Invisalign. A few potentially stupid questions

[BalladOfBarryAndFreda]

Like most people I had train track braces as a kid and now I’m in my 40’s they’ve moved and could do with a bit of correction. The bottom row are mostly fine, it’s one tooth really. The front left, it’s twisting and dropping. It’s really noticeable in smiles as i have a little narrow mouth and it hangs over my lip (photo 2). So I’m looking into Invisalign correction.

I realise I’m expected to wear it 22hrs a day for correction and remove briefly for meals but what about things like going to the pub and socialising? If i drink anything anything other than water with it in it’s going to get trapped inside the appliance and cause issues, isn’t it? If I take it out for drinks/nights out, I’ll slow my progress.

What do people in the real world do, wearing these things for months on end?

@BalladOfBarryAndFreda

Isn’t it funny *@MaryTheMiddle*, I’m less bothered by my bottoms because people don’t really see them.

Yes, that's true OP.

Meant to say btw, I meant my own teeth when I said the bottom were way worse! Not yours. That would be so rude!!

Oh I don’t mind @MaryTheMiddle, I solicited opinions at the end of the day.

FWIW I was quoted £3,500 and they had finance options, payment schemes etc and free tooth whitening too. Think a few of them offer similar deals. I'm really excited to start as my bottom row has been annoying me for years.

OP just wanted to add that Invisalign can be difficult for people who’ve experienced an ED in the past, especially around restricting food as Invisalign in effect does this as you have limited periods to eat and can’t ‘graze’. Just wanted to highlight that as I didn’t think about it before I started Invisalign treatment but found it a bit of a problem at first and it means that I couldn’t wear my aligners for the recommended 20-22 hours as it caused me too much stress. Luckily orthodontist was v understanding and it didn’t impact my results - teeth ended up lovely and straight!

That's a good point @afterhours08. Glad it worked out well for you, but I can imagine that was very stressful.

I had Invisalign braces for approx 9 months.

Minuses - The first couple of months were fine, but after that, not being able to have any drink apart from water even a cup of tea/coffee without taking them out was a complete pita. I did also have a few weeks on and off where the braces were really difficult to get in/out and also gave me a bit of a speech impediment when worn. You also have to have attachments fitted to your teeth, and the braces are a bit shiny, so not really as invisible as they initially sound.

Pluses - I am 100% happy with the result, and had to have very few appointments with the orthodontist during the process, which was very convenient.

Personally though, if I needed to have braces again, I would just do the train tracks. I was into my forties when I had them about 3 years ago, but having really visible braces is nothing to be embarrassed about regardless of your age.

I actually felt the same re getting train tracks instead, but was told I shouldn't have them due to my gums being a bit delicate. They aren't receding, but apparently I am blessed with weak gums just due to genetics. So they said they wouldn't recommend fixed braces for me.

I wanted the fixed ones because of the eating and drinking thing if I'm honest. I can live without snacks, but not sure I'll enjoy the coffee and tea ban! I still think I'm going to do it though and live with it.

@afterhours08

OP just wanted to add that Invisalign can be difficult for people who’ve experienced an ED in the past, especially around restricting food as Invisalign in effect does this as you have limited periods to eat and can’t ‘graze’. Just wanted to highlight that as I didn’t think about it before I started Invisalign treatment but found it a bit of a problem at first and it means that I couldn’t wear my aligners for the recommended 20-22 hours as it caused me too much stress. Luckily orthodontist was v understanding and it didn’t impact my results - teeth ended up lovely and straight!

Yes, I can see that’s something to consider @afterhours08.

I had fixed braces as a teen and found them quite difficult to keep clean, even with all of the interdental brushes and whatnot. I was quite fastidious too, due to bulimia. My bulimia was pretty active at that point and obviously having all that acid around fixtures is not ideal, despite rinsing/mouthwash to try to neutralise (no brushing straight away as it knackers the softened enamel). I’m in a much better place now but I can’t guarantee that I won’t relapse at some point during treatment, so the option to remove the appliance is preferable. Horrible thought, I know and I’m sorry if it’s triggering for anyone. So on balance, I’d prefer not to go down the fixed route, though I realise there are some fixed elements to Invisalign too.

I’m not bothered about daily drinks as I drink water anyway. I have a cup or two of tea or coffee a day but I don’t think removing it for that is a problem particularly. It’s not like tea/coffee or acidic/sugary drinks make up the bulk of my intake.

As for the speech impediments and visibility, I’m not bothered. Train tracks took some getting used to and changed my speech temporarily too. It’s to be expected when you’ve got a foreign object in your mouth. I would prefer something cosmetically low-impact but that doesn’t have to mean ‘invisible’.

I know this thread is a few weeks old but I just wanted to check out - do you not need to go to the dentist regularly to have moulds re done for the new trays etc? Or do they just give you the new trays all at once? Also is it ok when you have a crown? I have one at the back so wasn't sure if it would still be ok with that in?

I'm looking at getting Invisalign just for one front tooth that's started to move at the front. It's so expensive and my dentist tries the hard sell with everything so I just wanted to ask here first before booking a consultation with him.

It's not moulds with Invisalign, it's a 3d scan of your teeth.

Plus the attachments are awful. I've got lots and it's pretty stressful taking the aligners off. OP if you've had an ED do mention this as it might mean you shouldn't get the aligners.

Invasalign was the best money I ever spent. For you, I think having the teeth shaped might be enough. They're slightly jagged at the ends. That could be filed out.