Metal Mouth Message Board

My orthodontist made me an upper Essix retainer as a "trial" for Invisalign. I've been wearing it and got used to it, but am really having a problem with my teeth completely covered in plastic. I can't even imagine the bottom also covered essentially 24/7 for 18 months. I literally will take it out and dread putting back after only 10 days. I don't think it's for me, but he asked me to keep trying it until our next appointment in 2 weeks, when I have to decide on a treatment plan. I was explaining how it made me feel, including anxious, and he said he hadn't heard this before. Has anyone else had this feeling? Did it improve as you kept wearing it? I'm just afraid I won't be able to be compliant.

Popped in the 11th set of aligners today, so 11 weeks into treatment. No anxiety thus far associated with Invisalign treatment. Becoming accustomed to having aligners top and bottom most hours of each day takes awhile. I expect most everyone undergoing treatment finds a mouthful of orthodontic stuff to be somewhat of a challenge on occasion. I really like having the option to "bank" time during the day so that I may pull the aligners for a couple hours in the evening. Also, it's nice to have the option of pulling the "mouth rig" for a lunch or dinner social.

Maybe it will just take more time. Doesn't it feel weird to just bite on plastic? How do bank time with 22 hours a day? I do like the idea of being able to take them out. I'll keep trying it till I go back. How long did it take to feel normal. BTW, thanks for always responding to my questions

One ironic positive of having fixed braces is that you have no option to take them out, so you just have to get on with them and no willpower is required.....

Good luck with your treatment. I think all orthodontic treatment gets easier after the initial stages-it just becomes the new you for the next year or two.

Jem

Gia wrote: ↑Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:10 pmMaybe it will just take more time. Doesn't it feel weird to just bite on plastic? How do bank time with 22 hours a day? I do like the idea of being able to take them out. I'll keep trying it till I go back. How long did it take to feel normal. BTW, thanks for always responding to my questions

Yes, it feels odd to have hard plastic aligners covering teeth but, looking to the goal, I've accepted it. I bank time by knocking down breakfast and lunch very quickly (maybe 30 min each). At the start of treatment I was advised by the ortho to keep the aligners in for a minimum of twenty hours/day, so I shoot for 21.

Honestly, it is not that bad.
I will be aligner free on Sept 12/18 so I am an expert on invisalign.
Wore them for just short of 1.5 years and I wouldn't change a thing!
If you need to pull them out for a function, meeting, social, you can.
They really are not bad at all and in the whole time, only one person noticed.
I admit that I tried not to speak too close to people, but then that's what I would do before invisalign so people wouldn't see my crooked teeth.
No pain, only slight discomfort/tight feeling the first day with the new aligner, speech was fine unless you are talking for hours and then just remove them if you need to.
I wore them for 5 days only bc I had accelerant. Best decision I ever made!!!!!!

Before treatment, I used to google and see all the negative comments then I finally decided to just look at the positive comments and just do it.
Believe me, it's not bad at all.
Just ensure you have a good ortho, who works with them.