Going for it to fix Upper and Lower Crowding - New Windsor, NY

Since I have found these reviews incredibly helpful to me in making the decision whether to try Invisalign, I thought I would add my own experience. I got my first tray put on yesterday. Will post pictures of what my teeth look like at the start so we can see how well this is working and how long it takes to see the first real signs of straightening. My dentist did 2 IPRs before the first tray went on to allow some space for the teeth to move. Beats any extractions/gaping holes! My plan includes 24 trays - changing every 2 weeks. Pros: they are not permanent so if anything goes wrong during this treatment - out they go, lol. They are really hard to see when people are talking to you face to face unless they are staring closely at your mouth. Cons: The trays have rough edges at the bottom, which after just 24 hours have caused cuts on the side of my tongue and inside of my lips/cheeks. This is the single most uncomfortable part of wearing these trays for me. It hurts to talk so I am avoiding doing so. I have a bit of a lisp and feel like I constantly have to suck the saliva out of the trays. This morning when I took off the trays to brush and eat breakfast I had pain in a few teeth (does this mean it's working already??). Normally a coffee sipper, I had to gulp down my coffee in order to get the trays back on asap. I am shooting for having them on 22+ hours each day. At lunch today, I was unable to bite down on a deli sandwich because of tooth pain so I had to tear it into tiny pieces and chew in the back of my mouth only. It took me nearly an hour to get one small sandwich down! I have to plan carefully what and when I am going to eat (all soft food for now). No more snacking. Definitely paying close attention to how long I take at a meal and rushing to get through the cleaning regimen and get the trays back on asap. May have to go back to my dentist to see if anything can be done about the rough edges of the trays.

Not finding it too difficult keeping the trays in for 21+ hours, though I love the brief breaks. I know what others meant when they described feeling like their teeth were suffocating. The small cuts on my tongue and inside of lips from the edges of the trays are a real nuisance. By the end of the day they hurt so much I try not to talk at all. Still feeling pain in several teeth that making eating tough. Have adopted an all soft food diet for the time being. 2 days down, 363 to go :)

Ok, things are looking up. Thanks to the great advice I received on here I bought some ortho wax and covered up 4 jagged edges on the trays. SUCH a relief! Now just have to give my tongue and inside of lips time to heal. After only a few days the trays are easier to pop in and out and I feel less pain when eating today, though I am still sticking with soft foods. I sooooo look forward to the breaks at meal times, and have to force myself to set a timer and stick to it. Should easily hit 22 hours in today. Feeling more hopeful that I can do this.

And WHY didn't my dentist offer it???? I've been reading here that others shaved off several months from their treatment using it and I'm all for that! Will have to ask at my next visit.

Ok, I have the routine down. Averaging between 21-22 hours a day with the aligners on, which my dentists said is fine. I move up to tray 2 next week. Posting my first pic of my mouth week one. Totally embarrassed to show you guys the current state of my teeth, but want too show the progress I (hopefully) make over the months. I have 12 attachments in total and this photo shows one of the two IPRs my dentist did on my two front top teeth before my first trays went on.

At the end of my first week here are a few observations:
1) The orthodontic wax, while a MUST for my comfort, adds more time to the already cumbersome cleaning routine, so if the next tray has sharp edges I'm bringing them back for filing. Where's the QA at Invisalign, sending these ragged trays out to customers??
2) I have adopted a schedule of taking the aligners out 4-5 times a day for short periods versus 2-3 longer periods.
3) I really miss leisurely sipping coffee!!!!
4) Scrubbing the trays with a toothbrush and toothpaste scratches the plastic and makes them more noticeable when on. Not sure why Invisalign doesn't offer a soaking solution that disinfects without damaging the aligners. Have read not to clean/soak them in denture cleaner or mouthwash, so I have not done so.
5) Still self-conscious about lisping and my boyfriend says I keep pursing my lips and sucking my 'teeth'. I don't even realize I'm doing it, but I still seem to be over-salivating with these things in my mouth.
6) Um.....someone should have told me that smoking will stain the trays. My dentist, who knows I am a smoker, never brought this up. He offered to clean them for me if needed, but I only have to wear each tray for 2 weeks and after 8 days, the discoloration is only slight.
7) MY TEETH DON'T HURT ANYMORE! Ate solid food finally with no pain.
8) The trays are definitely easier to get on and off and I feel very little pressure when wearing them.
9) I am still very excited about the prospect of improving my smile. Going to treat myself to teeth whitening at the end of my treatment. Can't wait!

I was prepared for a lot of discomfort when switching to my 2nd tray, but other than pressure on a few teeth and a VERY snug fit - all is ok. Taking advice from others here, I waited until bedtime to make the switch and by morning I was fine. Not even an aspirin needed. Hope all new trays go this smoothly. I couldn't deal with the wax anymore so I used a fine clean nail file to smooth out the rough edges of my 2nd tray before putting it in for the first time. Worked like a charm - no mouth cuts/sores to be found. Only sorry I didn't do this with the first tray. By the end of my second week, I barely noticed the aligners and they became so easy to get on/off towards the end. I am having no trouble keeping them in 21+ hours a day. Too soon to see any changes, but I'll post a picture anyway with each tray change. Need to post a full face picture as well - all these closeups of my teeth are just weird - lol. The only trouble I have is attending social gatherings or outdoor events - particularly when there is no private bathroom or running water. And I still can't bring myself to brush my teeth in a public restroom after eating dinner out. I just rinse very thoroughly, put the aligners back in and brush like crazy when I get home. All in all, I'm still optimistic about the process and glad to have one tray behind me :)

Moved to my 3rd tray (of 24) last night and OUCH! I couldn't believe how much it hurt to put them in for the first time. This is good right? Means my teeth are being pushed into the right spots? After nearly 24 hours, the pain is still bad when I take them off and put them back on. My top tray doesn't seem to fit as perfectly as the first two did. Not sure if I need to alert my dentist to this. There is a space at the bottom of my two front teeth where the aligner just won't go on any further.

I see the dentist at the end of this tray, (so, in 2 weeks), when he'll do a few more IPRs and give me trays 4, 5 and 6. Can't wait to be in the double digits. The IPRs make me nervous. Once removed, I can never get that enamel back and, while I understand it needs to be done to allow my teeth room to move, I'm worried I'll have issues later with cavities or sensitivity.

Haven't noticed any difference in the position of my teeth yet, but I assume it's still too early. Posting a picture anyway.

Wow - I'm overdue for an update. I am putting in tray # 6 of 24 tonight. I always get apprehensive the night of a tray change as the last two were really painful. For the first 3 days or so of both trays 4 and 5 the top trays wouldn't go on all the way. As they loosened up they fit better. I see the dentist in a week to get my hands on 7, 8 and 9 and to have a few more IPRs. I THINK I see some improvement in my left top side - the tooth next to the front tooth, but I could be delusional, wanting so badly to see a change.

My trays are in about 21 hours a day - sometimes more like 20 ;) - but this isn't the only rule I have broken....I have been drinking 1-2 cups of coffee a day through a straw with the aligners in. Now stop judging me! I've always been one to learn my lessons the hard way. And no, I am not trying to throw my money away, but I have few vices in life and one of them is hot beverages. So it has been very hard for me to give them up. I do wait until the coffee cools down before drinking it, and I rinse as soon as possible when done. I have a regular cleaning appt coming soon, so let's see if I am causing any real harm and then I'll accept every last "I told you so' - lol!

Still have to file down the trays before I put them in for the first time, but it's worth the smooth fit and no more mouth sores.

We have a problem :(
At my last appointment, I learned that the upper aligners are not latching onto one button and I will have to do new impressions and reorder the remaining aligners to get the last upper tooth to move. The dentist explained that the original impression must not have taken well on the most severely out of place tooth, but now that it has moved some, we can get a better impression and correct the remaining aligners. A little disappointed and dreading the impression process which leaves me gagging in the chair and totally embarrassed!

I also learned that I only had 13 'active' trays for the top originally (24 total for the bottom), so had the aligners fit properly from the start, my top teeth would have been done within the next 6 weeks.

The good news - I am thrilled so far with the straightening of my top teeth and feeling much more confident that they will be nearly perfect when the process is complete.

The bottom teeth are showing very slight movement, but have a long way to go yet.

Also noticing a stain on the top tooth that is still out of place. The dentist says the tooth was so receded and tucked behind my front tooth at the start that I never saw the stain, but as it moves forward I do. Luckily - no cavity there, and he believes he can remove the stain at the end with the whitening process.

Still having to file down every new tray to avoid the rough edges cutting up my mouth and tongue, but other than that - no complaints about the process. Very routine now.

I am finishing up Tray 12 and see noticeable straightening on top and (dare I say) a bit of movement with the bottom teeth - or maybe just wishful thinking ;). Have to see the dentist next week for new impressions to correct the remaining aligners in hopes of fully straightening my top teeth. Dreading it, but now that I have come this far I want the end result to be as perfect as possible so I will do whatever my dentist recommends.

Still so glad I started Invisalign and now that I can see progress I am super motivated to stick with it. I am just past the 5 month mark and my original plan would have had me ending in June. Not sure how much the new aligners will set me back, but ok with a little extension.

There are still many days that my teeth feel like they are suffocating and I have to take the aligners off for a 10-15 min break even if it's between meals. This has been a consistent issue for me from the beginning, but no biggie.

All in all excited with the progress!

I survived the dreaded impressions and await my corrected set of aligners which should take another 2 weeks to come in. In the meantime, I have to keep wearing Tray 12. I have found that soaking them for at least an hour in a mix of 3/4 peroxide and 1/4 water helps tremendously to keep them looking clean. Disappointed to be 'wasting' time stuck in tray 12, but what can you do.

Now that my top teeth are straightening out, I can see the difference in the length of my front 6 teeth is more pronounced. My dentist promises he will 'fix' that by lengthening the two shorter teeth.

I find the straighter my teeth get, the more obsessed I become about wanting them to be perfect. Dying to get my teeth whitened, but my dentist doesn't want to do so until the buttons (aka teeth razors) come off.

OK, off to wait patiently for #13....

I haven't updated in soooo long, but here's where I'm at: In January 2015 my top teeth had not progressed as my dentist would have liked, so he ordered a correction. I was at tray #12 or 13 of 24 at that point. New impressions were taken and I had a 6 week wait for the new trays to arrive. Hated to lose the time, but what can you do. I am now on Tray 9 of 12 and hoping I will need any further corrections/new trays. My lower teeth are FINALLY coming in line, though still not where I want them to be. Top seems to have stopped progressing again, but I can live with these results. At this point - nearly the one year mark - I am so ready to get these aligners out of my mouth forever and remove the buttons. My teeth need a good whitening to be sure! About a month into it I gave in and starting drinking my coffee with the trays in. Discoloration is apparent, but have had two check ups since and no cavities like I was warned about.

I'm still filing the sharp edges of every tray before putting them in and rarely do I have any irritation. Most trays nowadays are tight, but not painful. I always pop a new tray in before bed so I have 7-8 hours to get used to them while I sleep.

No doubt I am happy I invested in this procedure, even more so now that I can see the finish line!

I finished my treatment in late Aug - 13 months from start to finish. Happy with the results - smile isn't perfect, but soooo much better than it was when I started. Very happy with Invisalign!