Initially, wearing your aligners for 22 hours a day sounds like an easy ask. Once you factor in the time it takes to eat three meals, have a snack here and there, drink your morning coffee, and brush and floss your teeth, you’ll quickly find that you have to have a plan to make this goal realistic. With this in mind, keep reading for some helpful tips on how to meet your 22-hour-a-day wear-time with Invisalign.
1. Allocate a Certain Amount of Time for Each Meal
You know what they say, “If you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail!” One of the best ways to ensure that you wear your aligners for the recommended amount of time each day is by creating a routine, like dedicating 40 minutes to each meal. This will ensure that you don’t end up using all of your “free time” before dinner.
2. Account for the Learning Curve
When you first get your aligners, you may have a hard time taking them off and putting them on. This is completely normal, but patients are often surprised by the learning curve. That’s why we recommend having a bit of a buffer for things like brushing your teeth and your trays.
3. Multi-Task When You Can
Drinking your coffee may only take 15 or 20 minutes, but each minute is precious when you only have two hours or so each day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and oral hygiene. So, try to multi-task where you can, like drinking this caffeinated beverage with breakfast instead of separately.
4. Only Remove Your Trays When Absolutely Necessary
Oftentimes, patients are tempted to take out their aligners when their teeth are sore. However, it’s best to only remove them when absolutely necessary, like before eating your lunch or brushing your teeth at night. This may seem like a small habit, but it can have a big impact on whether or not you wear your aligners for 20+ hours that day.
5. Use the Stopwatch on Your Phone
Nowadays, almost everyone has a cellphone. In turn, almost everyone has a stopwatch within arm’s reach at all times! So, use that to your advantage! Throughout the day, track how close you are to the 22-hour goal. This is especially helpful for patients toward the beginning of their teeth-straightening journey when they are trying to find a schedule that works for them.
About the Practice
Leading our team at Jacksonville Dental Specialists are two board-certified professionals, which means your smile is in the best hands at our office! If you’re interested in addressing an orthodontic problem, like overcrowded teeth or an overbite, then don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation with us via our website or by phone at (904) 683-4781 to learn all about your treatment options, including Invisalign.