Metal Mouth Message Board

I just got to the end of my invisalign treatment and was scanned for refinements. I should be getting my refinement trays within a few weeks, and in the meantime, I was instructed to only wear my current trays at night. That was around noon that day, and so I didn't put my trays back in after my appointment until that night. The trays were incredibly tight when I put them back in and I figured that probably wasn't a good thing, so I called my orthodontist's office the next day. They were very surprised and told me that my teeth must be really trying to move and that I should wear my current trays as much as possible until the refinements come in.

I'm going to follow those instructions of course, but now I'm concerned about what this will mean for when I finish the refinements. I know that retainers have to be worn afterwards (obviously) but is this gonna mean that I'll have to wear them full time for extra long? Is my issue common?

It isn't uncommon for teeth to want to move immediately after orthodontic treatment. The amount and how quickly depends on a number of factors including how much/how quickly/what direction the teeth were moved. If you're feeling like they are moving a lot, it may be a good idea to discuss fixed retainers at the end of treatment or to wear your retainers full-time for a while. All the best in your next stages!

Ask about lingual retainers - that might be an option your ortho is willing to place. I know I will be getting both bottom and top wire retainers attached to the behind of my teeth. I am terrified of my teeth going back to the way they were too.