Invisalign After Care Instructions
You have worked so hard to achieve this beautiful new smile! We now want to retain the changes that we have made. Teeth have incredible memory and will slowly return to a state of crowding if a retainer is not worn regularly. Eventually, you will only need to wear your retainers at night while you sleep.
To transition you from full time “active” Invisalign treatment to “passive” retainers we are advising the following sequence of retainer wear:
Timeline
1st Month
Wear your retainers full-time, just like you are in “active” treatment.
4th Month
Wear for 14 hours. Take ten hours off during the day.
2nd Month
Wear for 18 hours. Take six hours off during the day.
5th Month
Wear for 12 hours. Take twelve hours off during the day.
3rd Month
Wear for 16 hours. Take eight hours off during the day.
6th Month
You are now ready to try nighttime use only (wear for 8 hours)!
Tips & Tricks
-
Take your retainers out when eating and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunchrooms or restaurants.)
-
Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a wet toothbrush. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque and eliminates odors.
-
When retainers are not in your mouth, they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case. Pets love to chew on them!
-
Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken call us immediately.
-
Always bring your retainers to your appointments. We will clean them for you!
-
Retainer replacement is expensive; with proper care they will last for years!
-
Remove retainers when swimming.
-
Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.