What Is Life with Invisalign Like?

deanylev on 22/09/2018 - 22:59
Last edited 22/09/2018 - 22:59

I was supposed to have braces + a palatal expander when I was 16, but downright refused because by that point I thought I was too old. The palatal expander sounded absolutely awful and I didn't want to give up a bunch of my favourite foods with the braces.

I'm now 18 with narrow arches, an anterior open bite, a crossbite, and a horribly deviated top midline. My teeth look ridiculous and it's extremely uncomfortable to bite down. Filled with nothing but regret. My ortho looked at X-rays from 16 and said my teeth actually improved a lot on their own since then, so I have no idea how I used to live like that and then turn down braces.

I went to see a different ortho this time around, and she said I would now need an even longer period of braces + $10,000 jaw surgery to fix the issues. She said if that's not an option, she could do a lot of good using Invisalign + lots of attachments + elastics. I've put down the down payment for Invisalign, and will be going in to see my ClinCheck on Thursday. I'll be receiving my trays in the next couple of weeks.

Is Invisalign a massive life adjustment (particularly interested in hearing from those who have had elastics)? Everything I've read/watched online makes it sound pretty downright awful. Not a day goes by where I don't regret fixing my teeth at 16 and not having to worry about it. Everyone else in my grade had their teeth fixed at 12 - 14 which is why I didn't want to do it at 16 in the first place. Feels even worse now, everyone else hasn't worried about their teeth in years. The worst part is that the results from Invisalign will not be nearly as good as they would've been with the braces + expander. I can only get that with the surgery now. :(

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Comments

  • easternculture on 22/09/2018 - 23:36

    Takes a few weeks to get used to.

    First few days you use the new trays, your teeth will feel painful but panadol helps.

    You teeth will feel loose all the time and you can actually feel your teeth move around when you play with them, but dont worry, they wont fall out lol

    You will need to wear them at least 20 hours a day, your mouth will be dry when you wake up in the morning. You might have a lisp when talking at the start, but it goes away after a few days when you get used to them'

    You have to brush and floss your teeth after every meal.

    You will need to wear retainers at night for the rest of your life (while you have your own teeth) when you have finished the treatment or you can elect to have a permanent wire attached to the back of your teeth to avoid any future unwanted movements of your teeth.

    You are allowed 2 additional impressions during the treatment, and can adjust aligners (i.e new aligners) if needed. I would recommend a impression after 2/3 of the treatment and one at the end of the treatment.

    hope this helps

    • deanylev on 22/09/2018 - 23:43

      Does it get to the point where they're just normal and you kinda forget about them, or is it a constant uncomfortable struggle?

      • easternculture on 22/09/2018 - 23:45

        It becomes normal. just takes a few weeks at the beginning but once you establish the routine, it gets better

        • deanylev on 22/09/2018 - 23:46

          I sure hope so :/

          How often did you change trays? Mine will be weekly.

        • easternculture on 22/09/2018 - 23:53

          @deanylev:

          depends on the treatment, Mine was every 2 weeks and a total of 30 trays

  • GangGang on 22/09/2018 - 23:51
    +2

    The problem with Invisalign is that you can remove it. If you are not bothered to put it back on or get lazy, you've wasted your money.

    Also, if you have health insurance. You may be able to claim Invisalign.

    • easternculture on 22/09/2018 - 23:53
      -1

      The problem with Invisalign is that you can remove it. If you are not bothered to put it back on or get lazy, you've wasted your money.

      You have to commit to 20 hours per day

      Also, if you have health insurance. You may be able to claim Invisalign.

      I was able to claim $1800 back over 2 years

      • GangGang on 23/09/2018 - 10:25

        Yeah my wife claimed a similar amount.

    • deanylev on 22/09/2018 - 23:58

      I don't think compliance will be an issue for me, I'm just very anxious about the lifestyle change. How does claiming it work? Someone at work was talking about that, but wasn't quite sure.

      • easternculture on 23/09/2018 - 00:01
        -1

        its an approved orthodontic treatment. If you PHI allows orthodontics, submit a form with the receipts to them.

      • GangGang on 23/09/2018 - 10:29

        Just call up your private health insurance with the item number that your dentist/orthodontist provided and also mention invisalign. They will tell you how much you're covered for.

  • Pecan on 23/09/2018 - 00:34
    +1

    It's never too late. I'm in my late 30s and currently doing Invisalign. I've nearly finished and am stoked with the results.

    As long as you are diligent with keeping them in and following your orthodontists recommendations to the letter, you'll be fine. Personally haven't experienced any pain at all. Putting a new tray on feels a little tight like there's pressure but not painful and it went away within a couple of hours.

    I had the little metal buttons applied with the intention of having elastics but it never eventuated as my progress went well enough to not need them.

    • deanylev on 23/09/2018 - 00:39

      What about the social aspect of it? Is it embarrassing to take them in and out and have to brush all the time?

      • Diji1 on 23/09/2018 - 00:46

        Why would you be embarrassed about brushing your teeth thoughh?

        • deanylev on 23/09/2018 - 00:47

          It'll be fine at work, but when out with friends having to carry a toothbrush with me and then excuse myself to use it will just feel a bit strange.

        • lbsyc on 23/09/2018 - 01:08

          @deanylev:

          brushing after meal is highly recommended but if it's not convenient to do it, you can just gargle down some water to keep your mouth relatively clean and put the Invisalign on.

        • deanylev on 23/09/2018 - 01:11

          @lbsyc: What do you personally do?

        • lbsyc on 23/09/2018 - 09:59

          @deanylev:

          I don't really bother with brushing when I am out for social events, just regular bathroom trips before and after meal would do the trick.

        • easternculture on 23/09/2018 - 10:47
          -1

          @lbsyc:

          Don't forget to floss after every meal too.

          According to my orthodontist, flossing was more important

      • Pecan on 23/09/2018 - 09:20

        Nah it's fine. You'll be doing this for many months to come, so your friends will get used to you doing it anyway.

  • lbsyc on 23/09/2018 - 00:45
    +1

    Currently doing it, life's been pretty good.

    As long as you keep to the 20+ hours a day of wearing, you'll see improvment pretty quickly.

    I got used to it within few days but my case aren't that severe so it could take slightly longer in your situation.

    • deanylev on 23/09/2018 - 00:46

      Yeah I'm worried that the attachments and elastics are going to make it hard to get used to :/

      • Pecan on 23/09/2018 - 09:23

        Like anything new, it can take a little time to adjust. Honestly I think you will find it's not that bad and the adjustment period brief. Think about the positives and how great your teeth are going to look after the treatment!

  • subywagon on 23/09/2018 - 02:35

    Around how much does it cost?

    • easternculture on 23/09/2018 - 08:47
      -1

      5 to 10k, each case is unique

      • nahi11 on 23/09/2018 - 09:41

        Damn son.

        Would that generally be covered under private health insurance?

        • easternculture on 23/09/2018 - 10:45
          -1

          Depends on the fund. But generally it's 600 to 1000 dollars per year for 2 to 3 years depending on your cover

  • tabitha731 on 23/09/2018 - 07:28

    I had my invisiligns in my 40’s and have never regretted it. At the time, I said to others it’s not worth it, the plan is beyond wat u have experineced, but after a few days on the new set of invisilign trays it feels normal again. After I finished my program, I felt weird not wearing my Invisalign’s but now I am juts on evening retainers, and would highly recommend them. Yes it’s a big inconvenience to have them, but take it in your stride, the outcome is worthwhile

  • bobbieb on 23/09/2018 - 08:39

    I had my invisilign in my late thirties after avoiding braces for several decades.

    My teeth were generally pretty good, with the exception of two canines that were on the other extreme - completely messed up, pointing outwards from the gum, rather than down, and rotated 90 degrees as well.

    I had been told that traditional braces would do the job, but it would be an extremely lengthy process, so I just lived with the bad teeth. When Invisilign came along, it took me a while to find an orthodontist in Australia experienced and confident enough to take me on. I was glad that I did.

    Life with the aligners was OK after the few cycles. The first few weeks are a little tough - but I suspect it's the same for regular braces. You'll quickly adapt to having the extra material in your mouth and the lisp will fade away.

    You do need to be disciplined and work hard to find a routine that works for you. The aim is to have the aligner in place as much as possible, but ultimately there are no absolutes. You're teeth won't magically revert if you have them off for 15 minutes extra on a given day. For me - in a relatively regular desk job - most of my immediate circle of friends/colleagues know I had them in, so I could get away with just popping the aligner out and slipping it into its case, or a tissue during unexpected coffee runs, etc. Ultimately, I was only wearing each aligner for a fortnight at a time, so I stopped being overly precious about them over the course of the treatment. If I needed to slip them back on without a clean because I couldn't get back to the bathroom, then so be it.

    For me, the outcome was amazing and worth the two years+ that it took. If you're confident you can stick with the discipline, then do it.

  • caffeinesloth on 23/09/2018 - 11:21

    I had Invisalign in my early 20s. Very glad I did it, my teeth aren't perfect but they're so much better than they were. Like other have said, it takes some getting used to. I absolutely hated it for the first fortnight. I couldn't sleep because my teeth ached so much. And I had so much trouble taking them out for a while, it took me 15+ mins of clawing at them and using a spoon to try to pull them off my teeth. That was mostly because my dentist put the little dots of filling on my teeth (attachments or whatever they're called). But it gets a lot easier. After the first couple of weeks it didn't bother me too much at all and I could get them out in a couple of seconds.

    I noticed a very slight change in my voice but no one ever commented on it. I also lost weight because it was a hassle to take them out and brush my teeth so I ate less often!

    After it was done I got the wires put in so I didn't have to wear retainers. Very happy with that decision, my teeth moved slightly but they're still pretty straight and I don't have to worry about a retainer. It's been about 8 years now.

  • jleno on 23/09/2018 - 11:36

    Had invisalign late 30s. Consistent comments as others above. Definitely beats wire braces, takes a few weeks to get used to but once you see how effective it is in moving your teeth after several weeks, you'll realise it's a no brainer.

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