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I got my first invisalign tray on 01/10/15 - #1 of...
I got my first invisalign tray on 01/10/15 - #1 of 19 trays. I am now finishing #8 of 19 so am almost half way through the process. Of course my experience is very subjective and I'm no expert so please take or leave what you will. Just want to share some things I've learned through my process...
When you get invisalign you will most likely have buttons cemented onto multiple teeth (I have them on 16 teeth). These correspond to pockets in the trays and actually do the work of moving the teeth. While it does not hurt when the buttons are being applied - it tastes horrible and they can be very sharp so mouth sores are common initially. I naively imagined popping the trays into place just like my whitening trays - not the case. The buttons feel like they are super noticeable but really no one seems to see them even when I point them out.
When people say invisalign doesn't hurt - just aches a bit - they lie! Well, at least at first. My first two sets of trays killed my jaw. I had a headache for most of the month and I was convinced I had made a mistake. Turns out it totally improves over time. Now at #8 I have no pain or aches. One trick I learned was to really make sure the trays are all the way pressed down onto the teeth as much as possible. I think I didn't push down hard enough at first which added tightness to the fit. Hang in there - it will improve.
I read everywhere that if you didn't wear the trays for the recommended 22 hours a day you wouldn't get good results. I wear mine 18 hours a day but add the missed hours onto the recommended 14 days per tray. So, I get to manage my time with trays in and extend the treatment by four days per tray. Works for me and the progress is right on track.
Finally - I am a stickler for clean mouth/breath and was having some difficulty keeping the trays as clean as I would have liked. Then I discovered that soaking the trays in hydrogen peroxide when not in use kept them looking and smelling clean. I'm not sure if long term use of hydrogen peroxide would deteriorate the trays but short term there has not been any issue.
It's been fun to see my teeth move into place - I can now say it's worth it.
When you get invisalign you will most likely have buttons cemented onto multiple teeth (I have them on 16 teeth). These correspond to pockets in the trays and actually do the work of moving the teeth. While it does not hurt when the buttons are being applied - it tastes horrible and they can be very sharp so mouth sores are common initially. I naively imagined popping the trays into place just like my whitening trays - not the case. The buttons feel like they are super noticeable but really no one seems to see them even when I point them out.
When people say invisalign doesn't hurt - just aches a bit - they lie! Well, at least at first. My first two sets of trays killed my jaw. I had a headache for most of the month and I was convinced I had made a mistake. Turns out it totally improves over time. Now at #8 I have no pain or aches. One trick I learned was to really make sure the trays are all the way pressed down onto the teeth as much as possible. I think I didn't push down hard enough at first which added tightness to the fit. Hang in there - it will improve.
I read everywhere that if you didn't wear the trays for the recommended 22 hours a day you wouldn't get good results. I wear mine 18 hours a day but add the missed hours onto the recommended 14 days per tray. So, I get to manage my time with trays in and extend the treatment by four days per tray. Works for me and the progress is right on track.
Finally - I am a stickler for clean mouth/breath and was having some difficulty keeping the trays as clean as I would have liked. Then I discovered that soaking the trays in hydrogen peroxide when not in use kept them looking and smelling clean. I'm not sure if long term use of hydrogen peroxide would deteriorate the trays but short term there has not been any issue.
It's been fun to see my teeth move into place - I can now say it's worth it.
Provider Review
Gery Sterling, DDS