How to Meet Your 22-Hour Invisalign Wear Time

If you’re doing an Invisalign treatment, you’re probably eager to finish it up. The sooner you do, the sooner you can experience a straight and beautiful smile! Reaching that point, though, will require you to wear your trays for the recommended 22 hours a day. Do you think you can meet that challenge? Depending on your situation, it may sound unrealistic. Fortunately, you can do it with the right tools and methods. To learn more, here’s a summary of why and how to meet your Invisalign wear time by Owings Mills dentists.

“Why Should I Wear the Aligners for 22 Hours a Day?”

Due to Invisalign’s design, not wearing aligners long enough will delay or complicate the straightening process.

You see, your trays work by gently nudging teeth into better alignment through micro-movements. Said movements are gradual and take place over several months. In fact, the shifts are so minor that you have to switch your trays for straighter ones throughout treatment.

Due to relying on these micro-movements, Invisalign aligners require a 20–22-hour daily wear time. After all, the trays are only effective when they’re in physical contact with your teeth. When they aren’t, your pearly whites will start to move back into their earlier position.

How to Meet the 22-Hour Mark

In most cases, reaching the 22-hour mark involves adding new habits to your daily routine. Try out the ones below for some extra help:

• Take out your trays for 15 minutes at breakfast, 30 minutes at lunch, and 60 minutes at dinner. Doing so will give you wiggle room for a snack and your oral hygiene regimen)
• Stay mindful with the Tray Minder app, which allows you to track your wear time throughout the day.
• Multi-task. While your trays are out during dinner, place them in a glass of lukewarm or cold water with cleaning crystals.
• Brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash immediately after your meals. From there, re-insert your trays.
• Switch to each new tray directly before bed. That way, you’ll keep your discomfort to a minimum and won’t be tempted to take your aligners out.

Doing anything for 22 hours can sound daunting, let alone wearing Invisalign trays. Even so, the tips above will help you get that straightened smile you’ve always wanted!

About the Author

Dr. Jacob Milner is a dentist based in Owings Mills, MD. His specialties are preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dental treatments, as well as emergency dentistry. Over his career, he’s completed advanced training in areas like general dentistry, dental sleep medicine, and sleep apnea. He is also a certified Invisalign provider. Whatever your smile needs, he’ll give you quality results. Dr. Milner currently practices at Dolfield Dental and can be reached at his website or by phone at (410)-902-4110.