My Invisalign progess

By: Tammy Kuzara

I am now in tray 6, so that means I have been wearing my invisalgn for almost 12 weeks. The time really has gone by quickly. I have noticed the changes a bit, most likely because I had such a huge gap where the tooth was extracted.  Now I can get by with saying I just have a natural diastema (gap between teeth).

I went to my first check up and everything seems to moving like they are supposed to, and the trays are fitting well.  It’s so fascinating to see the movement of my teeth and what these little trays are capable of doing!  By now, I hardly even remember that I am wearing trays at all. I actually talk a bit funny when I am not in my trays now.  A co-worker of mine always knows when my trays are not in because I lisp a bit.

Every time I eat, I need to brush and floss my teeth before I put my trays back in place. So needless to say, I should have the best oral hygiene ever because I love to eat, so I’m always brushing my teeth. (Okay, I don’t floss every time, sorry).  When I am out, I get funny looks as I brush my teeth in the public restrooms. The first time I did it I felt kinda odd, but I’m over that now.

Now that I’ve been in my trays awhile, here are a few tips and thoughts I will pass along to those of you who are thinking about  doing Invisalign.

  • Not everyone can get  Invisalign. If you’re curious, our office can schedule you for a consult with Dr. Maureen Roach to see if are a good candidate. Severely rotated teeth, or spaces that are more than 6mm’s, may not get the best results with Invisalign.

There are some other factors as well.

  • Certain parts of the trays were rubbing on my tissue during the first few sets of trays. I trimmed my trays at work, but if I was at home and noticed the rubbing I would take a nail file and make  it smooth.  After about the 3rd tray this no longer happened.
  • When putting in new trays, I will take an ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory about an hour beforehand, and put the new ones in before bed. This will help with the discomfort that happens when the new trays are placed. They are usually uncomfortable for  the first 2-3 days, and it is mostly when taking them out.
  • Be aware that you cannot eat or drink anything (besides water) while the trays are in, and the ideal time to wear them is 22 hours a day.  Needless to say my water intake is up and my snacking is down.  Win, Win!!
  • Ask your doctor to give you chewies to chomp down on when putting in your trays. These are small cylindrical cotton rolls. This helps you get the trays down all the way for the best possible movement.
  • The trays are hardly noticeable even with the attachments, or buttons. These are a composite material that is bonded to the front of certain teeth to help with movement.  The buttons are made of the same type of material and bonding that our dental office uses for  white fillings.
  • Travel toothbrush and toothpaste is a must, floss too!!!  If you are out, and are going to be eating or drinking anything besides water, you will need your toothbrush.
  • Bring your tray case with you. You do not want to put the trays in your pocket or wrap them in tissue. They can break in your pocket and easily get thrown out in tissue.
  • Be aware you may talk funny at first, but that will get better in a short amount of time.

Everyone may have different thoughts and experiences as they go through the Invisalign process, just remember to do what works best for you!!