Hitting 50 Hello Invisilign - Riverside, IL

Day 4, my tongue is killing me. I broke down and filed the edges and got some wax, it's helping I think but I just wish the sores would heal up already. That's the only thing that annoys me. I'm down a half pound , this is helping with my weight loss and taking Contrave, 3 meals a day and no snacking. It hurts too much to take my bottom trays out!

Welcome aboard! I've been wearing my aligners now for 14 loooooooong months. Also 20 attachments. Brushing is so tedious that is for sure. I've never gone through so many tubes of toothpaste and floss sticks as I have this past year! And we all agree with you - it is too much bother to snack, so we just don't. As for the trays? Yes, they do need special attention. I soak mine (in a dollar store denture cup) every chance I get (i.e. not at restaurants). I use a tiny squirt of clear anti-bacterial soap, and a good splash of vinegar. Others use half hydrogen peroxide, but I don't feel comfortable using something I wouldn't put in my mouth normally. I also brush my aligners as often as my teeth. Toothpaste taste better than vinegar residue! LOL. They can get quite yukky if you don't brush them. I use a slimline toothbrush. The bristles fit inside the narrow aligners nicely. Others swear by baby toothbrushes. Last of all, you need to carry around your little hygiene kit in your purse so it goes where you go. I use a pencil case in which my toothbrush fits just fine, along with a tiny tube of travel toothpaste and floss picks. Baggies, cosmetic cases, all work too. My opinion is that your mouth eventually gets used to those crazy foreign objects and eventually you keep your tongue from rolling over all the rough edges. Good luck with your journey!

I bought Retainer Brite tablets off amazon and soak them in that every morning while I'm eating breakfast. They don't keep them completely clean on their own, but at least there's no staining and no smell.