Invisalign is one of the most common orthodontic appliances in the US. It’s quite popular because it performs the same job that braces would without having to get wires across your teeth. What’s more, you can always remove it whenever you want and place them back as opposed to braces, which have to be attached and detached from the teeth by an orthodontist. However, after a period of wearing Invisalign for a while, there come the retainers. In a nutshell, they are designed so that your teeth can stay aligned correctly and not go back to their former crooked design. Do I Really Need A Retainer? Retainers are a crucial aspect of the treatment, especially using Invisalign. Although Invisalign moves the teeth in a slightly different manner, it still gets the same results as braces do. However, during this period you were wearing the Invisalign, the jaw will often become a bit tender more so that the teeth can shift into their correct positions. As such, when you remove the Invisalign, you find that the jaw is still soft. The retainer then comes in to keep the teeth in pace as the jawbone hardens. How Long Will You Wear Them? The biggest question is how long you will be having retainers. Immediately after you’ve gotten rid of the Invisalign, you will need to wear retainers for about 22 hours every day or as directed by the orthodontist. This should be for about six months. After those are up, you can now only wear the retainers for about six more months, but only when you go to bed. Although at this point the jaw should have already healed completely, some orthodontists insist on wearing the retainer at least a few times per week so that your teeth stay in place and don’t move back to their old positions. Getting your retainers is crucial if you want to retain your smile for the longest possible time. When you go through the Invisalign process and then neglect your retainers, there is a chance that your teeth could revert back to their original position. If you would like to learn more about how we can help with Invisalign, schedule an appointment today.