Every time you wear the clear aligners, light forces work on your teeth and they are slowly moved into the desired position. If you do not wear the aligners, then these forces stop automatically. The movement of the teeth occurs through a biological remodeling process of the periodontium or supporting tissue of the teeth.
Cells
Two different types of cells, the osteoblasts and the osteoclasts, are involved in this process. The osteoclasts create space in the direction in which the tooth is moved and the osteoblasts then fill the space with new bone. For these cells to work at all, they need a stimulus. This stimulus is the pressure that is applied to the teeth by the aligner.
22 hours a day
For optimal results, the clear aligners should ideally be worn at least 22 hours a day. This is the only way to ensure that both osteoblasts and osteoclasts work continuously. If they are worn for approximately 20 hours per day, the cells are not working at full capacity and the treatment period should be extended.
When worn less than 18 hours per day, it becomes critical. In many cases, the stimulus that triggers the cells to remodel is no longer sufficient and the treatment comes to a halt.