Can You Wear Aligners at Night Only?

Choosing to fix your teeth by wearing aligners is quite a commitment. If you want to achieve the best results, you will want to wear your aligners for around 22 hours each day. While it is possible to wear aligners at night only, orthodontists do not recommend doing so, even if you purchase the very best teeth aligners on the market. If you wear your aligners exclusively at night, your treatment time will be longer and there might be other setbacks as well. But don’t worry, as the Consumer Opinion Guide will provide you with all the information you need to know about wearing aligners at night only!

Can and Should You Wear Aligners at Night Only?

Technically, yes, you can wear aligners at night only. There is nothing stopping you from doing so. In fact, if you can only wear your aligners at night, it is still better than not wearing them at all. You may need to purchase a few must-have clear aligner accessories, though. Furthermore, wearing aligners at night only will put the entire treatment at considerable risk.

Risks of wearing invisible braces at night only

First of all, if you choose to only wear your aligners at night, you will be exposing yourself to an orthodontic relapse. If this happens, your teeth will simply go back to their original position. In other words, you will need to undergo the entire treatment all over again.

Of course, the treatment itself will be less effective, as it was designed for at least 22 hours a day. Less wear time than that and there’s no telling whether the treatment will work. In addition, there’s also a chance that invisible braces may not work for you. By wearing your aligners only at night, it will be impossible to distinguish whether the treatment is not working or if you are not a good candidate for aligners.

Possible situations when it may be appropriate to wear aligners at night only

Even though wearing your aligners at night is not recommended, there are a few situations where you might be able to do so without compromising the entire treatment. For example, if you are near the end of the treatment, you might be able to wear your aligners only at night for a couple of days. In addition, choosing to wear your aligners at night due to special reasons is also justifiable, provided that it is a one-time occurrence. Basically, it is almost alright to wear your aligners at night only for a day at a time. If you make it a habit, your treatment will inevitably suffer.

Furthermore, when you consider the average cost of braces, not getting the most out of them is simply throwing away money. Try to think about that before you start wearing them at night only.

The importance of wearing aligners for a minimum of 8 hours every night

If you choose to wear your aligners at night only, you will want to wear them for at least 8 hours every night. By cutting down from the standard 22-hour treatment, you are already compromising its success. However, if you start taking your aligners off even during the night, chances are that you will simply be wasting your time and money, as your aligners will not be able to do their job.

Furthermore, if you don’t allow your braces to “set in” properly by constantly removing them, you will experience noticeable discomfort when you put them back in your mouth. This will happen because your teeth will return to their original position during the time the aligners were off.

How to reduce discomfort during the transition to night-only wear

Utilizing aligners at night only usually comes with a great deal of discomfort. There are a few ways to reduce this discomfort, including:

• Changing your sleeping position
• Changing your aligner trays before sleeping
• Identify the problematic area and apply wax to it during daytime

As mentioned previously, you should not remove your aligners while you sleep, even if you are uncomfortable wearing them. You need to let your mouth adjust to the aligners. Understand that there will be some pain and discomfort involved and you will have an easier time dealing with it.

The importance of monitoring progress and communicating with an orthodontist

Everyone’s teeth are unique. This means that no two aligner treatments are exactly the same. It may so happen that your aligners need adjusting from time to time, or that your teeth are being pushed into the wrong place. The only way that you can be sure that your aligner treatment is proceeding as it should is to constantly monitor your progress. Furthermore, you will want to communicate with your orthodontist for the entire duration of the treatment. Things that might seem not important to you can actually be very important. Your orthodontist will know how to make the heads or tails of it all.

The timeline of the treatment process

Aligner treatment usually lasts for about 12 to 18 months. During this time, you will need to change several sets of aligner trays. On average, you will change a set every two to six weeks. However, this timeline is extremely broad and your experience may be different. The best thing you can do is talk to your orthodontist frequently and ask for timeline updates.

Why is it so important to wear aligners as directed?

The decision to make aligner treatment a 22-hour/day affair was not made lightly. There was considerable research put into the treatment, and orthodontists all around the world agreed that aligners require those 22 hours to work their magic. By wearing your aligners at night only, you will simply not have enough constant force to shift your teeth into their correct positions.

Common concerns about wearing invisible braces

Even though invisible braces remain one of the best ways to shift your teeth into position, they are not without their potential drawbacks. Some of the common concerns about wearing invisible braces include:

• Having difficulty speaking
• Swelling in the lips
• Itchiness
• Sore throat and tongue
• Breathing difficulties

When faced with such adverse effects, many people choose to wear aligners at night only. However, this is quite counter-productive, as wearing your braces only while you sleep will simply not provide you with enough wear time for the treatment to be successful.

If you need even more information on invisible braces, all you need to do is browse and explore the Consumer Opinion Guide. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!