Someone asked about Invisalign last year and I was about 1/3 of the way through it and I brought up attachments as the biggest downside. I also had like 15, mostly on the top. I should go back and see if the pictures I posted are still there... I think I deleted them.
Yeah, the attachments suck. They hurt. I felt like they were super obvious. BUT everyone said they didn't noticed and were surprised when I pointed them out. So I get it. But you do get used to them. TRY TRY TRY not to touch them with your tongue, or you'll get cuts on your tongue. I think I saw a suggestion of vaseline (?) on the attachments if they were bothering your gums too much.
I totally stopped snacking because brushing/flossing every time I ate and drank sucked. The first week I didn't want to eat anything and the first day or two after a new tray my teeth were tender.
I finished in January and it is totally 100% worth it. I had a fairly serious case on top and bottom and my teeth look really good now. Not perfect with a cap style, but good.
Post by Doggy Mommy on Mar 15, 2018 20:21:48 GMT -5
I've had mine close to a year and am almost done, though I'm taking a 4 week break right now and am just wearing the retainers while I get some dental work fixed (I had a bad root canal done about 8 years ago and just got it re-done and now need a new crown). I only had 4 attachments but the first few weeks were awful. The aligners felt sharp and I had blisters all over my mouth and everything hurt. I used dental wax for a while but by the 3rd or 4th week things were better. Sometimes I still get sharp edges on a set of aligners but I file them down and it's no big deal. Now I'm done with attachments and once the dental work is done, I'll have 10 more weeks to go.
I wear them at least 20 hours a day. I didn't pay a shitload of money to not wear them and not get good results so I wear them religiously. After the first few weeks, I could talk just fine so I wear them for events and whatnot. I only take them out to eat.
My teeth look great - very straight and the front teeth are the same height now (they had to pull some down from the gum line). I had braces twice as a kid and my teeth still looked bad, and then I didn't wear a retainer for over 20 years and they got far worse. I'm super impressed with how well the invisalign has worked.
Post by claudiakishi on Mar 25, 2018 11:46:48 GMT -5
I’m following as well, I am currently debating between ceramic brackets or Invisalign. I was almost convinced I was doing Invisalign and then got cold feet about all the attachments and speaking with them in. Everyone I have talked to about it says it’s worth it though.
My ortho gave me the option of switching over to ceramics if Invisalign just wasn’t working for me, at no extra cost. Is that an option if you really hate it?
Thanks to this thread and mulling it over for what felt like forever (it really was a year+), I decided to go for it. I will get scanned at the end of next month. I hope I don't regret it.
Thanks to this thread and mulling it over for what felt like forever (it really was a year+), I decided to go for it. I will get scanned at the end of next month. I hope I don't regret it.
I have been mulling this over for awhile as well, and finally found an ortho I click with. Now I just need to decide on Invisalign or brackets, but I’m definitely doing something. Maybe we need an Invisalign/Adult Braces check in occasionally?
I know a few people who have done Invisalign, including my dad. No one has ever mentioned attachments. This is news to me!! I’m calling my dad tomorrow to ask about it.
I meant to also mention that when I went to the orthodontist that I will eventually use, he showed me a model of the aligners and told me about the attachments. I think he was pretty up front and even said 'what most people don't know is that there will be teeth colored attachments' and I smiled. No, people don't really know that. It's not part of their marketing.
Thanks to this thread and mulling it over for what felt like forever (it really was a year+), I decided to go for it. I will get scanned at the end of next month. I hope I don't regret it.
I have been mulling this over for awhile as well, and finally found an ortho I click with. Now I just need to decide on Invisalign or brackets, but I’m definitely doing something. Maybe we need an Invisalign/Adult Braces check in occasionally?
This thread (plus my dry cleaner asking if something happened do my one janky tooth — ugh, cringe) sealed the deal for me. Getting an ortho referral at my dentist appointment in three weeks. I had braces for 100 years (14-20) and one of my teeth never got fixed. Hoping technology significantly improved in the almost 20 years since my first round of metal came off.
I meant to also mention that when I went to the orthodontist that I will eventually use, he showed me a model of the aligners and told me about the attachments. I think he was pretty up front and even said 'what most people don't know is that there will be teeth colored attachments' and I smiled. No, people don't really know that. It's not part of their marketing.
That is the truth.
Just to update, I have had a couple weeks since my OP, and don't hate my attachments NEARLY as much. I have indeed gotten used to them. It is still annoying, but not as painful as it was initially, the hot spots have gone away for the most part, and I feel a little less self conscious eating now.
I had to have two of my attachments redone a week after they first went on. One came off (I didn't even notice), and one developed some kind of gap behind it where food was getting caught. That was annoying. I think we're good now though.
I started tray 3/21 today, on 10 day changes. In 2 weeks I add the buttons and rubber bands. I assume I will hate those too at first, and then sort of get used to them.
I have lost 2 lbs. since starting Invisalign. Yay bonus! It didn't happen by accident, I am making a conscious effort to improve my eating habits, but Invisalign makes it that much easier to curb the snacking. It's easier to say no to late afternoon snacks or evening snacks when it means an extra toothbrushing, and another round of out-and-in. When trays are new and tight, newp, no thanks.
Oh man the first few days were so bad!! I have 8 attachments and I’m on tray 6/12. I change every 10 days. My mouth was so dry in the beginning and it took a week or so to adjust. I still take them out for conference calls or when I present. It will get better.
Also I drink stuff with a straw with my trays in. I haven’t had any problems with staining. I would avoid hot coffee but I take 20 min or so to drink my coffee with trays out.
This is kind of gross but I just started tray 2 and I have excess saliva that I didn't experience with the first one. Has anyone else had this? I hope it's just an adjustment and goes away but would love to hear it's normal and passes!
I meant to also mention that when I went to the orthodontist that I will eventually use, he showed me a model of the aligners and told me about the attachments. I think he was pretty up front and even said 'what most people don't know is that there will be teeth colored attachments' and I smiled. No, people don't really know that. It's not part of their marketing.
That is the truth.
Just to update, I have had a couple weeks since my OP, and don't hate my attachments NEARLY as much. I have indeed gotten used to them. It is still annoying, but not as painful as it was initially, the hot spots have gone away for the most part, and I feel a little less self conscious eating now.
I had to have two of my attachments redone a week after they first went on. One came off (I didn't even notice), and one developed some kind of gap behind it where food was getting caught. That was annoying. I think we're good now though.
I started tray 3/21 today, on 10 day changes. In 2 weeks I add the buttons and rubber bands. I assume I will hate those too at first, and then sort of get used to them.
I have lost 2 lbs. since starting Invisalign. Yay bonus! It didn't happen by accident, I am making a conscious effort to improve my eating habits, but Invisalign makes it that much easier to curb the snacking. It's easier to say no to late afternoon snacks or evening snacks when it means an extra toothbrushing, and another round of out-and-in. When trays are new and tight, newp, no thanks.
mokes, I'm on 7/25 and I've had excess saliva the whole time. I don't mind it, except in meetings where I do a lot of talking and have to stop and suck it out of my trays so that I don't go spitting it all over everyone.
I'm late to the thread but I'll give my experience. I just got them removed in Feb
I only had to wear them 6 months. My problem wasn't bad.But if I would have had to deal with them for a 1 year or two, I would have rather had regular braces. I'm 45 and had braces as a kid. Invisalign was worse.
I had 23 attachments! The thing is you don't now how many attachments you'll need until after you paid the money and they do your impressions. The attachments made the trays so damn hard to take in and out. I went back to the dentist the next day and I said I literally can't take these things out.
You'd think for 4k you would get some kind of Invisalign trademarked hook to take them out right? My dentist told me to use crochet hooks. WTF? I'm supposed to dig in my mouth every day multiple times a day with crochet hooks? I went to the Invisalign Facebook page and asked them there what they suggest. They never answered but people on the page were giving me suggestions like tweezers, knitting needle or crochet hook. It just seemed such bad practice to me. Why not had some kind of little plastic tray remover?
So the fact that I couldn't just take them in or out quickly annoyed me. I'd have to duck in the bathroom and mess around to remove them before eating. Tweezers became the tool I found easiest to use to start at the root and push downward to remove the trays.
I ended up wearing them less and less. I was curious if you really needed them 23 hours a day. So I was keeping them out in the middle of the day and just switching trays every 2 weeks. I went to the dentist and he'd tell me my teeth were on track and looking great. I do NOT suggest anyone doing what I did. I was just so annoyed with these things at that point. Many days I only put the trays in at night. Still my teeth were moving. It seems once your teeth start shifting, they shift faster and faster.
Anyway my teeth look great. My two front teeth were turning inward and they are straight now. But I just didn't care for all of the maintenance involved. And I think it's irresponsible of the company to not give patients some type of hook to remove the trays. For people like me with a lot of attachments, the removal was just awful .
I'm late to the thread but I'll give my experience. I just got them removed in Feb
I only had to wear them 6 months. My problem wasn't bad.But if I would have had to deal with them for a 1 year or two, I would have rather had regular braces. I'm 45 and had braces as a kid. Invisalign was worse.
I had 23 attachments! The thing is you don't now how many attachments you'll need until after you paid the money and they do your impressions. The attachments made the trays so damn hard to take in and out. I went back to the dentist the next day and I said I literally can't take these things out.
You'd think for 4k you would get some kind of Invisalign trademarked hook to take them out right? My dentist told me to use crochet hooks. WTF? I'm supposed to dig in my mouth every day multiple times a day with crochet hooks? I went to the Invisalign Facebook page and asked them there what they suggest. They never answered but people on the page were giving me suggestions like tweezers, knitting needle or crochet hook. It just seemed such bad practice to me. Why not had some kind of little plastic tray remover?
So the fact that I couldn't just take them in or out quickly annoyed me. I'd have to duck in the bathroom and mess around to remove them before eating. Tweezers became the tool I found easiest to use to start at the root and push downward to remove the trays.
I ended up wearing them less and less. I was curious if you really needed them 23 hours a day. So I was keeping them out in the middle of the day and just switching trays every 2 weeks. I went to the dentist and he'd tell me my teeth were on track and looking great. I do NOT suggest anyone doing what I did. I was just so annoyed with these things at that point. Many days I only put the trays in at night. Still my teeth were moving. It seems once your teeth start shifting, they shift faster and faster.
Anyway my teeth look great. My two front teeth were turning inward and they are straight now. But I just didn't care for all of the maintenance involved. And I think it's irresponsible of the company to not give patients some type of hook to remove the trays. For people like me with a lot of attachments, the removal was just awful .
I had a lot of attachments (19?) but I was able to find the attachment that was "holding it on" the most and pull the tray out from there and it popped right off. It was definitely harder the first day or two after a new tray but eased up quickly.
sydney02, that sounds like a crappy experience, I'm sorry! I see something recommended a lot called the ortho key for removing trays. I've never tried it, but people seem to swear by it. Obviously it doesn't really help you now though. I have 15 attachments + 2 buttons for elastics, so a fair amount but not crazy, and have gotten pretty good at just catching it with my thumb nail in the right spot. Helps that prenatal vitamins = strong nails.
Ugh I am supposed to get scanned for the trays in like 2 weeks and now I am debating if this is something I really want to do. I have a lot of dental anxiety, this is really going to amp that up, isn't it?
Ugh I am supposed to get scanned for the trays in like 2 weeks and now I am debating if this is something I really want to do. I have a lot of dental anxiety, this is really going to amp that up, isn't it?
I don't spend a lot of time at the orthodontist, so I don't know how bad that would be. My first appointment was in January, and that was more an evaluation of my malocclusions, them going over treatment options that would work for me (Invisalign being one), and relative costs. I did opt to be scanned the same day, but didn't have to. I had to put a down payment for them to get the trays made, but not to be scanned.
I was there 3/8 to have attachments put on, and got the first 4 sets of trays. Nothing that they did was painful, some of it smelled weird. I also had some IPR done, basically they file down the edges of your teeth a little to make a little room. That was weird and not super comfortable, but again, not painful. The filing was on the order of 0.3mm per tooth.
My next standard appointment was 4/12 to get buttons for elastics added and to check progress, although I did have to stop in once in between to get two attachments fixed. Now I don't have another appointment until 6/7, and will stay on a 7 week cycle from there out.
So really, I don't think the in-the-chair time is what makes Invisalign challenging. It's more the lifestyle. I wish I had known to ask at the first appointment more questions about what the orthodontist expected treatment to entail -- like ballpark number of attachments, whether there would be elastics, that sort of stuff. They should be able to tell you a fair amount based on what is being corrected. I don't think I did enough to educate myself before that appointment to ask the right questions. I thought I wanted Invisalign vs. braces because they'd be less intrusive, and I think the opposite is actually true, although both have downsides for sure.
Post by buckeyegirl on Apr 17, 2018 9:02:47 GMT -5
My experience is going like this in January I did a scan and talked to the Dentist about the cost and treatment plan. I, too, did not know the right questions to ask and had no idea I was getting attachments. I only have 7 though on the backs of my front teeth. I have 20 trays total and am currently on tray 8. I switch them out every 10 days. I won't get any buttons, most likely. After the initial scan I went back once more to get the trays and have the attachments added to my teeth. They also gave me the first 10 trays at this appointment. I have one more appointment scheduled later this month to check my progress and get more trays. So, since January when I started I have been twice and have one more visit soon. I don't drink coffee or hot liquids so that isn't an issue for me. I can drink beer just fine with them in .
Susie, buckeyegirl, thanks for your outline of treatments. I have had the initial consult already and he told me that I would need attachments (though didn't state how many) and that I would need some filing to allow the movement of a few teeth (which he said was .5mm). I asked how many office visits there would be and like you've both said, those would be minimal.
I think my bigger concerns are that I grind and clench my teeth and will this hurt my gums etc? I asked the orthodontist this and he said no, that the trays don't even touch your gum lines. I am just skeptical I guess since the last time I willingly had dental work done (replacement of old, perfectly fine fillings) I ended up needing a root canal. So of course my brain thinks something bad will happen again.
Post by carolinagirl831 on Apr 17, 2018 11:10:10 GMT -5
After reading all these, I wonder if orthodontists have some sort of unspoken agreement not to tell invisalign patients about the rubber bands attachments ect. I too completely assumed I would just be wearing trays, I had never worn any sort of braces before and wouldn't have even known to ask those questions. I feel slightly "tricked". However I have worn them over a year now and my teeth look 100% better. If i had known all those things, maybe i wouldn't have chosen to do it?
Post by buckeyegirl on Apr 17, 2018 11:23:04 GMT -5
raangoli, The first tray I wore caused a little discomfort but it was with my tongue. My tongue felt rubbed raw for the first few days and then it was normal and I've had no issues with other trays. I also clench my teeth at night and have had no issues with that. The top of the tray does not touch my gums so I don't think you'll have an issue there. I did have a headache for the first 3-4 days but that improved over time as well.
Post by claudiakishi on Apr 17, 2018 11:29:33 GMT -5
I’m glad my ortho was up front with me about attachments and rubber bands. I have found Instagram a good source of information and the before and after photos are motivating. My ortho has had both Invisalign and brackets as an adult and she said she’d do Invisalign over in a heartbeat. I am a very indecisive person in general but this is a tough one for me. The maintenance of removing the trays and constantly brushing teeth Would annoy me, but I am also concerned with brackets leaving white marks on my teeth. I kind of don’t care about looking like I “have braces”. I keep putting off my appointment though and need to do something.
buckeyegirl, thanks for confirming about the trays not touching the gum line. For some reason, I am worried about that causing discomfort and was skeptical that the ortho was selling me on something. I have trust issues
I think my bigger concerns are that I grind and clench my teeth and will this hurt my gums etc? I asked the orthodontist this and he said no, that the trays don't even touch your gum lines. I am just skeptical I guess since the last time I willingly had dental work done (replacement of old, perfectly fine fillings) I ended up needing a root canal. So of course my brain thinks something bad will happen again.
Honestly given some of your posts about stress on MMM, not trusting the answers the orthodontist gave, etc., maybe this just isn't the right choice for you, for right now. I think in order for the money, pain, discomfort, whatever, to be worth it, you kind of have to be all in with compliance and trusting the process. Otherwise you are going to drive yourself crazy second guessing every step of the way. Sometimes your teeth look and feel worse partway through than they did to start. What will you do then, if you don't trust the orthodontist's answers?
I for sure wish mine had volunteered more info about, hey, you have an open bite and what that means for treatment is that you're looking at a lot of attachments and definitely elastics to accomplish the movement you need. But they didn't lie about it, and I don't believe they would have if I'd asked the right questions.
FWIW, I am a nighttime grinder, and I agree with what your orthodontist said. But it's important that you do if you're going to do this.
raangoli- I clench and grind and these did not bother me at all. I can confirm they didn't touch the gum line, and assuming you leave the tray alone your tongue will be better off.
I am not necessarily anxious around dental work, but I do get nervous beforehand... so maybe I am?
Bottom line, there is definitely some pain (Tylenol was all I needed during those days) at the beginning and for the first night of a new tray. I put them in at bedtime and popped a Tylenol and it was fine the next morning. The attachments, while annoying, are not THAT obvious. I can try and scrounge up some photos of me with my trays + attachments (and I had 15+ on my front teeth between top and bottom) if you want. I had to have a few teeth shaved (barely) and it was totally 100% pain free. Removal of the attachments was totally 100% pain free.
sydney02 , that sounds like a crappy experience, I'm sorry! I see something recommended a lot called the ortho key for removing trays. I've never tried it, but people seem to swear by it. Obviously it doesn't really help you now though. I have 15 attachments + 2 buttons for elastics, so a fair amount but not crazy, and have gotten pretty good at just catching it with my thumb nail in the right spot. Helps that prenatal vitamins = strong nails.
I found this tool on amazon but the reviews were like 2 1/2-3 stars. Just not good. Most people said they had better luck with stuff found around the house. I don't know if the tool I found was the ortho key though. I was just surprised that Invisalign didn't provide some kind of tool for those that needed it. Kind of like, you don't have to use this, but should you need help removing your trays, use this Invisalign trademarked tool.
A common complaint was people splitting their trays in their efforts to remove them. That's why they make you keep your old set of trays whenever you switch to a new set.
I think the lack of being warned about the attachments and just having so damn many made the experience miserable for me. I wouldn't do it again. I'd get regular braces which are much better looking these days than when I had them in 1984.
Also, my dentist didn't warn me of vertigo when you first get the aligners put on. I woke up the next morning after getting the aligners and almost fell over. The room was spinning. I got scared not knowing what was wrong with me. I'm prone to vertigo and motion sickness but this was bad! And I had just gotten out of bed so I didn't know what was causing it.. I grabbed my phone and quickly googled Invisalign and vertigo and sure enough there were people talking about getting bad dizziness the first couple of days. Not a big deal. Just a warning would have been nice.
The dentist mansplained to me how the pressure of the aligners on your teeth create weight which causes an imbalance in your inner ear which leads to the vertigo. Gee thanks dude. Could have warned me ahead of time. Maybe my dentist just wasn't very good. But I am happy with my end result so I guess that is really all that matters. But now I'm a slave to the trays for the rest of my life or my teeth will shift right back. *sad trombone*
Susie I’ve definitely reconsidered my decision and thought about revisiting this at another time. I still have the opportunity to postpone and I’m thinking on it. I appreciate the honesty and the feedback from you and others in the thread, it’s given me a lot to think about.
Also, my dentist didn't warn me of vertigo when you first get the aligners put on. I woke up the next morning after getting the aligners and almost fell over. The room was spinning. I got scared not knowing what was wrong with me. I'm prone to vertigo and motion sickness but this was bad! And I had just gotten out of bed so I didn't know what was causing it.. I grabbed my phone and quickly googled Invisalign and vertigo and sure enough there were people talking about getting bad dizziness the first couple of days. Not a big deal. Just a warning would have been nice.
No one told me this either! Now I understand why I feel so sick and dizzy the day after I pop in a new tray (I change mine at night right before bed). I thought it was just because I was hungry and try to keep a new tray in for 16 hours or more before taking them out the first time.