I chose invisalign because I wanted to close the space between my 2 front teeth. I'm 25 and in my career, I have to talk to people all the time...so I felt like invisalign was the better option for me compared to regular braces. It took longer than I had expected to get started. The dentist took my impressions and said it would take invisalign about a week or 2 to come back with my treatment. The dentist wasn't happy with the first treatment plan he received from invisalign so he sent it back in to be adjusted. About 4 weeks after I had the impressions done, I went to the dentist to approve the revised treatment. Invisalign sent an animation that I could watch and it showed me what my teeth should look like at the end. I was pleased with what the results showed. About 3 weeks after I sent in the approval, I FINALLY received my first set of trays. They are pretty easy to snap in and out of my mouth. I was worried that the "buttons" on my teeth we're going to be ugly but they aren't too bad at all. You can barely see them. I was also worried that I would talk funny for a few days, but they didn't affect my speech at all. My teeth were definitely sore for about the first week but not unbearable. I'm now on my 2nd set of trays. I haven't noticed any changes in my teeth yet but I know it's early still. This set feels a lot tighter than the first. Updated on 11 Oct 2011: Finished my last tray for my bottom teeth today. They look great and the doctor was pleased. I mentioned I was a tad unhappy with the shape of one of my front bottom teeth. He said when my entire invisalign treatment is complete, he will "saw" or "file" my teeth to shape them for me. I can't wait to see the final result. I have 6 more weeks (3 trays) before the top teeth are done. It took about 12 weeks before there was really any noticeable movement. Updated on 9 Nov 2011: Yesterday I had a small periodontal procedure done. When I started invisalign, my gums were not in tiptop condition. I'm on my last set of trays and I noticed the gum in between my two front teeth-- where my gap used to be-- was red, swollen and bloody. The dentist referred me to a periodontist. When my two front teeth closed, they pinched my gum and caused some excess gum tissue. I had to have the excess gum tissue removed. I searched the internet for a case similar to mine and couldn't find anything so I wanted to share my story. The periodontal surgery didn't hurt much but it is an added expense that I hadn't planned on. A small part of my gums looks kind of gross now but I know it's only a matter of time before it heals.
