Metal Mouth Message Board

what's the longest you have kept your aligners out of your mouth? on t-giving they were out of my mouth for 3 hrs in a row and i'm worried that was too long and I messed up the process. the whole long weekend included so many events (catching up with old friends) which always included lunch/dinner at a restaurant and i had to keep out of my mouth for like 2 hrs. any thoughts on this? is this really bad?

ps in regards to the post above i am on tray 2.....

I'm on tray #5 and on thanksgiving I had mine out for 9 hrs! I usually don't leave them out for that long, and I have definetly left them out for 3 hrs before and my treatment is going along as planned. So you're good! As long as its an occasional thing, and for the most part u wear them consistently.

Hi there,
The longest I ever have them out at one time is 2 hours (if I'm at a restaurant or a special event). I always start to feel guilty after about 90 minutes! It seems a number of people on the Board keep them out longer, but I'm just so afraid of negatively affecting my treatment.

I must admit the 2 hours flies by when I'm in a social situation. I think the upcoming holidays will be a bit stressful for me in that regard.

Currently on aligner 15 of 21/U, 20/L

i was pretty good about thanksgiving, just having them out while eating at my grandma's but Christmas is going to be much harder as I'm used to eating all Christmas Eve and Christmas day!! I figure I'll make some adjustments, but if one day of an extra hour or two sets me that far back. I think I'll risk it. I do suffer from guilt if they are out for anything over an hour at a time on an average day, so I'm hoping 1-2 days will be ok. I have heard some people keep them in an extra day when they have ahd them out for an extra amount of time, so it seems that's an option if you are really concerned about messing up your treatment.

I think everyone has special events where they keep their aligners out more than the recommended time. I travel for a living and there are business functions and meals where I have my aligners out for a couple of hours. Based on my orthodontist's comments, as long as you are careful outside the special events and the next tray fits without excessive tightness, you are probably ok.

If you are having more than occasional special events, its a good idea to check attachments to be sure they are lined up with their bubbles and contact your orthodontist if things are not lining up.