treatment won't look very discreet!

Always remove Invisalign before you eat

Yes, your aligners are strong and durable. But they're not meant to undergo the pressure of chewing. Remove your aligners before eating anything. Otherwise, you risk damaging your aligners and disrupting your treatment timeline!

In general, the success rate of Invisalign is quite high. The overall success rate of Invisalign is around 96%. This means that 96% of patients who complete treatment with Invisalign achieve their desired results and are completely satisfied with the treatment.

Can Invisalign go wrong? ›

There is a possibility for Invisalign to not heed accurate or desired results. If not planned properly, Invisalign will not move the teeth properly. Patients can sometimes end up with undesired results such as protrusive teeth, asymmetric teeth or teeth that haven't fully straightened.

Your retainers ensure that your teeth stay in the right place. Retainers keep your smile in place when active treatment is complete. Adults need to wear their retainers for life, but adolescents may be able to stop wearing them after about 10 years.

The Potential Number of Trays Needed

Typically, a patient's Invisalign treatment lasts about a year. As such, most patients go through about 20 to 30 Invisalign trays. On the extreme end, a patient that needs greater dental adjustment may go through about 50 trays over the course of treatment.

Teeth will move back to the incorrect position: Your progress towards a perfect smile will go to waste if you leave Invisalign out for a longer duration, like a full day. Your teeth can easily move back to their original positions without Invisalign and undo all your hard work.

The cost of Invisalign Full will depend on the severity of your case and how many aligners are needed, but it is typically around $5,000.

Generally, your teeth straightening process should take around nine to twelve months. But if you have significant issues in your teeth, you might have to use up to 40 trays to align your teeth properly, and it can take up to two years.

Conclusion. The number of Invisalign trays you will need depends on the complexity of your case. You can receive as few as five sets of trays for very mild cases—or more than 26 sets for complex issues.

This is because there is an increased risk of tooth decay and periodontal disease if you wear aligners without addressing underlying issues first. You should be able to receive clearance from your dentist if there is any question about your oral health.

Invisalign can't be used for “extrusion” and “intrusion,” meaning it can't be used to provide very much vertical force and to move the teeth up or down in the mouth. It may be possible to raise or lower teeth slightly, but if your teeth need to be moved a lot, braces may be more appropriate.

Limitations of Invisalign. Invisalign doesn't have the same force and capabilities to move teeth as braces. Therefore, complex orthodontic treatment or cases that require significant movement of teeth need braces, not Invisalign to achieve the desired outcome.

What are the negatives of clear braces? ›

In general, dentists recommend Invisalign for mild alignment issues and metal or clear, ceramic braces for patients whose teeth need more straightening. Pricing for both ceramic braces and Invisalign usually depends on how long realignment takes, which will depend on how much straightening the patient's teeth require.

Invisalign is often faster than braces. Invisalign slowly aligns all of the teeth at the same time, as opposed to braces, which apply pressure on misaligned teeth.

Patients who have dental implants, bridges or TMJ disorder may not be the best candidates for Invisalign. If your teeth are on the smaller side or they're misshapen or eroded, Invisalign may not be practical.

Typically, the lateral incisors or the teeth next to your front teeth are the most challenging to move with Invisalign aligners and traditional braces.

It is normal for your teeth to feel wobbly and loose when you first start wearing Invisalign aligners. This is because the aligners slightly shift your teeth into new, straight positions. Over time, as your teeth become more aligned, the looseness will fade.

However, the aligners are only effective when they're in physical contact with teeth. Because of that, Invisalign strongly recommends that the trays are worn for at least 20 to 22 hours per day.

The simple answer is: “It depends.” For simple cases, treatment time with Invisalign aligners can be as short as six months. Typically, Invisalign will take 12 months to 18 months to straighten your teeth. For more complex cases such as crowded teeth, the treatment time could be 24 months or slightly longer.

You need to wear your Invisalign aligners 20 to 22 hours a day to get the results you want.

What Happens If I Wear Them Less Than 22 Hours? Extended Treatment Time. By wearing your aligners less than 22 hours a day, you are applying less force to your teeth, moving them more slowly than planned. Stagnation or Regression.

Can you take Invisalign out for 2 hours? ›

You shouldn't leave your Invisalign off for longer than 3-4 hours each day, and not in one go. Anything longer will disrupt your treatment and may cause your teeth to revert to their original positions. Dentists recommend keeping your aligners in for 20-22 hours daily.

Failure to wear your trays for even a few hours may result in noticeable discomfort when the trays are put back in place. That is because your teeth can revert back to their original position while the trays are off.

All of your Invisalign trays are custom-designed to fit your teeth and to adjust to your shifting smile. If you skip wearing them too often, the future sets of trays may not fit. This not only means that you won't get the results that you expect, but that you also might have to pay for entirely new trays.

Is a Retainer Necessary After Invisalign Treatment? Dr. Kathryn Swan, a board-certified orthodontist, recommends that everyone wear a retainer after completing Invisalign treatment. Just like with traditional braces, wearing a retainer after completing Invisalign helps you maintain your beautifully straightened smile.

It's typically recommended that patients wear the appliance for 12 to 22 hours a day – every day – for three to six months. After this point, most patients can stop wearing the retainer during the day. Instead, they'll only need to wear it at night.

In addition to a beautiful, healthy smile, Invisalign can encourage patients to practice healthy eating habits, drink water rather than soda, and lose weight. While wearing Invisalign aligners, many patients have reported that they have lost anywhere from 10 to 15 pounds.

If your Invisalign tray starts to feel loose after the 2nd or 3rd week of the treatment, your aligners have moved your teeth, and it's working.