Why Do Invisalign Aligners Get Changed Every Two Weeks?

Egan, MN – Invisalign is a wonderful orthodontic treatment that patients love. Its cutting edge technology allows an orthodontist to use 3D imaging to craft the perfect treatment plan for each individual patient. Based on this, custom aligners are created that will guide the teeth to their new locations for a beautifully straight end result.

The comfortable aligners are made from BPA-free plastic that won’t irritate or annoy your mouth, and each set is made to be worn for two weeks before moving to a new one. But what happens if you think you’re ready to move to a new set before the two weeks of wear are up?

“Patients ask me this question a lot,” says your ORTHODONTIST, a Minnesota Invisalign provider. “They say their current aligner doesn’t fit as tightly after the first week of wear, so they think they are ready to move to the next set.”

Dr. Eisenhuth cautions against that, however. She carefully plans your orthodontic treatment based on the idea that you will wear each aligner for the prescribed two weeks. In some cases, your teeth may move faster than that, and Dr. Eisenhuth might recommend switching before the two weeks are finished. And in some cases, it may take longer than two weeks.

However, patients should never switch to a new aligner before the two weeks are up unless advised to do so by the orthodontist. That’s because each set of aligners is custom designed based on a certain hours of wear. Your aligner might feel a bit loose because the teeth have started to move, but the roots of your teeth might not have caught up yet. And down the road, you’ll find your aligners don’t fit the way they should.

“Patients only think of how the teeth are moving, and often don’t think about everything that needs to happen below the surface to get a straight smile,” says Dr. Eisenhuth. “To make sure your teeth stay in their new locations, the jaw needs to have time to react in order to support and eventually anchor the teeth into their proper positions. If you switch aligners too quickly, you might not have given the jaw and other tissues of the mouth adequate time to adjust.”

If the bones and other tissues of the mouth aren’t given enough time to get used to each movement as it happens because you want to jump forward in treatment, it can spell trouble down the road. It might take a few aligners before you notice they aren’t fitting as they should. Some patients will then go to their orthodontist to complain the treatment isn’t working, but it’s actually because the patient wanted to speed up treatment.

“I know that sometimes it can feel like orthodontic treatment takes forever,” says Dr. Eisenhuth. “Once you’ve made the decision to undergo treatment, you can’t wait to see your beautiful smile. But trying to speed up treatment on your own might result in prolonging your treatment even further.”

Orthodontists have the unique knowledge to understand exactly what goes in to teeth movement. And the advanced technology used in creating an Invisalign treatment plan allows for your orthodontist to precisely plan every movement in order to create the perfect bite for you.

To prevent major issues from occurring, it is best to always follow your orthodontist’s recommendations when it comes to wearing your aligners. Never switch to a new set without your orthodontist’s okay.

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