Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to stop invisalign on Day 2?

69 replies

HannahsLife · 24/01/2023 06:59

Ok I do know that would be hugely unreasonable. And an obscene waste of money.

But I have an 8 month old, sleep is already a rare luxury, and yet, its 1am, she's asleep and here I am awake with the pain of this first tray.

I could cry - not that the pain is that bad (though it is super sore/sensitive/annoying) but that I could be asleep but yet again something else is stopping it. It's overwhelming.

On top of that, I have those bond things stuck to my teeth, and it's incredibly painful even getting the tray in and out and I can't eat with it in, so reducing one of my other favorite things also - eating food!

Please give me tips, advice, success stories before I cry.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
MorrisZapp · 24/01/2023 13:47

Thanks for the lovely comments!

I'm 51, did my invisalign in lockdown so I was late 40s. I never experienced any pain at all, just discomfort on a few tray changes.

For me, the worst part was the sanding down between some of my teeth at the beginning. It isn't painful but it was a horrible feeling.

I started off on 12 trays but I knew it would take longer, in fact it took two lots of 12 then a further eight I think? With each review I had a couple of attachments off.

I only had my top teeth done, my bottom teeth are terrible too but you don't see them as much and I'm lazy.

Cost was about 2k I think for the invisalign?

Yes you do have to take them out and brush your teeth literally every time you eat or drink which is MENTAL but again you adjust really quickly. It's amazing how soon you abandon the fancy 'storage tray' and just ram them in your jeans pocket 😂

I still brush my teeth after food now, it's a habit I can't give up.

I had composite bonding done on my incisors and the four teeth between them. My teeth were chipped, stained and almost see through at the edges. My lovely dentist was fantastic, truly an artist. She built up the teeth and shaped them to look as natural as possible.

It's no fun, three hours in the chair but so worth it. Not painful, again just the discomfort I'd say. Think the bonding was about 2 grand.

It has completely changed my life. I smile in photos now. I'm so so glad I did it. I kept my first tray as a reminder of how far I've come.

The retainer doesn't move teeth, it just keeps them in place. I wear it most nights but I don't bother if I'm on a weekend away or something. Over the coming years I will wear it less but it's no hardship and I don't notice it at all.

I'm in Edinburgh so hit me up if you want specific recommendations.

WotsitsMadeIn1927 · 25/01/2023 19:26

It hurts for about 3 days. It takes patience and time. Take some painkillers.

Im just wearing the retainers now, was totally worth it. I was climbing the walls too!

AramintaLee · 25/01/2023 21:03

I did Invisalign a few years ago and I think I had around 28 trays. Honestly it was the best money I've ever spent.

Taking them in/out whilst out and about became second nature. I carried a mini toothbrush/paste in my bag and a tray so if I knew I was going to eat out, I could pop into a bathroom and take them out and put them in the tray. Once I was done eating/drinking it was a quick visit to the bathroom to brush my teeth and pop the retainer back in. It just ends up being a routine

MrsMitford3 · 25/01/2023 21:09

I'm 4 months in and thrilled!!!! I'm in England if that matters-

Very obvious difference already-got used to them very quickly and wish i'd have done it years ago!!

Occasionally a new tray hurts a bit but nothing paracetamol won't sort.
Makes me happy because I know working.

Dentist said back teeth shift first (or at least in my case) so the improvement at the front may not be noticeable straight away but it will come!

Hang in there @HannahsLife

VladmirsPoutine · 25/01/2023 21:16

Can I ask those of you who've had the treatment did you still drink coffee/tea etc?

Robostripes · 25/01/2023 21:28

VladmirsPoutine · 25/01/2023 21:16

Can I ask those of you who've had the treatment did you still drink coffee/tea etc?

@VladmirsPoutine obviously you’re not supposed to drink anything other than water with the aligners in. In reality I relaxed the rules a bit after a few months … don’t drink coffee anyway and tried not to drink tea with them in but I did occasionally (after letting it cool down quite a lot). Massively cut down on my tea consumption though, it was the thing I looked most forward to when my treatment finished, drinking tons of tea again!

I also drank white wine/Prosecco with them in if I was out for the night. It didn’t do me any lasting damage, I always made sure to give them a really good clean and give my teeth a really good brush if I’d drunk anything with them in.

VladmirsPoutine · 25/01/2023 21:29

@Robostripes Thank you! My fear of wasting that much money just because I can't live without coffee is making me pause for thought!

Christmaslights22 · 25/01/2023 21:31

Oh Op, I remember this so so well. It really will get better. Try to keep them in as much as possible as leaving them out makes putting them back in hard. I had top and bottom done and it took 9 months in total. I also had attachments. I’m so pleased with results. I scheduled my time with them out and found that helped. Even now I have a coffee at 10am and 3pm! I was never in pain as such but the first two days of a new one was uncomfortable. I was advised that this is when most movement/resistance takes place. Try to focus on the reasons why you went for this. Taking lots of photos too. The process is discrete to start with. When finished, I compared the first and last aligner. Amazing difference. You have got this. Use this forum to sound off. There are good face book support groups too

Bunny2607 · 25/01/2023 21:32

I’ve got invisalign. Currently on tray 15 of 24. I was the same at the start couldn’t get them in and out, hurt to talk, drinks were through a straw etc. after about 3/4 days it settled
down and now i’m just used to it. They won’t ache as much or you won’t notice it as time goes on. It defo gets easier.

Robostripes · 25/01/2023 21:35

@VladmirsPoutine one of the main problems with drinking with them in is that it stains the aligners, so if I was relaxing the rules I tried to do it towards the end of a two week tray rather than at the beginning. The other problem is it that most drinks contain sugar and the aligners basically trap all that sugar right next to your teeth so it’s really bad for them. But I think as long as you don’t do it all the time you’ll probably be ok, i didn’t end up needing any fillings or anything during my treatment, in fact all the additional brushing improved my overall dental health, my dentist was very happy when he saw me during the treatment.

KILM · 25/01/2023 21:43

I'm halfway through and I was also feeling 'oh god is this what it's going to be like??' In my first few days but I can reassure you it stops being so painful/annoying!

  1. First few days are vile, agree! But it massively improves in a week.
  1. The attachments round off massively - try not to have the trays off for too long this week - it's annoying but get them back in ASAP as this will help with soreness.
  1. Get a Pul tool on amazon - this will help MASSIVELY with getting them on and off. Best thing you can do, hands down.
  1. When taking them off, pull both ends off your back teeth before removing the whole thing. Don't be tempted to lift one side then rip the whole thing out, it's much more painful and you run a bigger risk of losing attachments.
  1. If you can feel an edge rubbing on your lip/gum, nail file it down.
  1. Buy a chewie on Amazon - if you bite down on them it helps seat the tray better on your teeth and I find it shortens the ache stage when you switch trays.
  1. When you go to change into the next tray, do it at bedtime and take a painkiller half an hour before.
  1. Don't be tempted to eat/drink anything hot with them in but in restaurant situations I carry a little floss, do a quick check for anything between my teeth then try and rinse the trays/my mouth then pop them back in. Then brush at next possible opportunity.
purpledalmation · 25/01/2023 21:44

Can you just shelve it for a few months until baby is more settled. Every time you start a new tray it's uncomfortable for a while, so you need to be in a good place

SerenaB12 · 25/01/2023 21:48

Yes it hurts! I'm on 7th tray and it's still driving me mad BUT.. ITS SO WORTH IT! My teeth look so good.
Take some painkillers and distract yourself 🙏

Purpleberet · 25/01/2023 21:49

Omg I would love to have Invisalign but I can’t justify the cost! These before and afters are awesome.
Everyone I know who’s had it says it’s worth it so just keep visualising the end goal.

HenryCavillsPerfectTeeth · 25/01/2023 22:04

I'm on tray 6 so far and the first tray I wanted to pull them off and give up. The cost was high so I stuck with it and after the first week they just became normal. I forget I'm wearing them now. New trays are mildly uncomfortable for the first day or two then go back to nothing. I have extremely bad teeth and seeing them move is so motivating! Hang in there!

twanmever · 25/01/2023 22:08

OP my daughter (around 40!) has just had this done and OMG the results are amazing, and so quickly. Please persist. Since she started four more people have started this. It's so worthwhile!

KylieKangaroo · 25/01/2023 22:28

Following with interest! Wanted mine done for years!

BloomingXmas · 25/01/2023 22:37

I agree with all of the previous posters.
the first set is the worst. Subsequent sets only hurt for a little while. I’m currently on set 16 and it doesn’t hurt at all. You get much better at getting them out.

a couple of sets have had a sharp edge or two which cut my gums, so my advice to you would be to file down any edges that are not completely smooth.

I also found that the fixtures attached to my teeth cut the inside of my mouth if I left my sets off for too long.

my teeth look so good now. Worth every penny (a lot of pennies 😁)

BloomingXmas · 25/01/2023 22:39

Everything that @KILM said

New posts on this thread. Refresh page