4 weeks per aligner??

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#1 Post by **weirdteeth** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:15 pm

Hi. I'm currently on week 2 of my first invisalign trays. I was told during my consults that I would need to wear each tray for 3 weeks and have checkups every 6 weeks. At my first appointment, I only received 1 tray and was told to come back in 4 weeks. I questioned it, but the dental assistant said they prefer to have me wear them longer since I have a good bit of crowding on the lower teeth. So....first off, I'm a little miffed that I wasn't told this at the beginning. But also wanted to see if anyone else needed to wear them for that long. Thanks!!

#2 Post by **pompompadom** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 6:12 am

Hi,

I'm to see my dentist every six weeks and have the aligners in for 2 weeks.

I've only just begun and my ortho wants to see me after 3 weeks at first but I expect that'll change.

I haven't heard of any 4 week aligners.

Good luck

#3 Post by **bint3gra** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:17 am

Hi, welcome aboard. I wear my aligners for 2 weeks and see my ortho every 6 weeks. When you say one tray, do you mean only uppers and no lowers or vice versa? It's strange they didn't receive all your trays at once.

#4 Post by **weirdteeth** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:12 am

Sorry to confuse you! I have the invisalign express (10 upper and lower). But to wear each for 4 weeks kinda takes the "express" out of the treatment. I am 35, so maybe ortho wants to take it a bit slower, but 4 weeks is a bit more than I signed on for. And I keep thinking, if I need any refinements, this could take significantly longer than I was hoping. I'll have to give the ortho a buzz.

#5 Post by **John37** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:25 am

They get all the aligners at once, but they usually give only a few out at a time so you have to come back for your checkups. If your problem is crowding then they will only give 2 sets at a time because they need to check more often to make sure things are moving correctly. If your problem was spaces between your teeth, then the treatment usually goes smoother so they may give 3-5 sets of aligners between checkups. At least that's what my office told me.

If they think you won't keep them in long enough each day, then they may tell you to wear them for 3 weeks instead of 2, or 4 weeks as in your case. But I've never heard of that on here before. I hate to say this, but maybe you gave the impression or fit a profile of someone that wouldn't keep them in as long as you're supposed to so they are telling you to wear them for 4 weeks each.

#6 Post by **PaulInc** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:15 am

I have crowding problems and i've only had to go back once every 8 weeks at most, apart from the 2 weeks between 1st and 2nd aligners.

This last set i was given aligners 13-19, a 10 day schedule. So far i am pretty happy, aligners fitting ok, some teeth a little more stubborn than others but no problems getting my aligners to fit. Obviously if i have a problem i make a call, but my dentist is pretty experienced and seems happy enough.

#7 Post by **Wireless** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:58 am

I'm 59 and have been on a two week schedule. However, there have been some difficulties and my last visit my ortho pulled back the last set of the three I was supposed to receive. I may have to slow down. I'm presently on tray 9 of 14U / 21L.

I share your concerns about refinements and wish I had been told more about this up front. In addition to the extra treatment time, there's the wait for the refinements to be delivered. I'm hoping what happened at my last ortho visit isn't leading up to this!!

#8 Post by **weirdteeth** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:50 am

Thanks for your all your replies! I think I will continue with my 1st trays for the prescribed 4 weeks, and see how things are at my next appointment. If all is going well, maybe he'll let me go back to at least the 3 week schedule. I'm wondering if the IPR that needs to be done, for the first few trays, is the scheduling issue. Maybe they just don't want to have me come in every 2 weeks for the IPR. I shall see!!!

#9 Post by **PaulInc** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:51 pm

The IPR is printed on the aligner packets. My IPR is spaced out maybe once every 2 month on average. If it happens that IPR is done twice in a month, i believe he will do all IPR in one visit so i don't have to travel back so often.