Can I Just Wear My Invisalign Overnight?

Overview of Invisalign

It's essential to find out what Invisalign is and how it functions before delving into the logic behind whether or not you can wear your aligners only at night. Similar to braces, Invisalign applies firm, continuous stress to the teeth in order to move them into the right position. However, the time of this force varies between Invisalign and braces.

The aligners created at the beginning of your treatment are different. Then, depending on the outcome of the very plate, a set of aligners is manufactured just for you. With each aligner plate, a particular set of teeth moves in order to straighten your teeth perfectly. This cycle goes on until your teeth get aligned and you have got the desired look.

Besides the logically-good working process, the fact that so many individuals find Invisalign to be more comfortable to wear than traditional braces. Another reason for this is that the aligner trays can be easily taken out at any time. Invisible aligners are frequently more acceptable to people who are reluctant to wear regular braces.

However, we can’t deny the fact that sometimes Invisalign may take longer to correct teeth than conventional metal braces. The prime cause of this is the temptation to take them out for a little period of time is constant, and all of those little amounts of time, here and there, build up.

The Time Frame For Which Invisalign Must Be Worn Everyday

Wearing clear aligners for at least 20 hours a day is crucial for them to give out the best results. Orthodontists usually advise taking out Invisalign only to eat and drink things other than water. Along with the time span, one should be cautious to brush, floss, and clean their aligners every day and not to forget to clean their mouth after consuming any food or liquids before putting them back.

Nevertheless, it is best to follow your orthodontist’s advice in order to articulate how long you should wear your aligners. Not just this but the treatment plan will proceed according to schedule if you take good care of your aligners and wear them for the recommended period of time.

Can One Just Wear Invisalign Overnight?

Well, the simple answer to this is Yes, you can wear them only during the night. Orthodontists normally advise wearing Invisalign for at least 20 hours each day, which is four hours less than you would need to wear conventional braces in a day. You can cut your daily treatment time to half or even significantly more if you simply wear your invisible aligners properly.

Therefore, a treatment plan that you were supposed to finish in a year will suddenly grow to take two years, and maybe much more in the case of wearing aligners only during the night. But please bare in mind that wearing aligners during the night might not be able to successfully shift your teeth at well. The teeth will then get only 7-8 hours per day to move while during the day you may wear your Invisalign trays for at least 12-13  hours each day. Your teeth have 14–16 hours a day to relapse back to their original positions when you just wear the trays for 8–10 hours during the night, and this will ultimately cause a much slower change in your teeth.

Hence, in the majority of cases, it is not advised to wear Invisalign aligners only at night. For optimal results, one must wear aligners for 22 hours every day. The 22-hour wear schedule is the foundation of your treatment plan, and each pair of aligners is pre-programmed to achieve particular tooth movements. Before you move on to the next tray, these motions must be completed. A treatment plan that was expected to last 12 months will suddenly take 24 months or longer if you reduce your wear time from 20+ hours per day to 8–10 hours, and results won't likely be adequate.

Therefore, you should only opt to wear your aligners just during the night if your orthodontist has allowed you to do so. Otherwise, it is far better to wear them during the day for the recommended period of time.

Bottom Line

Since Invisalign exerts a slight pressure on your teeth making them shift to their natural position over a period of time hence, it is always advisable to go by the recommended time frame in case you are seeking faster results. However, there’s nothing wrong with wearing them only during the night - the only constraint is the treatment may take longer.

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