What Level of Pain is Expected when Applying the Invisalign Attachments?

The level of pain associated with applying the attachments with Invisalign is the same as when brushing your teeth (meaning not much).  If your jaw is sore from opening your mouth to brush your teeth, then yes, you will have soreness.  But that is about it.

The teeth that get attachments (and normally very few) get cleaned and a chemical is placed to enhance the bond.  A tray with the button material inside is placed and after the attachments are secure, the tray is removed.

That's it.

The actual procedure of placing the attachments should not be any more discomfort than attaching something to your fingernails.

Then, after inserting your aligner there would be some soreness but not of a significant nature. You can preload with Aspirin or Tylenol immediately to make it more comfortable. By preloading you will be more comfortable even the next day.

When applying the attachments or buttons there is no discomfort at all.  Once applied the attachments wlll cause the trays to feel a little tighter and you may experience some slight discomfort when you place a tray for the first time but the application is painless.

Their should be absolutely no pain associated with the attachment procedure.  Attachments are tooth colored buttons that are bonded to specific teeth for added anchorage and to allow the trays to dictate the proper movement.  The attachments are bonded to the enamel of the teeth in a very short amount of time.  Their is absolutely no pain or discomfort with the bonding process.  Some cases require no attachments and some require a few attachments to help with the alignment process.  The attachments usually stay on the teeth throughout the entire Invisalign treatment., and then are removed prior to the fabrication of retainers.

One of the disctinct advantages of Invisalign vs. convenctional braces is the increased level of comfort. You will experience ZERO discomfort placeing attachments. There is no anesthesia and no trauma of any kind. The dentist will place a small bit of chemical to etch your tooth (increase the suface area for best bonding retention) then the dentist will paint adhesive on the etched surface of the tooth, a light will be shined to cure the adhesive then an attachment placing template will be placed on your teeth which is filled with tooth colored material that will be hardened by a curing light. When the template is removed from your mouth the hardened tooth-colored material remains glued to your tooth and now serves as an "attachment." Attachments are used to increase the effectiveness of the aligners in performing the desired tooth movements. The average number of attachments in a given case is 3-4 per arch. That means 3-4 tooth colored SMALL "bumps" on surface of your teeth.

Good luck!