CraftyMama

It's a HUGE Commitment - Ocala, FL

My ortho had me wear the first few trays for 3 weeks each. I'm not sure if it had to do with my age (I'm 55) or why (he never really said other than that's what he felt would be best). I told him they felt "loose" after 2 weeks, so he switched me to every 2 weeks. All is working out in the end. Maybe ask him about it at your next visit.

Victoriajv, It seems that I went through the same as you. I'd have a tray that didn't seem to move my teeth at all (very little pressue and no gum sensititivty). Then the next one seemed to hurt for several days. Maybe that's the way Invisalign works it...giving our teeth/roots a chance to heal before tugging on them a bit more. Your pictures look great. Such a great improvement!! I hope you're taking time to enjoy your new smile. I have one more week to go on my top teeth. Maybe some refinements after that; but at least about 4 months of full-time retainer wear. My bottom teeth have been done for almost 4 months and I can go without the retainer for about 5-6 hours at a time without feeling that my teeth have shifted. Every week it gets a little better/a little longer. But it's been worth it.

The time goes by faster than you realize. Some days it feels like it will never end, but then you have a bunch of really good days. You'll develop your own method of removing them, cleaning them, and doing everything else. Good luck. There's lots of people on here that will support you and help you in any way we can.

I think one thing people don't realize when they get Invisalign...with traditional braces, the normal wear time is around 2 years. As a teenager, I wore my braces for 2-1/2 years before they were removed--and they appeared straight to me all during the last year. I then wore the retainer off and on for another 2 years until it broke and I never replaced it. My teeth didn't start to shift until I had some crowns/fillings put in (around age 45). With Invisalign, I'll only be wearing them less than 12 months...so wearing the "retainer" for another year--even if it's 'full-time', is about the same time as if I had traditional braces (without the hassle of braces). My ortho even recommends wearing a retainer at night for the rest of your life, even for traditional braces. Like Barbara stated, "I'll do whatever it takes for it not to be a waste of money" and for me...NOT to have my teeth shift back. Too often I think we want a quick and easy fix. While Invisalign gives us straight teeth fairly quickly, we need to give our teeth/gums time to adjust to and retain that new smile.

I agree with the additional time statement. However, it is one advantage over brackets. If I have a special dinner, I know that into the 2nd week of a set, I can leave them out for 1-2 hours without any problem. I try to wear them the recommended time during the first week. It seems to help. I don't keep them out long very often, but it is an advantage (I feel) to traditional braces. I've added about 2-3 weeks to my treatment (I'm now into month 9 and have about 3-4 months to go).