How Many Hours w/o Invisalign is "Bad"?

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#1 Post by **Invisibeth** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:22 pm

Hi.

I'm only on my 2nd liner. I've been pretty diligent, probably easily wearing these 22 hours/day during the week. On a Friday or Saturday, I've had it out for about 2 hours/max at one time.

I'm going to a wedding next Saturday (I change the liner on Monday). What happens if I leave this liner out for 5 or 6 hours? I don't mind wearing it, but just want to be practical in case I have it out for that long. My biggest fear is something like getting my purse stolen! I'm thinking about designing some type of little cloth pouch that i can pin beneath my strapless full-length evening gown!! Take my Invisalign out and have it hanging on the inside of my dress or something!

I'm inclined to think that if i've been really good, leaving it out for one long spell once in a while isn't a big deal....

#2 Post by **Lilypad** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:57 pm

I was too scared to leave my aligner out for anywhere near that long. I've read too many threads on people having to go back several aligners. But, then, maybe thats why my treatment has went so well.......It's really not that hard, eat, floss ,brush and pop em back in. I've always drank beer with them in, brushed as soon as I was done and popped them back in. If you start slacking this early...don't complain when your treatment doesnt go as expected.

#3 Post by **dezzee** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 5:51 pm

I'd keep them in - that's why you paid so much to have the invisible kind -right??? I'm on tray 19 lower (done on top) - I still would not keep them out for that length of time.

#4 Post by **jeni** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:34 pm

Why do you feel like you have to keep the aligners out? I went to 2 weddings last year and only went without the aligners for the receptions (meals were served). They were out 2-3 hours max.

#5 Post by **Invisibeth** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:50 am

You all make good points. I've got these things for only 9 months, so I should behave diligently like any pregnant woman would for that time (Ha ha!).

Idon't mind having them in at all. They don't even seem to matter when I smile in pictures. In fact, because my problem is so minor and invisible to the naked eye, I have giant white smiling teeth when I'm wearing them (I think someone else said that in another thread, too). My big fear is losing them for the hour or two that we're eating, since I won't have a purse. However, I do have a pretty little cloth jewelery bag, so I'll load in my mini-floss and mini-toothbrush , and I'll pin it under my dress or inside my husband's jacket pocket. Just hope I don't lose him....

#6 Post by **nogota** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:26 am

Haha, putting them in his pocket's a good idea. At events like that I try to swipe a napkin from the bar and hide my invisalign in there while it eat. I think if you put them in a napkin and in your purse at your table you should be fine. I don't too many things that have been stolen at weddings. Just run to the ladies room after you eat, rinse them out and pop them back in.

If you do end up leaving them out for 5 or 6 hours, it's not the end of the world and that alone won't set your treatment back several alingers. I am on 8 of 20, and have accidentally left them out for that long once (I fell asleep after dinner on the couch with them out). And all my aligners still fit properly and my ortho said everything looked great.

Don't over think it or you will just end up stressed and nervous, and not enjoy the wedding!

#7 Post by **movie star smile** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:02 pm

Invisibeth - fyiI'm at the end of my initial treatment of 13U/14L - just waiting for the refinement trays to come in and everything has gone amazingly well. But I will say that for certain social occasions (a wedding last summer, among several other events), I did take the aligners out for about 5 hours. I have even (by accident) fallen aseep at least 3 nights without the aligners in. I'm not condoning this, it just happened, but all is well, my teeth look great, and now just looking to wrap things up. In a perfect world yes, it is obviously great to keep the aligners in as much as humanly possible, but in my imperfect world it just couldn't happen all the time, and lo and behold, all is well! Just had to add my .02.

#8 Post by **Coco212** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 10:31 pm

I went to a Bat Mitzvah during treatment and left them out for the whole night (about 5 hours). It's no big deal. They'll be tight when you put them back in but just make sure you go back to 22 hours a day right away. It won't mess up your results, just don't make it a habit!

#9 Post by **PIMPmyTEETH** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:37 pm

not that i took mine out for this length of time often. but, when i did, i made sure i wore them for an extra day before switching to the next aligner. whether or not that actually helped anything...i dont know. but, that's what i did.

#10 Post by **legalcat** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:49 am

My ortho told me that "2 weeks" of wear is considered to be about 308 hours... 2 weeks of 24/7 would be 336 hours... he said if something happens and I feel like I missed a period of time like I fell asleep with them out or some thing or had a special event to do (one example is I am having nasal surgery soon and I'm sure I will have to take them out before the surgery so since its outpatient I will probably just leave them at home) he said I could just wear them one extra day...

I usually have mine out for 3 hours a day... (I'm only on Day

... I usually take them out in the morning, lunch and dinner and leave them out for about an hour or maybe a little less each time...

#11 Post by **jennielee81** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 4:34 pm

Could you put it in the glove box of your car for a few hours?

Not sure what the parking situation will be/is but could run it out to the car with your hubby? for safe keeping then retrieve it when you leave.

Just a thought...I would probably do this.

Jenn

#12 Post by **brandee5678** » Sat Jan 23, 2016 8:16 pm

I have mine out from about 6 AM till 10 AM 5 days a week. I'm a teacher and I "nurse" my coffee that long. I'm only on my first set, so I'm a bit nervous. Also, I have a trip coming up, which involves a lot of FOOD. I REALLY don't want to be popping them in and out that often. Yikes! Any advice?

#13 Post by **copperpenny** » Tue Jan 26, 2016 10:45 am

I'm on Week 2 of my 1st aligner. I'm definitely NOT an expert, but I did give up drinking coffee and tea for this. I'm even too scared to drink my pre-workout drink because the powder colors my lips, let alone what it will do to my attachments. I get my non-water fix at dinner, sometimes lunch. It sucks, but I want out of these aligners ASAP. So I'll do my 21-22 hours for as long as I can. I'm sure I'll get a bit lazier the farther along I get, but these things were too expensive to slack off too much!! lol

#14 Post by **lilyflower** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 12:21 pm

copperpenny wrote:I'm on Week 2 of my 1st aligner. I'm definitely NOT an expert, but I did give up drinking coffee and tea for this. I'm even too scared to drink my pre-workout drink because the powder colors my lips, let alone what it will do to my attachments. I get my non-water fix at dinner, sometimes lunch. It sucks, but I want out of these aligners ASAP. So I'll do my 21-22 hours for as long as I can. I'm sure I'll get a bit lazier the farther along I get, but these things were too expensive to slack off too much!! lol

Coffee and tea are fine through a straw - only make sure it's iced. Just make sure to brush and brush the aligners well. If you do some kind of soak cleaning once a day it also will generally take away (or minimize) any discoloration.

Regarding wear - yes, do keep them in as much as possible. However, any clearish beverage with them in is fine - wine, champagne, etc. Also, my ortho did mention that one day with like 16 hours wear is fine.

So to the OP going to the wedding: keep them in except for when you eat actual food, when you take them out put them in some kind of CASE not a napkin so you don't lose them.

I got through the holidays (and several holiday parties) like this and had no issues.

#15 Post by **Spaghettini** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 4:59 pm

[quote="brandee5678"]I have mine out from about 6 AM till 10 AM 5 days a week. I'm a teacher and I "nurse" my coffee that long. I'm only on my first set, so I'm a bit nervous. Also, I have a trip coming up, which involves a lot of FOOD. I REALLY don't want to be popping them in and out that often. Yikes! Any advice?[/quote]

I personally have mine out from between 6am and 1pm (sometimes 2pm)... I know this is meant to be a real problem, but so far I have been fine and I am a considerable way through my invisalign.
I have already been through the initial set of 18 trays and recently had my second batch of refining trays issued - another 18 trays (so 36 in total). I am now on tray number 4 of the refining trays (or I guess you could say tray 22 of the full course).

I haven't been delayed by more than 2 weeks in total for the full course of my invisalign, but that was due to me delaying some appointments by a day or so to give my teeth a bit longer in them or because I couldn't make the appointment for some other reason.
As far as my ortho knows I am a perfect patient following all the time guidelines - he is happy that the new trays fit each time I visit for a changeover - well there was one time they fit but were a bit tight and he said "make sure you wear them for the full time" which I said I would

I hope it wont come back to bite me in some way in future... but so far my teeth are looking great even despite the lower number of hours I wear them for.

I'd just test it out and see how your body responds to invisalign to see what you can get away with - maybe my teeth are just easy to move, I don't really know.

My reason for the time out is the same as you... I like to nurse a hot cup over a few hours - my poison is green tea though

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