What day of the week do you switch?

Message

#1 Post by **kimnim1** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 10:49 am

I am getting my retainers tomorrow!! My worry is that if I start wearing them right away I will have to always switch them on a Thursday. I think I would prefer to switch on Sunday morning or night because of

A) Remembering
B) Don't want my mouth in pain over the weekends...rather do it at work when I'm busy and distracted
C) If I have a good Friday or Saturday night with beer or wine or something involved I'd like to keep them in and get rid of it a day or two later. (obviously only on the second week)

I guess I'd just like to hear when everyone changes and if there are pros and cons to it. I'm anxious to start tomorrow right away, but waiting until Sunday when I've waited 26 years, isn't going to make a difference.

#2 Post by **lt81** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:13 pm

Hi - good luck for tomorrow

I switch on a tuesday because that was the first day I got my aligners and so I just kept with that. I do tend to remember, because you do find the aligners getting looser so realise you must be due for a switch. I always switch last thing at night so I have 7-8 hours of the new set in continuous without having to take them out (its always a bit tight for the first few days and in first 24 hours I try to take them out as little as possible because of the discomfort of trying to push the aligner over my attachments.

I personally don't think it matters what day you switch on - so maybe see how you get on and take it from there.

#3 Post by **comedyfish** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 4:29 am

I switch Wednesday night (just put in my penultimate uppers last night! - woot (etc) )

That way I can go out for a meal on Friday and/or Sat pain free!

My first appointment was on a Thursday so just changed a day early once - works for me - means my weekends are always easy.

#4 Post by **KUMonkeyMomma** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 4:53 am

I got them on a Wednesday, so that is the day I switched too. I only had pain for a couple days when I got my first trays and when I switched to my second, so it works good because by the time the weekend is here it's not bad and like the previous poster said, I can enjoy a family lunch or dinner out on Sat or Sun (or a day outing with our son, etc) without discomfort.

I had initially thought to change it to Sat night or Sun as well so that I wouldn't be in pain all weekend (or at least not Sat since that is the day we go do most of our stuff), but decided to keep it on Wed and see what happened (figured if I still hurt on the weekend and it caused me not to enjoy it, then I could always switch with the next tray).

I would think that if you got trays on a Thurs and switched them on a Thurs that by Sat afternoon at the latest you'd be in good shape.

I don't know about everyone else but even when I did have pain it wasn't constant pain/pressure. I felt it mainly when I took out a tray and put it back in. For maybe 10 mins after I took them out it would hurt because there was no more pressure and the beginning of my meal would be a bit uncomfy (and trying to bite into things was tough) but after a handful of bites it was fine. Then when I put them back in I would have pain for maybe 30 mins while they adjusted and then it was fine again.

Good luck!

#5 Post by **smilesunset** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 6:48 am

I'm on a 10-day cycle so I change on a different day every week and I'm always forgetting when I'm supposed to change. I wouldn't worry about the pain aspect, though. I'm on aligner 24 of 33 and only a couple of aligners have given me discomfort past the first day. And I always put the new aligner in at night, so it gets settled as I sleep and is easier to take out in the morning.

As for having a beer or wine with your aligners in, it won't have any impact on the appearance or cleanliness of the aligner, as long as you brush it within a couple of hours.

Good luck with your new aligners!

#6 Post by **kimnim1** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 1:50 pm

Thanks everyone, I got them this afternoon and kept them in until I got back to work. I hadn't eaten lunch and they were already giving me a headache, so I'm leaving them out until I get home late tonight after work, so I can brush my teeth and do the whole "start with them in overnight" thing. I am starting with switching on thursday. If i need to change it later on I will adjust then. I am officially on 1/13U and 1/17L. Wish me luck

Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:52 pm

comedyfish wrote:I switch Wednesday night (just put in my penultimate uppers last night! - woot (etc) )

I started my penultimate set on wed night too. Can't wait to finish and start the refinement process

#8 Post by **kezzakattami** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:07 pm

I started my last upper set today (hooray!!) and have been wearing my bottom set for th last 8 weeks - yuk, cant wait to get the ball for refinements rolling!

I started changing every Weds as this was the day I had my first ones fitted, however due to vacations and keeping trays in for a few days longer here and there, thats changed! Weds was a good day to change though as a lot of the pain had subsided by the weekend and work distracted me in the week, like you say.

Good luck with your treatment!

#9 Post by **Bellalalala** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:28 pm

I switch on Saturdays.

I have metal brackets on the bottom, and invisalign on the top.
I get my brackets adjusted on Saturdays, so I get my new trays at the same time.

BTW, I drink wine, beer, tea, and coffee with my retainer in: no staining as long as I brush them afterward.

#10 Post by **Zoso** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 2:21 pm

I switch on Thursday. Got my first set on a Thursday and my 2nd pair with attachments on a Thursday. I'm gonna do Wednesday night before bed. Once you've had a night in them they become considerably easier to deal with. And a happy hour on that first day helps a lot too.

#11 Post by **TinySmiley** » Sun Jan 10, 2010 7:18 pm

Always switch Friday night after dinner.

#12 Post by **SteveL** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 12:51 am

Monday nights (every 2 weeks) is a great time for me.