POSTED UNDER Invisalign REVIEWS
My Invisalign Journey
ORIGINAL POST
I wanted to start Invisalign to correct my open...
WORTH IT$5,800
I wanted to start Invisalign to correct my open bite, crowding, and rotated teeth. I decided to do this with through my dentist office rather than an orthodontist, because my dentist is available on Saturdays which means I don't have to take time off of work.
So, I did my Invisalign impressions either in October or November. Definitely before Thanksgiving. I paid a $1200 down payment the day of the impressions. A week or so later (still before Thanksgiving) they had me come in to review the Clincheck which showed how my teeth will shift over time with each tray. It looked great; I approved.
The Clincheck showed that they would putting on attachments on nearly all my front teeth to help shift the teeth faster. And there would also be attachments for elastic bands. The treatment is projected to take 46 weeks (23 trays) to shift the teeth in place, followed by wearing a retainer for 12 months. They told me they would call me when the trays came in, which was expected to be 2-3 weeks later. Several weeks later, I called them inquiring about my trays, and they told me they had arrived a few days ago (....?!...) and I scheduled the appointment to get the trays and get the attachments bonded.
At the appointment, I was there over 2 hours, they installed all the attachments, and I think they were customizing the trays at the same time too. The trays hurt wile they were putting them in (a lot of pressure on the teeth they were targeting). Once the trays were situated, the pain subsided.
After bonding the attachments, they showed me how to put the trays in and take them out and how to install the elastic bands. Me being me, I tried opening my mouth really wide with the bands, and then I learned you aren't supposed to do that. One of the attachments popped off lol. So they bonded the attachment again. They advised me to call if any of the attachments fall off.
As far as the elastic bands, they said to wear them all the time. But they said to only change the bands once a day. I've been changing the bands multiple times a day because I've noticed they get weak after a few hours.
I've already been eating a lot less because of the Invisalign. My teeth are sore when I remove the trays, so it is difficult to eat. I plan on sticking to fruit, yogurt (maybe with some granola), and pudding for now. I was able to eat a bowl of cereal, but it felt really uncomfortable. The pain could be because I just started these trays, and may happen whenever transition to a new tray.
With the attachments and the elastic bands, the invisalign is very noticeable. I wear 3 elastic bands, 2 on each side, and one in the front. The one in the front is noticeable when I smile and speak. There are protrusions in the trays to make room for the attachments, which look like big humps. You can probably see the humps in the photos I posted. They are comparable to brackets you'd see on wire braces.
I also have a very noticeable lisp. I'm hoping this goes away soon.
Things I wish I would have known before starting invisalign:
You won't be able to close your mouth all the way
There will be pain each time you remove your trays
The elastic bands get weak over time
So, I did my Invisalign impressions either in October or November. Definitely before Thanksgiving. I paid a $1200 down payment the day of the impressions. A week or so later (still before Thanksgiving) they had me come in to review the Clincheck which showed how my teeth will shift over time with each tray. It looked great; I approved.
The Clincheck showed that they would putting on attachments on nearly all my front teeth to help shift the teeth faster. And there would also be attachments for elastic bands. The treatment is projected to take 46 weeks (23 trays) to shift the teeth in place, followed by wearing a retainer for 12 months. They told me they would call me when the trays came in, which was expected to be 2-3 weeks later. Several weeks later, I called them inquiring about my trays, and they told me they had arrived a few days ago (....?!...) and I scheduled the appointment to get the trays and get the attachments bonded.
At the appointment, I was there over 2 hours, they installed all the attachments, and I think they were customizing the trays at the same time too. The trays hurt wile they were putting them in (a lot of pressure on the teeth they were targeting). Once the trays were situated, the pain subsided.
After bonding the attachments, they showed me how to put the trays in and take them out and how to install the elastic bands. Me being me, I tried opening my mouth really wide with the bands, and then I learned you aren't supposed to do that. One of the attachments popped off lol. So they bonded the attachment again. They advised me to call if any of the attachments fall off.
As far as the elastic bands, they said to wear them all the time. But they said to only change the bands once a day. I've been changing the bands multiple times a day because I've noticed they get weak after a few hours.
I've already been eating a lot less because of the Invisalign. My teeth are sore when I remove the trays, so it is difficult to eat. I plan on sticking to fruit, yogurt (maybe with some granola), and pudding for now. I was able to eat a bowl of cereal, but it felt really uncomfortable. The pain could be because I just started these trays, and may happen whenever transition to a new tray.
With the attachments and the elastic bands, the invisalign is very noticeable. I wear 3 elastic bands, 2 on each side, and one in the front. The one in the front is noticeable when I smile and speak. There are protrusions in the trays to make room for the attachments, which look like big humps. You can probably see the humps in the photos I posted. They are comparable to brackets you'd see on wire braces.
I also have a very noticeable lisp. I'm hoping this goes away soon.
Things I wish I would have known before starting invisalign:
You won't be able to close your mouth all the way
There will be pain each time you remove your trays
The elastic bands get weak over time
supastylin's provider
Replies (8)
January 19, 2018
Lol, it comes and goes. I try to stick to PB&J sandwiches and yogurt when I have pain or when my teeth feel vulnerable.
UPDATED FROM supastylin
8 days post
Just finished Week 1
I can definitely see that my open bite has gotten a bit smaller (see photo). I've been changing out my elastic bands after each meal and I only take my trays out to eat. I find myself eating no more than 3x a day and I avoid snacks. I am wondering if I can drink diet sodas (artificial sugar) while my trays are in. What are your thoughts on this?
The pain I experienced the first few days has almost completely gone away. This is great but it makes me nervous about starting a new tray next week.
The pain I experienced the first few days has almost completely gone away. This is great but it makes me nervous about starting a new tray next week.
Replies (3)
January 12, 2018
Hi. Glad to see that someone else on here has elastics. I think we are in the minority. I'm sure it makes the process a bit more uncomfortable. I change my bands each time I put my aligners back in: 3 times a day. I'm now on aligner 10 of 30 and I find my teeth are most painful for 3 to 4 days after moving to a new tray. After that my teeth settle down but they feel generally delicate and I haven't eaten hard things like apples or nuts since day 1. Daren't risk it!! I soak the aligners once a day in retainer brite, the other times I just rinse them under the tap. It works for me. I try to avoid fizzy drinks even diet ones as I think the carbonated water will attack your teeth when it gets trapped in the aligners. I don't avoid 100% mind you! Good luck :-)
January 19, 2018
Thanks for reading my review!
I’ve been drinking quite a bit of diet soda lately and water. However, I would say I am now consuming less beverages and food than before I had Invisalign.
I haven’t tried nuts or anything seriously hard yet. I have had subs that can be tough to bite through at times, but I don’t think it’s hurting my progress.
As of today, my front top teeth can finally touch that tall front bottom tooth you see in my pics. So exciting.
I’ve been traveling the past few days, and I’ve been soaking my trays just in warm water and giving them a good brush.
I start my third trays (week 6) tomorrow!
I’ve been drinking quite a bit of diet soda lately and water. However, I would say I am now consuming less beverages and food than before I had Invisalign.
I haven’t tried nuts or anything seriously hard yet. I have had subs that can be tough to bite through at times, but I don’t think it’s hurting my progress.
As of today, my front top teeth can finally touch that tall front bottom tooth you see in my pics. So exciting.
I’ve been traveling the past few days, and I’ve been soaking my trays just in warm water and giving them a good brush.
I start my third trays (week 6) tomorrow!
January 20, 2018
Cool. Definite progress already. I'm about to change to aligner #11 but can't say I'm delighted with any improvements just yet...
I do sometimes 'cheat' with hot drinks too by the way when I just can't resist a tea or coffee and I don't want to take the aligners out. No obvious harm done, not yet at least! :)
I do sometimes 'cheat' with hot drinks too by the way when I just can't resist a tea or coffee and I don't want to take the aligners out. No obvious harm done, not yet at least! :)
UPDATED FROM supastylin
14 days post
Tray #2
Not much new here. I started trays #2 yesterday (upper and lower). I thought it would be painful like the first tray, but I felt no pain at all. Hopefully they are doing their job. I can't see much of a difference in terms of crowding or rotated teeth. I can see that the elastic bands have improved my open bite some though since I began wearing them.
For the most part, I have been committed to wearing the bands 22/7. The only exception was yesterday when I took a break for a few hours before I began the new trays.
For the most part, I have been committed to wearing the bands 22/7. The only exception was yesterday when I took a break for a few hours before I began the new trays.
Replies (2)
January 19, 2018
No, dont drink anything other than water with them in..it will stain them..I'm hard headed the ortho warned me..i had a orange drink with my 1st set of trays in & it stained them & wouldn't come out.
January 19, 2018
I’ve had Diet Coke and Sprite Zero with them in, and I haven’t noticed any significant staining.
I definitely have a lisp now that I hate..Most say they haven't noticed..but I definitely have..good luck!..and I hope it goes by fast..im excited to see my results!
Yeah I hear the pain is a bit different for everyone, and I've also read some trays may be more painful (especially when putting them on the first time) than others.
Good luck to you, too.
I've noticed some accumulation in my trays and now I'm wondering what is the best way to clean the trays.