Falling short of the 22-hour goal and wearing your trays for only 20 hours a day can seriously jeopardize your results. Those extra two hours of “freedom” allow your teeth to begin a process called “relapsing,” where they start drifting back to their original spots. This creates a cycle where you are constantly forcing your teeth back into position every time you reinsert the trays, which can cause increased pain and even damage the tooth roots. Over time, your teeth will stop “tracking,” meaning they no longer align with the shape of the plastic. When this happens, your current tray will stop fitting, and you will likely need to start over with new scans, adding significant time and potential frustration to your treatment.