Really bad decision?

[Squall]

Hey there, I got Invisalign aligners a few months ago to fix my crooked front tooth.

Now I'm feeling I've made a massive mistake...
The fact that I would have to wear retainers at night after treatment for the rest of my life was never explained to me. The idea that I will have to wear retainers at night until I am old and grey just to keep straight teeth seems ridiculous...a massive negative to the slight positive of having straight teeth.

This wouldn't be an issue if my teeth would just return to their original position if i stopped wearing the retainers...I could live with that. However, the Invisalign treatment involved having many 'gaps' cut between my teeth by sanding down the edges of the teeth in order to give them room to move. So surely if I stop wearing my retainers I'll be left with gappy teeth much worse than my teeth before i got braces due to my teeth returning to their original position?

Is this really the case? and will I really have to wear retainers at night forever?

Despondantly,
S

[IHIC]

I cannot comment on your other questions. But yes, retainers will need to be worn after treatment (for any kind of brace, not just Invisalign). I believe once a person finishes treatment, they will need to wear the retainers 24/7 for x amount of months, then just at night, then every other night and so on. I've read many times now that a retainer will be needed pretty much for life, to avoid teeth shifting.

I am really sorry you are feeling down about this and feel that your orthodontist really should have outlined the + and - of Invisalign before you started treatment. Some people do not like the thought of having to remove their aligners when they eat and drink (apart from drinking water) and having to brush after every meal etc. I was up for this at first, but lately didn't like the idea so much, so I am going for fixed braces instead (even they have bad things about them, but I prefer those over the Invisalign).

Good luck and someone with more knowledge should be along soon to offer some advice

[coconut]

You will most likely graduate to retainer wear of one or two nights a week. This is hardly cause for the kind of concern you're expressing and certainly worth the effort of having gone through orthodontics in the first place.

It's something you can get used to, trust me.

[Sunny]

Squall retainers are needed for as long as you want to keep your teeth as they are now. For most people that means 2 or 3 nights a week for life.

What would happen to your teeth if you stopped wearing retainers is really a guess. Teeth move for as long as we're alive and for most people that means they push forward. If your tongue is 'over active', it would also have an impact on how your teeth would move. If teeth have already been moved using a professional system such as orthodontics, you can expect more movement, due to the teeth having already done this.

I guess the simple answer is, there is little gain without hard work ... and orthodontics is no different.

[chaudi]

You just get used it become normal. .

People think that bushing their teeth twice a day and flossing is massive problem, then after a root canal and bill for a crown you'll be running to the sink!