Invisalign - Just Started and Worried About Too Much

Does your camera have a "focus" feature? :-)

After 21 months, I am on my last invisalign tray. I was a pretty major case, as I had a pretty large overbite. (I went to 3 orthodontists who wouldnt give me regular metal braces without breaking my jaw.) I had to have two teeth pulled to allow for movement of the other teeth with the Invisalign. Initially it is quite an adjustment getting used to everything. (I cried, and was on the phone and in the office a lot at the beginning.But hang in there, it gets better, and is totally worth it. I have buttons and for a while had rubberbands, which attach the top and bottom trays to each other, to pull the upper front teeth back. The dr. told me in the beginning that at some point during the treatment, we might re-evaluate and make new molds/trays, but that never happened, and was on course the whole way thru. If you have irritation or rubbing or sharp areas, you can trim them with an exacto knife and smooth down the rough areas with a metal fingernail file (suggested by dentist). I was nervous about doing this at first, and kind of angry. After all, I paid thousands of dollars, wasnt that his job? So the dental asst did it for awhile, until I became comfortable filing, etc. It's better to do it yourself anyway as you know where it is rubbing. Other supplies would be oral gel or some other type of over the counter topical oral pain med, and sensodyne toothpaste if your teeth are sensitive. If you have areas that are sharp or have to wear the rubberbands, ask the dentist to give you dental wax. It is what they give pt with the metal braces. It will smooth over any irritating areas. (FYI: do not use anti-inflammatory meds, like Motrin, Aleve, as it is the inflammation of the gums by the trays that causes your teeth to move. interesting, huh?) A plus is that you can whiten your teeth with prescription whitening gel, right in your trays (this will also help to clean your trays). There is a product online that you can buy to clean the trays. My dentist did not have in his office, and I did not use it, but that is an option. If you decide to whiten your teeth, your teeth are probably already sensitive so ask your dr for MI Paste. Applied before and after whitening, it will help with the sensitivity. In two weeks, after whitening like crazy, I will have new molds made, as there will be small spaces left (as I had teeth pulled). Then they will remove the buttons and fill in the spaces with veneer that will be matched to the color of my newly whitened teeth. And not sure yet, but I think these final trays will be used periodically as a retainer at night, and for whitening maintenance. I know this may sound overwhelming, but every case is different. A friend had his for 6 months and is done. And I told you every little thing, so maybe you will be more mentally prepared than I was. And remember, mine was a long case. But even if I knew all of this, I probably would have done it anyway. I am 55yrs old and have been wanting this fixed since my 20's. (AND my dentist just got Invisalign for himself, so now he can relate! I told him to call me anytime!Ha!)

You made me feel better. I'm 58 and always wanted my teeth straightened. I am an elementary teacher and so many of my students wear metal braces. I didn't want to have my braces show. Invisalign is working out fine so far. I'm on my 10th tray out of 23. Never had any pain.I'm beginning to see spaces between the top teeth where they are moving. Glad to hear that they will be filled in.

I was wondering if you happened to be still around and could tell me who your dentist is. I'm looking into Invisalign in St. Louis, but the one quote I've gotten so far (even though my teeth are not badly misaligned) was way out of my budget. Your $4000 is considerably lower. Who is doing yours?

Monica in Quincy: Did Invisalign fix your overbite,and did it take longer than originally expected? If it did fix your overbite, did it just do so by moving your upper teeth back, or by also moving your lower jaw forward. I have heard Invisalign is not the right procedure for severe overbites/moving jaw forward, so curious as to your results.

Thanks for your review. Looking forward to following your progress with the pics. To answer your questions, you can also try our Ask a Doctor feature (free, of course). We have many active dentists on the site and I'm sure they'd be glad to help address your concerns. Good luck!

I have had soreness on my tongue and gum on the first aligner. I think it should go away as you progress in the treatment. Your mouth sensory receptors have to get used to having trays on your teeth. I haven't really experienced metally taste. My ortho told me not to worry about fillings or crowns, they shouldn't come off. Just make sure you brush your teeth often enough to prevent cavities which, in case of Invisalign,can occur more frequently due to saliva accumulating underneath the trays.