Invisalign: Stories

I have been considering Invisalign braces for a few years, but considering it seriously within the last year (March 2012) when I asked my I booked an appointment for a cleaning and to see an orthodontist to inquire about Invisalign. During that appointment, he had told me I was a good candidate for Invisalign and about the product itself. Since that initial appointment, I did a lot of research about Invisalign and got my benefits/insurance in order.

11 Dec 2012:

Today I went in for my “records appointment.” They took xrays of my skull and teeth. Photographs of me not smiling, smiling and a profile shot. Photographs of my teeth and inside my mouth using a mirror to get to the backs of my teeth. This part was uncomfortable because they had to stretched my mouth open with these plastic brackets. The ortho did an examination of my teeth, giving an verbal report to the hygienist. Then he took more photos of my teeth using an electronic wand inside my mouth. This is the new way of “making impressions” of my teeth.

When all that was done, we sat down and he answered my numerous questions. He was super informative and answered all my questions very well. I felt really confident getting my Invisalign done there.

My next appointment is scheduled for 8 Jan 2012 to see my Clin Check presentation, but I might get in as early as next Thursday to see it!

21 Dec 2012:

I got to see my ClinCheck yesterday! I will need 18 trays with 8 or 9 attachments, can’t remember the exact number. I was told it will take about 9-13 months and cost $5400 of which I have already paid $300 for my initial records appointment. I will need IPR on my lower teeth at some point of my treatment. At the six month mark (June), they will take new impressions to send to Invisalign to determine the remaining of my treatment plan. I asked if I could take my ClinCheck home with me and he said that they normally don’t give them to patients but, he would try to burn it on a CD for me. I want to watch it over and over!

I was slightly shocked at the amount of trays I needed. I was expecting around 14 trays based on the tons of blogs/reviews I have been reading and also since my teeth aren't all that bad. Another thing I was slightly put off about was the fact not only do I have an attachment on one of my front teeth, but I have two on the same front tooth! My two front teeth aren't the problem area at all.

Overall I am very happy with the final results in the ClinCheck. They will look amazing when I’m all done! (which I can’t even imagine at this point)

My appointment to get the attachments and receive my trays is Friday January 18.

I go for my Invisalign fitting tomorrow. I will be getting all of my attachments and my first three trays. I thought I should update some "before" pictures prior to my invisalign insertion. I'm extremely nervous, but also excited too. I'm most worried about not being able to remove my trays for the first time and everyone's reaction to my invisalign trays since I dont think they will be that "invisible" with my attachments.

I've had my Invisalign on for 5 days now and the time has flown by. The appointment was pretty straight forward and quick. I had a little mirror so I could watch as little or as much of the process as I wanted during the appointment. First my ortho matched my teeth with the closest tooth colored composite for the attachments. He put two gobs on my front tooth and asked my opinion on which one I preferred. He even commented on how white my teeth are, yay! Then he prepared my teeth with some kind of "tooth shampoo" so the attachments don't ruin my enamel then applied the attachment composites to my teeth in five increments using the templates provided by Invisalign and "curing" them with a light. He smoothed some of the attachments and excess composite. I have eight attachments on the top (2 on the left, 6 on the right) and four attachments on the bottom (3 on the left, 1 on the right). So twelve attachments in total! Each time he added more attachments, I would feel like with my tongue and it felt so weird to have gobs stuck to your teeth! Then he snapped the first set of trays on and showed me how they should look and feel when I do it myself. I instantly felt the pressure on my teeth, but not overly painful. I did take a couple Advil before the appointment and highly recommend doing so. I took the trays out once myself while I requested to watch my clincheck again. It looks to be about tray 7 of 18 when top teeth look pretty straight and about tray 13 of 18 when my bottom are lined up. After that its mostly minor changes. I will post my before and after of my clincheck. I received my Invisalign "starter kit" which consists of two aligner cases (a red one and a blue one) and an instruction manual then made my 25% down payment.

My appt was at 1:00 in the afternoon and by supper time I was ready for a break from the aligners. This was the moment I had been dreading. I had read so many terrible stories about removing the trays for the first time. I was relieved, it took me less than a minute to remove them! I felt pain on a couple teeth as I removed them and tenderness while I ate. I ate mostly mushy food the first couples days (soup, pasta, yogurt, mashed potatoes, etc.). Now I can pop them out in less than ten seconds. Also, the constant ache went away in two days.

I had a slight lisp for the first couple days when I said "s" words but it has gone away completely now that my mouth/tongue are used to them. Other grievances include some gum/lip sore from the edge of the tray, chapped lips, dry mouth (especially while/after working out/exercise) and soreness at the corners of my mouth.

On my second day with Invisalign, I went out for lunch and had a girls nite then out to a bar. I removed my trays for lunch and brushed afterwards in the washroom. It is strange brushing your teeth in a public washroom and that will probably be something I will never quite feel comfortable doing but not the worst thing in the world. At the girls nite, I drank white wine with them in and avoided the snacks.

So far no one has asked me what's on my teeth or anything. I'm not sure if no one has noticed or if they have noticed and not wanted to ask. Either way, they aren't completely invisible but manageable.

I made a kit for my purse as well as my office at work comprised of a travel/foldable toothbrush, travel sized toothpaste and floss sticks. In my opinion, the floss sticks are a life saver for flossing on-the-go and in a hurry. I use regular floss in the comfort of my own home.