Vivera Retainers After Invisalign Treatment Critical to Sustaining Results

Vivera retainers after Invisalign treatment hold tooth position against the natural tendency for teeth to drift back toward their original alignment. Teeth naturally shift on their own without retainers.

After Invisalign, the bone around the roots needs time to settle into the new position. The retainer holds the teeth in place while the bone settles.

In my experience treating Invisalign patients over more than a decade, I have not seen relapse in patients who used Vivera retainers as prescribed. When patients stop using it, most notice mild shifting within a few days.

What a Vivera Retainer Is

A Vivera clear retainer is a custom-fit plastic tray. Align Technology manufactures it from an iTero scan taken at the practice.

The tray encloses every tooth in the upper arch and every tooth in the lower arch. That full-arch coverage is the clinical difference between Vivera and older retainer designs that hold only the front teeth.

A Vivera set is one upper retainer and one lower retainer. One set typically lasts twelve to eighteen months.

The material is thicker than the aligner trays used during active treatment. The added thickness is why one Vivera tray lasts many months rather than two weeks.

Why Vivera Follows Invisalign

A fresh iTero scan is taken at the end of treatment. The scan is what makes the retainer fit perfectly, because it captures the teeth in the exact position the aligners brought them to.

There is one exception in my practice. When a patient lives out of town and their final aligner tray fits perfectly, the Vivera can be made from that tray instead of a new scan.

Patients who finished orthodontic treatment with braces can also receive Vivera. For those patients, the scan is taken before the braces come off. The retainers can then be delivered the same day the braces are removed. Patients spend no time without retention.

The turnaround from iTero scan to delivery is one to two weeks.

How Vivera Is Worn

Vivera is worn during sleep only. The tray goes in at bedtime and comes out in the morning.

• Standard wear lasts twelve to eighteen months per set. A set is one upper retainer and one lower retainer.
• Patients who grind or clench typically need replacement at six to nine months per set. The added load shortens the lifespan, though the Vivera plastic still absorbs most of the grinding force.
• In my own clinical observation, patients who are particularly careful with their trays sometimes stretch a set to two years. The wear is gradual rather than sudden.
• Vivera also functions as a nightguard.

A Decade of Retention Results

In more than ten years of treating Invisalign patients, those who used Vivera as prescribed have not relapsed. In my observation, patients who stop wearing the retainer for an extended period develop slight crowding.

When minor relapse occurs, a three-to-six-month course of Invisalign refinement can usually bring the alignment back. The retainer protocol that follows the refinement is the same Vivera wear sequence. Patients who notice shifting early avoid the longer course of treatment that comes with later correction.

Long-Term Replacement

Vivera retainers wear down gradually. They warp in heat. They sometimes get lost.

In my practice, a replacement set takes one to two weeks from the iTero scan to delivery. The replacement cycle continues for as long as the patient continues retention.

Patients who want to plan ahead for the cycle can read about the Vivera replacement program.

When Fixed Retainers Come Up Instead

A fixed retainer is a different category of retention device. A thin wire is bonded behind the lower front six teeth and stays in place continuously.

The wire stabilizes the front teeth but does not hold the back teeth, the upper arch, or the overall bite. Fixed retainers are appropriate for patients who say in advance they will not wear a removable retainer.

In my own practice, fixed-retainer patients also receive a Vivera tray worn during sleep. The wire holds the lower front six teeth. The Vivera provides full-arch coverage for everything else.

The two-device approach is closer to full-coverage retention than a fixed retainer alone. Patients can read about all retainer options for a broader overview.

The Bottom Line

Vivera retainers after Invisalign treatment preserve the alignment Invisalign achieved. The tray is custom-fit from an iTero scan taken at the end of treatment.

One set typically lasts twelve to eighteen months. Worn during sleep, the retainer maintains tooth position for as long as the patient continues retention.

Patients still considering whether Invisalign is the right treatment can read about the signs you need Invisalign.