To ask for your experiences with teeth aligners?

[SpursFan2]

Sorry for the boring topic! I just had some aligners fitted a couple of months ago on my teeth and will have them for about a year, until just before next Christmas. They’re aiming to correct a slight open bite I have, and to straighten out both my top and bottom teeth.

I’ve found them okay so far. Not found them painful really, but I’ve definitely felt a lot of pressure on my teeth, especially with this current set (my fourth set, out of twenty).

Just interested to find out others’ experiences with aligners and if you’ve found them helpful.

Presume yours are the Invisalign type?

I'm 4 aligners in to a programme of 24 - they're meant to be changed fortnightly. I have found them quite tight and getting tighter, but they're starting to work. The teeth they're trying to move can feel sore for the first hour on a morning (mine are night time only). Hope that helps?!

Thanks for your reply! Yep they’re Invisalign and I wear them during the day and night-time. Best of luck with your treatment!

worked well but having to wear the retainer ones forever more at night is really starting to get boring and annoying me now 😒

Following with interest as I’m considering this. I’m wondering whether it’s like getting used to contact lenses- bloody awful the first few days but fine pretty soon afterwards.

Mine did the job but I was terrible at keeping them in long enough so the treatment took way longer than it was supposed to. I'm now terrible at wearing my retainer! But I got a fixed retainer as backup as I knew I would be. Sounds like you are disciplined so will get on fine.

I'm 9 sets into 18 on my bottom teeth, 12 on the top. I'm really seeing changes now, and past the first day or so it doesn't hurt. And an added bonus is that it has stopped me snacking so I've lost weight too

I’ve just finished my year of aligners and getting used to the fixed retainer now.

i found the next set of aligners were generally always easier to fit in if I’d been good with the previous set (wearing them strictly the 22hours etc). But even then I had maybe two or three sets which were painful when I put them in. It would normally pass after a day or two and I always ensured I switched sets before bed so I would adjust to them more whilst sleeping. I used dental wax a couple of times too to deal with a sharp edge.

my open bite is now much reduced and whilst they’re not perfect (it would have taken drastic surgery for my teeth to be perfect!) I’m so pleased I did it.

I’m 16 weeks in a 20 week program and so far am happy. As you said just a little pressure the first day or so.

I had a really good experience, had quite bad over crowded teeth and did Invisalign with a dentist, it took 6 months overall including the second set I did (they checked my teeth once finished and then gave a few more just to correct some others)
I was really impressed with it because it didn't take as long as I expected. I didn't find them painful at all - although to start it was quite panicking

My teeth are completely straight now, I then got composite bonding on the front six. Best thing I have ever done
I do need to wear a retainer over these for 6 months (have 2 months left to go) and then a retainer at night forever but I'm good with that with the huge difference it's made to my confidence

Thanks all! Good to hear your experiences. For people on here who have finished your aligners treatment, have you noticed a big difference between your teeth before and after? I’m getting impatient and would love to see the final result of my treatment now, but I know I still need to wait for a long while!

Ah it won't let me post photos :( I have three of the process of mine

I am super happy with my results. I had aligners for a year, and the biggest benefit for me alongside straighter teeth is that I also lost a load of weight because it was too much effort to put them in and out to snack!

Here’s my before and after pics. Like @pponk though I’m getting a bit tired of wearing my retainer at night, I finished my treatment nearly 2 years ago now. I tend to give myself a night off wearing it once a week or so! I forgot to pack my retainers for holiday though and putting it back on after a week of not having it was ouchy!! Which shows how much they try and move back and how important it is to wear it …

I am 16 months into treatment - it is, hands down, the best money I've ever spent. I'm about to go into at least 2 more months of refinements (my third round of refinements!) And I'm a little frustrated but the end is SO nearly in sight! When switching to new trays, i always take an ibuprofen an hour before bed, then pop my new retainers in about half an hour before. I know a couple of other people who are also undergoing invisalign, all at the same level (the highest tier, 'complex' or whatever they call it) and we all suddenly noticed big changes around the 5/6 month mark.

Thanks so much all! I’m booked in at the dentist tomorrow to check the fit of my current aligners and to pick up my next few sets. Your posts and photos are getting me excited for the final results - and helping me stay motivated to wear the aligners!

Interesting - and scary - about how quickly teeth want to go back to their original position @Airdustmoon, and exciting to hear from @Foxblue that you noticed positive changes in your teeth around the 6 month mark. Wish I was at the 6 month point already… Just glad that my treatment will end this year (providing it all goes to plan).

Invisalign was probably the best thing I ever did! I found the process very easy and I’m so happy with my teeth now 😁

I also have another question - after your aligners treatment finished, how long did you have to wear your retainers for initially?

I’ve read about cases where people wear their retainers for around 20-22 hours a day (basically as much as they wore their aligner) for around 6 months after their aligners treatment, before switching to just wearing their retainers at night.

Does this match people’s experiences on here? I’m sure this varies from person to person though.

This!!

Overnight, every night. Sometimes I wear them whilst I’m getting ready if I’m going out in the evening

Thanks! Did you wear them during the day at all, after your aligners treatment finished, or just at night every night?

Only at night, never wear them in the day really ( unless I’m going out I’ll wear for a couple of hours before to get them as nice as can be!)

I’ve finished Invisalign recently. Usually changed the aligners every Tuesday and they were uncomfortable until the weekend, then it was almost t8me for a new set. I had 27 then needed another 7 on the bottom as they weren’t quite right. I am now wearing retainers 22 hours a day for 3-6 months until they “set” and will then wear overnight retainers forever.

it will be just over a year in total, but I’m delighted with the result, especially since I’ve had wonky teeth for fifty years ish.

Yes, in the middle of that now. Next check up February.

Just to add - I had the aligners from January - August this year and have only been wearing the retainer at night since then. I still get the “omg where’s my brace” when I’m about to leave the house 🤣

I did invisalign a couple of years ago and got really good results. I now have a wire behind my bottom teeth and use night time retainers.
It is a bit annoying having to take them out for food/clean teeth etc but you get used to it. I never experienced pain , just a bit of pressure.

@SpursFan2 after finishing my treatment I wore my retainer full time for about 3 months before I switched to night time only. I did get a bit more relaxed about wearing it though, I wasn’t hitting 22 hours, probably more like 18.