POSTED UNDER Invisalign Reviews
Invisalign - Brilliant Idea or Mid Life Crisis? - Dacula, GA
UPDATED FROM gboe
8 months post
Working on tray 21
gboeApril 17, 2014
$5,000
Have not updated for a while! I am on tray 21 of 29 for the top. I only had 14 for the bottom. So they have been done for a while. It's nice having to wear just one during the day. It has made a huge difference in my lisp. It was pretty bad with both trays in. I am getting really tired of them and the constant brushing. My teeth are lovely these days!!! Very clean, and looking remarkably straight. They weren't terrible to begin with, but the difference is very noticeable to my family and close friends. I hate brushing at work in front of people after lunch every day. You can tell others don't appreciate it. Will be happy to be done. But I am an old pro now at dealing with pain, sharp edges, and all the issues. I really did think I made a bad decision (and very costly) when it started, but truthfully, the pain of new trays only lasts 30 minutes or so these days and I am quite pleased with the results I see. I am not sure what is supposed to continue to change for the next few months so I plan to ask my doctor if its really necessary to wear them that much longer. I now ask a lot of questions on how we are going to maintain the success we have achieved. Not sure about the right answer at this time. Any advice would be welcome.
Replies (1)
UPDATED FROM gboe
4 months post
Just started tray 11
gboeDecember 14, 2013
Visited the dentist 2 days ago. Lots of "sawing" between the teeth, both upper and lower. I really do not like that part. Hurts and I am always scared they are going to "saw" into my gums... This new tray is still really tight and my teeth are sore when I eat. I am nearly done with the bottom, but still 6 months or so on top. I can really see the changes now. But people don't really notice unless I talk about it. But in truth, my teeth were not horrible to start with. The only real problem was that my two front teeth on top overlapped... but that is looking quite a lot better now.
Replies (0)
UPDATED FROM gboe
25 days post
Just started tray 4
gboeSeptember 6, 2013
Put tray 4 in two days ago. I took the advice of others and put them in before bed with a couple of aspirins.... That worked pretty well. My sleep was not interrupted and by the next morning I had no pain. So far so good. I still have a lot of dry mouth issues, but seems very slightly better than at first. Still lisping a little... which seems to get worse at the end of the two weeks. I am not sure why that would be true. My biggest complaint on tray 3 was that they really seemed to discolor badly. I truly brushed my teeth and my trays with toothpaste no less than 4 times a day. Still they got yellow and even a little green. Very nasty. Wish I could find a really good solution to keep them clear like when I first put them in...
Replies (3)
September 17, 2013
gboe, I was able to keep my trays clean and fresh this way: once a day when I took them out for eating, I first brushed them (inside and out), then soaked them with a denture cleaner (Efferdent or Polident) for at least 15 minutes.
September 28, 2013
I have just started on Tray 1 of 31. I am 57 also. I don't have a lot of pain. Just feels strange having a mouth full of plastic.
October 28, 2013
Working on tray 7 at this point. I find very little pain after the 1st day with new trays at this point. I think I see some movement on top where my front teeth were overlapping. Still feel sensitivity the first few days but my only complaints at this point are mouth dryness constantly. I still have a pronounced lisp when my mouth is dry. My lips stay chapped, or at least it feels that way. I am a little tired of the constantly brushing. It is keeping me from snacking (lol)...
February 13, 2014
Just found your review! Would you like me to move this comment up to the updates section instead?
April 18, 2014
Oy...just realized the date on it! I can't backdate them so it would end up much later. I'll ask people more knowledgeable than myself if there's a way to do that but at this point, it's probably less confusing to leave it here. :)
Generally, it seems that a lot of dentists recommend full-time retainer-wear for around six months, give or take, to let the teeth settle in their correct spots post-treatment. Did you do that for the bottom arch? I think a lot of doctors consider this the first step to maintaining your results.
After that, people generally either are automatically assumed to want the Vivera retainers (clear plastic, made by Align Tech., who make Invisalign,) or are allowed to choose either Vivera, permanent (bonded) retainers (attached lingually), or standard Hawley (wire) retainers. Have you discussed retainers with your doctor at all? You will be wearing them for life if you want to maintain your results, though not full-time forever. If one type doesn't work for you, one can switch types, though not always for free :D.
I keep seeing 'Dracula' instead of 'Dacula'. You must get that all the time, LOL!