Retainer Instructions
In Metuchen, NJ

After the completion of your Invisalign treatment, your teeth are still settling into their new positions. For the first three months, your retainers should be worn full time, only taking them out when eating or brushing.

After this period, you can shift to wearing your retainers only at night; however, it is essential to continue doing so indefinitely. Just like muscles need consistent workouts, your teeth need regular support to stay aligned. Skipping nights or stopping altogether can lead to unwanted movement and a return to a misaligned bite.

Retainers are built to last, but they’re not indestructible. Most will stay in good condition for up to two years. That said, things like clenching or grinding your teeth, which many people do without realizing it, can cause the material to stretch and lose its shape sooner.

Your first set, which you'll be wearing for most of the day early on, is especially prone to this kind of wear. Even inconsistent use can affect the fit, leading to gradual shifts in your smile.

Every six months, it’s a good idea to try on a duplicate retainer, if you have one, to compare the fit. If it feels significantly tighter than your current set, that’s a sign your original has stretched and needs to be replaced. Catching this early can help avoid lasting changes in your alignment.

If you only have one set, it’s harder to tell when something’s off — often, people don’t notice until their teeth have already started to move. At that point, new impressions can stop further changes, but they can’t reverse what’s already shifted.

To make things easier, we recommend Vivera retainers, which come as a set of four and are made from a durable material designed to maintain shape longer. Additionally, we will keep your digital scan on file, making it easy to reorder future sets as needed.