Invisalign Experience 2 1/2 weeks In
Two Week Update: Attachments are on...and ugh is...
To make matters worse, the transparent attachment material wouldn't stick to some of my teeth, so they had to use a stronger, whiter and MUCH more visible material to create the attachments on those teeth. Those two attachments really show, since they are on the upper front teeth, yuck! Sort of looks like little wads of bread stuck to the teeth.
The fact that they are visible isn't the only downside, they are also scratchy and pointy when the aligners are off, so my mouth has some painful scratches where they rub inside my mouth. To be honest, I never thought through the attachment "thing". I guess I had hoped I'd be one of those people who didn't need them, but no cigar.
Benefit of attachments: The aligner (#2) does feels tighter, which must be a good thing in terms of moving the teeth.
So, although I feel weird and self-conscious that the "invisible braces" are so visible, I keep telling myself it's temporary, and better than a mouth full of metal brackets and wires.
Final thought, in a way, having a metal mouth might not have been that bad in retrospect...at least people would know what I have in my mouth, rather than thinking I just have really weird bumpy teeth, lol. One thing is for sure, if you get Invisalign and need attachments, then the whole "invisible braces" concept goes out the window.
On the bright side, progress is already visible, so I have high hopes that the outcome will make it all worth it.
Hope this helps others out there who are considering invisalign...make sure you are aware of the pros and cons before you take the plunge.
Replies (2)
Just got my first set of aligners today, so...
Just got my first set of aligners today, so excited! I thought it would be fun to start posting today, and to follow up with progress updates throughout the process.
Like many others here, I had traditional braces as a child, and stopped wearing my retainer soon after they were removed...so over the years, my teeth shifted :(. Fast forward many years later, here I am starting over, but I'm older and wiser and much more disciplined, so I am committed to wearing the retainers - forever more - once the process is complete!
Backstory: After getting consultations from a couple of orthodontists, I decided the cost was out of reach...then as luck would have it, one of the best orthos in my area had a special promotion for almost half the price of the other less experienced orthos! Luckily, I already knew I was a candidate, so was all set to get started.
During the consult, the impressions and xrays were taken, and 5 weeks later the aligners were in. Today I met w/ the doc, and was given my first set, all of the details and instructions I needed and he reviewed the clincheck w/ me and showed what my outcome will be. Wow, technology is awesome!
My main problems are a very narrow bite, upper and lowers touch rather then upper overlapping lower, causing grinding. Some upper teeth have shifted to the right and lowers are slightly crowded. Both upper and lower need to be moved back and smile widened.
The aligners: My first surprise is how comfortable they are, so much better then a mouth full of little brackets and wires I used to have as a kid! There is some pressure, but only slight.
In two weeks, I will have 8 buttons placed on my teeth, and was told that I will feel more pressure than I do right now, but it will subside w/in a couple days after each new aligner. I'll report back then.
The estimated treatment time is 15 months, 32 trays for uppers and about 26 for lowers. Not too bad at all.
When I called my hubby w/ the news, he said "wow, you're not talking wierd at all" whew, what a relief :).
The one con for now is that w/ the aligners in, my upper and lower front teeth are not able to touch unless I shift my lower jaw forward slightly. I was advised this is normal, and will lessen over time until my bite is corrected.
I'll be back with a report on the buttons once they're in.
Replies (1)
Thanks for starting your review so early in treatment. It is so fun to watch as someone progresses & things change!
I'm glad to hear you are doing well so far. So two weeks to get used to it, then on go the buttons, progress, progress! :) Did they say where your buttons would be placed?
Glad to hear an update from you!
Sorry to hear that you felt surprised by the buttons. You certainly aren't the first person to mention that. T in Texas talks about it in her review, and she said the same thing as you about feeling a bit self conscious of looking like you have "stuff" on her teeth. On the upside, so happy to hear you are already seeing progress!! :)