How many days a week should you wear your retainer?

Ideally, it’d be great to wear your retainers every night for the rest of your life. After all, you should want to preserve that beautiful smile that you and your orthodontist worked so hard for! But after the first year or so, even just a few nights a week for several years would be preferable to nothing at all.

Do I have to wear my retainer every night?

You should continue wearing your retainer every night until you have been wearing retainers for about a year. After a year has passed, you should be okay to wear your retainer every other night for the rest of your life.

How long can I go without wearing my retainer?

Some people may need to wear their retainer 24 hours a day for up to 4 months, while other people may be advised to wear theirs full-time for 8 to 10 months.

How many hours a day should you wear retainer?

approximately 22 hours
How many hours should you wear your retainer? The first three months after you’ve completed your orthodontic treatment you need to wear your retainers full-time, which means approximately 22 hours a day. That does mean you will need to sleep with them. However, you can remove them when you eat or brush your teeth.

How many months should you wear retainers?

As your chompers move, they leave behind gaps in the surrounding bone and other tissue. A set of retainers will hold your teeth in place while your tissue catches up. This is why it’s important to wear your retainers full-time for the first 3-6 months. The bad news is your teeth are always moving.

How often should I wear my retainer after a year?

You should wear your retainers nightly for at least a year. After that, you can shift your wear to every other night or so. After a few years, most individuals choose to wear theirs at night around three to five times a week.

Is it bad to put retainers in after a long time?

A few months or years: Don’t even attempt to wear an old retainer if it’s been several months or years! It’s very unlikely to fit, and it could become stuck, cause pain, and even potentially damage your teeth and tissues. Instead, schedule an appointment with your orthodontist and take your old retainer with you.