POSTED UNDER Invisalign Reviews
28 Attachments - Bellevue, WA
UPDATED FROM 28attachments
3 months post
Four Months Later, 8 Trays In
28attachmentsFebruary 27, 2014
$6,000
I have not updated anything in a long time, but I finally got around to it today. My invisalign case was slightly different to other peoples' because I got invisalign to prepare me for underbite jaw surgery. Because of this, I ended up getting an attachment on every single tooth.
At first I was furious. I had some staining on my teeth and the bright white attachments stood out in stark contrast and made my teeth look disgusting. They were easily noticeable and not what I had expected-- especially at such a high price. My mouth was bloody and sore for up to two weeks after I got invisalign due to the attachments poking into my cheeks and lips and the edges of the tray scratching the inside of my mouth.
Now it has been around four months and I am on tray number 8. Things have looked up quite a lot. As you can see from the picture, my teeth (specifically the bottom row) are already looking straighter. About two weeks after I got the invisalign I ordered a GoSmile Teeth Whitening Kit and whitened my teeth every other day for about two weeks. I only brush up on the whitening once every two weeks now, but you can still see a significant difference in the color of my teeth and the contrast of the attachments. I am not sure how much of a real difference it made, but it did make me feel a whole lot better about the situation.
I still get a lot of tenderness in my teeth when switching trays, and for around three days I am almost scared to take them out because of the pain. However, the scratching of the trays has stopped completely. I keep my trays in for around 20 hours a day (it would be longer but I am a slow eater) and drink beverages other than water pretty regularly but I do rinse out my mouth afterwards. I also sometimes suck on mints or sour candies to take the edge off of my hunger in between meals, as they do not get stuck in the trays.
Overall, there have been a lot of improvements. I am still not satisfied with the process and I am not sure I would do it again, but it has at least become bearable. To anyone out there who just got invisalign, it does get better I promise! Stick with it and the pain will mostly go away and you will find new ways to get around the obstacles that invasalign makes.
At first I was furious. I had some staining on my teeth and the bright white attachments stood out in stark contrast and made my teeth look disgusting. They were easily noticeable and not what I had expected-- especially at such a high price. My mouth was bloody and sore for up to two weeks after I got invisalign due to the attachments poking into my cheeks and lips and the edges of the tray scratching the inside of my mouth.
Now it has been around four months and I am on tray number 8. Things have looked up quite a lot. As you can see from the picture, my teeth (specifically the bottom row) are already looking straighter. About two weeks after I got the invisalign I ordered a GoSmile Teeth Whitening Kit and whitened my teeth every other day for about two weeks. I only brush up on the whitening once every two weeks now, but you can still see a significant difference in the color of my teeth and the contrast of the attachments. I am not sure how much of a real difference it made, but it did make me feel a whole lot better about the situation.
I still get a lot of tenderness in my teeth when switching trays, and for around three days I am almost scared to take them out because of the pain. However, the scratching of the trays has stopped completely. I keep my trays in for around 20 hours a day (it would be longer but I am a slow eater) and drink beverages other than water pretty regularly but I do rinse out my mouth afterwards. I also sometimes suck on mints or sour candies to take the edge off of my hunger in between meals, as they do not get stuck in the trays.
Overall, there have been a lot of improvements. I am still not satisfied with the process and I am not sure I would do it again, but it has at least become bearable. To anyone out there who just got invisalign, it does get better I promise! Stick with it and the pain will mostly go away and you will find new ways to get around the obstacles that invasalign makes.
Replies (4)
August 19, 2014
Hi! We just got a new community member who has 27 attachments (not preparatory to jaw surgery) and was looking for other people with similar experiences. I'm wondering how things have been going, and what it's like living with all those attachments after 9 months with them. :)
August 19, 2014
Hi there,
I know I am not very good at updating this page lol but I'm glad to answer any questions! At the moment I am only wearing the invisalign at night, as my orthodontist directed. This has been the case for around two months now. Because of that it has been absolutely no problem, since I can basically eat whenever and I haven't changed trays since then either. I believe that soon I will get one more set of trays for top and bottom and then hopefully after that I will be done. I'll update once I know more.
In any case, I have pretty much gotten used to having the attachments on my teeth with a kind of grudging acceptance. I don't really notice them at all any more, except in photos where I am reminded how nice it could look without them (haha) but I hope it will be worth it in the end. I have my fingers crossed that I will only have them for another two months or so. I am definitely not as bothered by it as I used to be.
August 19, 2014
If you can get used to the attachments even without the trays in, then you're definitely used to them!!! Why are you only wearing them at night? And thanks for coming back to answer questions, by the way!!!
August 19, 2014
My orthodontist turned the tray into a jaw splint to prevent my jaw joints from rubbing off more, and then decided that I should only wear it at night during the summer to reduce chances of it breaking while I am on vacation!
August 19, 2014
Hello 28 attachments - 27 attachments here !! At the moment I am on tray 2 and due to visit ortho on Thursday for further trays and dreaded attachments. Although tray 1 and 2 have been easy I feel quite disappointed about the attachments situation as I only found out at my tray 1 fitting that I would have that many (and only when I asked would I need attachments). It was only at that point I was shown my clincheck. I have quite bad crowding on bottom jaw but I still do not understand why I need to have 27 compared to other blogs I have looked at. Anyway I suppose I have to put up with it for the next year. Any tips you have would be great. I have bought wax in preparation and ulcer ointment! I am quite worried now about eating out. I have found this easy so far with tray 1 and 2 but main worry now is getting trays off with so many attachments and getting food stuck on the attachment!!! Your teeth look great so I am just hoping it will be all worth it in the end. Did you stick to 14 days or ever drop to 10 - 12 days with your tray? Thank you
August 27, 2014
Hi there!
Wax is definitely a good idea because the main problem I've had with the attachments had been when they poke into my gums. Getting food stuck in the attachments is pretty rare, they're not at all like brackets in braces in that way! I believe the main point of having so many attachments is when they need to make sure that everything is tight and that the trays are gripping properly so that everything goes according to plan. I think it is a more recent thing they have started doing, probably to get higher success rates for harder cases! In any case it definitely takes some getting used to, but you will get used to it eventually so don't despair! The brackets are not the most aesthetically pleasing but at least it looks better than conventional braces. If you have a water-pik or one of those special tooth-brushes for braces it makes brushing and cleaning around the attachments much easier because there can be some build up. But other than that everything should be fine. Let me know if you have any other questions, and good luck to you!
April 3, 2018
I have had invisalign for over half a year now and i can't say anything has gotten better at all.
On the contrary, my teeth are now so sensitive even sensodyne toothpaste sometimes hurts me when i brush with an ultra soft toothbrush (i never had tooth sensitivity before AT ALL). Secondly i am always -still to this day- in pain when i put in a new tray and feel like someone has punched me in the mouth. My two upper front teeth are so loose i fear i will rip them out when i start a new tray. Every time. Also, i was supposed to be done with my treatment now because my initial tray count was 17 and i started end of september/beginning october but i was in extreme pain by tray 8 and was always pacified when i called that "it's normal" and basically implied i shouldn't be so sensitive (mind you i have a full sleeve and some tattoos, piercings and have had a child etc so i know i have a very high pain tolerance but lo and behold when my dentist finally listened to my concerns it turned out i was totally off track with my trays by then and had to START OVER COMPLETELY at tray 1 from a new set of yet again 16 trays. Would I recommend invisalign? Absolutely not.
And i should add i wear my trays religiously for 22 hours every day and my gaps which were minimal are still not closed either. I would absolutely not do this again had i known in advance what it would be like. Just awful. Oh and i have 16 attachments so i know how much harder it is putting a new tray in and taking it out. It gets worse with more attachments
On the contrary, my teeth are now so sensitive even sensodyne toothpaste sometimes hurts me when i brush with an ultra soft toothbrush (i never had tooth sensitivity before AT ALL). Secondly i am always -still to this day- in pain when i put in a new tray and feel like someone has punched me in the mouth. My two upper front teeth are so loose i fear i will rip them out when i start a new tray. Every time. Also, i was supposed to be done with my treatment now because my initial tray count was 17 and i started end of september/beginning october but i was in extreme pain by tray 8 and was always pacified when i called that "it's normal" and basically implied i shouldn't be so sensitive (mind you i have a full sleeve and some tattoos, piercings and have had a child etc so i know i have a very high pain tolerance but lo and behold when my dentist finally listened to my concerns it turned out i was totally off track with my trays by then and had to START OVER COMPLETELY at tray 1 from a new set of yet again 16 trays. Would I recommend invisalign? Absolutely not.
And i should add i wear my trays religiously for 22 hours every day and my gaps which were minimal are still not closed either. I would absolutely not do this again had i known in advance what it would be like. Just awful. Oh and i have 16 attachments so i know how much harder it is putting a new tray in and taking it out. It gets worse with more attachments
ORIGINAL POST
Hi, I got invisalign two days ago and was pretty...
28attachmentsNovember 16, 2013
Hi,
I got invisalign two days ago and was pretty disappointed with what I got. I was expecting the clear invisalign trays that are advertised, but my orthodontist said that invisalign has "changed their design" and that I need attachments on my teeth to hold it in place. I wasn't quite sure what that meant but I gave him the go-ahead to put them on.
I ended up with an attachment on every single tooth. Some of my teeth even have two smaller attachments. I was so upset. These are obviously not very "invisible" in fact they're pretty much just as noticeable as brackets from regular braces-- and they are much whiter than my teeth and make them look yellow in comparison!
Furthermore, after doing some research and reading some other reviews, most people only have 2-6 attachments or at MOST 15-16, so why do I have 28?
I'm very frustrated that I spent so much money to get such an unsatisfactory result. It isn't what I expected at all. I do have a somewhat different circumstance than others-- I already have straight teeth but I need to wear braces for a year in order to prepare for a jaw surgery for my underbite. I thought Invisalign would be the best solution, but now I'm not so sure. They are better than regular braces so far, but not that much better and certainly not for how expensive they were.
I got invisalign two days ago and was pretty disappointed with what I got. I was expecting the clear invisalign trays that are advertised, but my orthodontist said that invisalign has "changed their design" and that I need attachments on my teeth to hold it in place. I wasn't quite sure what that meant but I gave him the go-ahead to put them on.
I ended up with an attachment on every single tooth. Some of my teeth even have two smaller attachments. I was so upset. These are obviously not very "invisible" in fact they're pretty much just as noticeable as brackets from regular braces-- and they are much whiter than my teeth and make them look yellow in comparison!
Furthermore, after doing some research and reading some other reviews, most people only have 2-6 attachments or at MOST 15-16, so why do I have 28?
I'm very frustrated that I spent so much money to get such an unsatisfactory result. It isn't what I expected at all. I do have a somewhat different circumstance than others-- I already have straight teeth but I need to wear braces for a year in order to prepare for a jaw surgery for my underbite. I thought Invisalign would be the best solution, but now I'm not so sure. They are better than regular braces so far, but not that much better and certainly not for how expensive they were.
Replies (5)
November 18, 2013
Yay, your review got posted! So, I don't see any design difference between your Invisalign and mine. The trays aren't perfectly clear--they have these ridges on the inside. And, of course, the attachments are just tooth-colored, not invisible. While Invisalign is one of the less obtrusive treatment modalities on the market, it's not the least obtrusive (though it's the most popular of the less obtrusive). The very best thing about Invisalign (and the other removable treatments) is that you can brush and floss without any encumbrances between the teeth. This is a huge advantage in avoiding cavities and other tooth decay while undergoing treatment. The disadvantages are, of course, that the more attachments you have, the more it hurts when your trays aren't in; and also, if you don't keep your trays in a lot, then you've wasted your time cause it won't work.
So I hope you come to terms with the Invisalign. It's disappointing that they're not as unobtrusive as you'd expected, but they don't look worse than regular braces, and I think that being able to brush and floss without using threaders is worth some extra expense. It certainly was to me, which was why I chose Invisalign for my case.
I look forward to following your journey!
November 18, 2013
Thanks for your support and feedback! They're already starting to hurt less; I've been using a lot of dental wax for the attachments. And I'm starting to get used to it more, plus I'm going to see me orthodontist tomorrow to ask some more questions about the specifics of my case! Hopefully then I can be a little more at ease, for now I'm putting up with it fine and I do like how I can take it out to brush my teeth and everything. I'm starting to warm up to them and I'll post any updates from my orthodontist or things like that. Thanks again! :)
November 18, 2013
Whew! I'm glad to hear that you're already feeling more positive about it. And yeah, it's great to get more reassurance from the ortho, too. I'll see you when you update! :D
November 18, 2013
Wow! 28 attachments!!? That's on every single tooth! I would be frustrated too if I were you! During my consultation I was told I'd need to get "a few" attachments, which ended being 16 attachments. How many trays are you in for? And good luck!
November 19, 2013
Yeah, it just came as a shock to me; I wasn't expecting any attachments at all! I think I have around 15 trays so the whole process is supposed to take about 8 months.
November 19, 2013
This sounds ridiculous to me. If you check out my review, I had 6 attachments and my teeth were waaaay more jacked up than yours. Also you need to talk to your dentist about why they didn't match the color to your teeth. I specifically remember my dentist made sure to match my attachments to my specific shade of teeth so that sounds not good.
November 19, 2013
Wow! That does seem rather excessive to me (I think I have 17 now?). I am curious why your Ortho said you needed so many? It was explained to me that they are used as either anchors to help move other teeth, or to move the tooth they are on but if your teeth are already straight, what are they actually trying to accomplish? I find my Invisalign to be extremely noticeable as well but I have come to terms with it (I am also only slated for 15 trays). Once I got the hang of filing the trays to get rid of the sharp edges and/or using lots of wax, I was able to appreciate the ways in which they are better than braces (even if being invisible isn't one of them!). Maybe you could ask your ortho to re-do the front attachments and let you preview the color matching?? I don't think they look terrible, but I can see that there is a color discrepancy. Good luck!! I hope things get better for you!
November 19, 2013
Ortho's and Dentists, from what I have seen, do not tell people about the attachments prior to getting them! And those little models do not show any attachments on them either! I had no idea - I did research while waiting on my trays and thats how I found out about them. It took me months to get used to the attachments, but now that I am 19 trays in, I am used to them. My dentist didn't match the color to my teeth either and I had the same issue. The good news is, is that time really goes by rather quickly and you'll be done and out of them in no time.
December 4, 2013
Lol, my ortho's model had attachments on them. But only a few. And he also kept saying I would need "a few" on my front teeth...A few turned into attachments on all of my visible top teeth.
My only concern is the eating of candies with your trays in, but perhaps they are sugar-free and acid-free? Both sugar and acid can cause problems if they get inside your trays are are trapped next to your teeth for extended periods.
The difference in your teeth is really noticeable, so at least there's that :). I hope the discomfort with the first three days lessens in time--I honestly don't remember if it did so for me, but the first couple of days were always worse.