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Author
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Topic: Invisalign Braces
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AnneC
Preferred Member
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posted 09-11-2006 09:19 AM
 
Hopefully that's just a typo, dyingsun16 - yikes! At that "dab" rate your solution would be almost 1 part bleach to 4 parts water. I also use a (fresh) dilute bleach solution - usually once daily - but only with 3 or 4 DROPS in an 8 oz. cup of tepid water - rinsing them thoroughly before reinserting them. Not sure you'd ever get the bleach smell or taste out of them at that stronger solution you're suggesting... quote:
Originally posted by dyingsun16:
I soak my aligners in bleach water. I use a small plastic container, with about 3 table spoons of bleach to about 8 ounces of water (rough guesses, dab of bleach and fill with water).
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dyingsun16
Preferred Member
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posted 09-11-2006 04:12 PM
You're right, my measurement was off, im a rough estimater! A quick rinse on all sides removes any bleach smell, so it must not be as strong as initially thought! aloha kakou
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AnneC
Preferred Member
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posted 09-11-2006 05:07 PM
Greetings to you too, ds ---A little dab'll do yaa... (I may be dating myself with that old jingle, but - oh well - some of you will remember!)
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eric
Junior Member
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posted 09-11-2006 06:12 PM
Figured I'd give all of you another update now that I finished my last invisalign retainer a couple months ago. I had to wear my final lower retainer for about 2 1/2 months while I waited to finish the top. The quality of the lower retainer held up fine, and stayed fairly clean as long as i brushed them whenever i brushed my teeth. After I was done with the upper, I had to switch to the more durable retainers which I haven't been too happy about. The day I was supposed to get the new retainer I lost my final invisalign retainer (turns out its a bad idea to leave the retainer wadded up in a napkin on your desk when you have a secretary come through and clean up your office every day). I figured that it wouldn't matter since I was getting that new retainer that day, but it turned out the impressions for the new upper retainer were bad so I had to wait another week to get the new retainer so my ortho told me to just wear the one I was using before that for that week. Well the lower retainer fit ok, but my ortho decided to do one final adjustment with the new more durable upper retainer. Now the new upper hurts about as bad as my first retainer did. After about 10 days the soreness goes away, but for some reason I only end up not wearing them for a few days after 10 or so days, so when i start wearing them again, it hurts again. Anyways, ortho said that I should wear them all day for about 3 or 4 months, then I can just wear them at night for about a year, then from there on just a couple nights a week. I'm pretty happy with my results, there was a small gap still between my front teeth, but this final retainer seems to be correcting that. During my 24 sets of retainers or so, I didn't have a problem wearing them 21 hours a day, and the only people who even noticed I was wearing them were the people i told.
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BadBoy
Preferred Member
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posted 09-11-2006 07:11 PM
Thanks Eric for your experience using an aligner for 2.5 months - my last upper aligner is coming up in about a month, but then I have 11 more aligners for the lowers. I am skeptical about trying to wear the last upper aligner for 22 weeks, nearly 6 months though so I am requesting having impressions done and order a durable clear retainer for the uppers earlier. I could then have the last upper aligner available at times during the day as needed and use the more durable (2+ year rates life) retainer for the rest of the time. But good to know from your experience the normal 2-3 week aligner can last over 2 months. Anyone have any even longer wear times for a standard aligner to share? Is the durable clear retainer as clear as the standard aligners, is it more noticeable or less comfortable?
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eric
Junior Member
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posted 09-11-2006 08:27 PM
BadBoy, the durable retainer I got is much larger than the invisalign (though I think this depends on your ortho since I don't think invisalign is involved with this retainer, though I could be wrong). It's still clear, maybe not as clear as the invisalign, but since the snaps are removed I'd say it's even less noticable than the invisalign. Due to it's size, I think its much more uncomfortable than the invisalign and it's definetly harder to talk with this one. The inside of the retainer actually curves around my gums where as the invisalign stopped at my gum line. Don't let that discourage you though, its much less of an adjustment than it was wearing invisalign in the first place. I would go with what I'd think you were suggesting though, get the retainer then continue to use the invisalign until its not usable any more.Also regarding the 2 1/2 months I was wearing the single invisalign, my orthodontist was actually really surprised my hadn't cracked or anything yet by the time I was done with it, so I definetly wouldn't suggest wearing it for 6 months.
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dyingsun16
Preferred Member
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posted 09-12-2006 07:17 AM
quote:
Originally posted by eric:
Also regarding the 2 1/2 months I was wearing the single invisalign, my orthodontist was actually really surprised my hadn't cracked or anything yet by the time I was done with it, so I definetly wouldn't suggest wearing it for 6 months.
As another reminder to prospective invisalign patients: Feel free to ask your dentist or orthodontist to end your uppers and lowers at the same time. Invisalign may provide a clincheck with 15 uppers and 22 lowers, but all that needs to be done is the request to end at the same time, and you eliminate any concerns about ending one before the other. This essentially slows the movement of the upper or lower as needed so you end at the same time. It is a great plus, once you're done with the upper or lower, it's a real bummer when you realize you still have to wear that one (which is now doing nothing) while the other teeth are still moving. Makes life alot easier to end at once, I feel. Aloha
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Relle
Junior Member
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posted 09-12-2006 04:58 PM
Welcome to the board. Keep us posted on your progress. I don't know why some orthos show the clincheck and some don't. I think the clinckecks are encouraging. You get to see what you will look like at the end, plus how you prgress as you go. The sore spots are easy to fix.. instead of buying topical treatments for the gums/tongue,inner cheek.. invest a few bucks in a nail file.. emory board seem to work best as the sand goes right to the edge, unlike a file that has a sandless point that won't let you get in the fine crannies..
If you feel a sharp edge with your tongue, touch the area with your finger to orient yourself as to where the sharp edge is. take the tray out and sand/smooth the edge.. do a little first, put it back in and check if that was enough sanding.Don't be in a rush tpo remove a lot. you can always take a little more off, but you can't ever put any back on.
My first few trays had some sharp edges, I sanded away as needed and my mouth was happy.. the next few trays were smooth and wonderful.. the next group of 4 were trimmed by Bozo the clown and cut me up.. I got more emory boards and filed away. I'm so good now, as soon as I take the tray out of the package new, before I put it in, I run my fingers on the out lip/edge and the inner side edge and can tell right away where there might be a sharp edge, i sand a bit and voila.. no mouth sores in the past 3-4 months.
I am on 22/19 out of 48/19.
I've had the bottom tray in now for almost 5 weeks, still no yuck, discolouration or build up. I use efferdent on the lower tray 2 times a week and scrub it well along with the current upper tray after every meal.
I don't smoke or eat in them..I chewed a banana once in them. EEEWW.. a lot of the banana found its way into the trays. i looked like I had been gnawing on cold butter all week.. So, eating in them is out.
I drink only water and frequently.. that helps to keep them cleaner and cuts down on the dog breath smell.. I see what you mean about the old veggie smell.. like the old refridgerator in the garage smell. But, I think it smells more like a mixture between puppy breath and a dog's dry chew toy.. (yes, i have dogs..lol, no, they aren't chewing on them).. BUT, dogs do want to chew them and if you blow in their face slightly, they smell the air as if it was the MOST interesting smell they have ever smelled..
One girl at the Orthos office was getting a new replacement set because her dog got a hold of them. Incedentally, She was a smoker and her tray, even though it had been chewed on slightly had a yellowish appearance.
So, keep the topol smokers tooth polish handy, mix it with baking soda, get a firm denture brush and keep the stains off you trays..
HMM, just think, if smoke can stain the trays like that in such a short amount of time, what is it doing to the rest of your innards???
Relle quote:
Originally posted by JimmyThy:
Hi everyone,NJ newbie here. Just got my 1st set Wednesday night, and everything has gone pretty smoothly so far. My case was pretty simple: cross bite on one side of the top, slight crowding of my lower middles on the bottom. I'll be 33 and have never worn braces. Just wanted to share some of my experiences with everyone: 1) Cost = $6500 - $1500 insurance payment = $5000 out of pocket for me. My ortho had several plans, including saving 7% if I paid upfront, which I did. The other plans included interest free payment options for 1 year. 2) My ortho was a "Premier Provider" of Invisalign. Although my cost might seem a bit high for some, I was comfortable knowing that I was going to be in good hands. 3) Case-in-point: I didn't have to ask to have my upper/lower treatments be adjusted so that they ended at the same time. It was just done that way, and I never even knew about it these cases happening until I read some of the posts on here. 4) 16 trays for both sets = 32 weeks. Yeah! I'll be done by April or sooner (I hope). NO buttons, nor IPR's. Bonus! 5) I also never got to see my Clinicheck. Interestingly enough, when I specifically asked to get the movie files emailed to me after reading BadBoy's post, the person they had talking to me after my initial consultation (who was supposed to know everything and anything about Invisalign and payment options) actually told me that she didn't know how anyone else got theirs, because those files were something they had to pay dearly for, and shouldn't be made public. I shrugged it off, but got the last laugh. My ortho has a service where you can register as a patient electronically and can get appointment reminders, etc. Well, playing around on my patient page let me see all sorts of neat things about me, including the "before" pictures they had taken, along with my beloved movie file. She obviously didn't know what she was talking about, and I'll make sure the office is made aware of her error in this area for other patients. 6) Initially, there was no intense pain or rough areas at all. However, after a few days of wearing these, I've noticed that the slight pressure on my teeth is getting to me a bit, and I just want to chomp down hard on my aligners to alleviate this feeling. I'm getting a slight headache and sometimes earache from this, but haven't taken any ibuprofen, etc, yet, either, because I know I'll be going to bed soon, and they haven't bothered me at all while I've been sleeping. In fact, they feel GREAT while I'm sleeping. It's when I'm up and in a vertical position that they bother me more. 7) Some sore spots on my tongue - notably right in the center underneath, as this is the part that comes in contact with a slightly troublesome spot right at the bottom part in the middle of my lower aligners. I haven't filed anything down, nor have I used any wax yet. Seems like I'm a glutton for punishment, but it also comes and goes - the pain I'm talking about, so I just ignore it most of the time. 8)My ortho told me to brush aligners with mouthwash (not soak it), and I should be fine. I just might invest in some of the efferdent plus, though, after reading about how cheap it is. The first day didn't have any odor to the aligners, but today there is - but it's only noticeable after I take out the aligners for meals and they've had time to dry out a bit. Kind of smells like veggies that got too old in the fridge. Ha ha! Now you all know what my mouth smells like. Great...... 9) Only 2 people at work knew about my doing this, and no one else has commented. I think some may have noticed, but didn't comment. I definitely have a bit of a lisp that's very evident at times. I also noticed drymouth, too. 10) My most annoying issue is the tiny little spit bubbles that form inside the aligners. I know they're noticable when people are up close to me (which they are often at work because our cubicles are very small). I can't seem to do anything to get rid of them. When I first put them in after meals, etc, they're fine, but inevitably, spit collects inside of them and, from me swallowing hard to get rid of extra spit, the bubbles form. Any suggestions, anyone, or am I the only one with this issue? 11) Haven't told any members of my family yet (just my hubby - I'm the "Thy" part of JimmyThy), and want to see if they'll pick up on it! That's all for now. I'll definitely keep on posting as time goes by! ~Thy
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Tess
Junior Member
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posted 09-12-2006 07:56 PM
hi.. i already posted this question but only got one response... i am posting it again to hopefully get a few more replies. i am getting my invisaligns in a week or two. can anyone tell me if/how wearing invisalign will effect my speech or the shape of the area around my mouth when my mouth is closed. also, is it more obvious you are wearing invisalign if you have gaps? thanks.
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JimmyThy
Junior Member
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posted 09-12-2006 10:26 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Tess:
hi.. i already posted this question but only got one response... i am posting it again to hopefully get a few more replies. i am getting my invisaligns in a week or two. can anyone tell me if/how wearing invisalign will effect my speech or the shape of the area around my mouth when my mouth is closed. also, is it more obvious you are wearing invisalign if you have gaps? thanks.
Hi Tess, I'm definitely dealing with speech issues, but I think it's more in my head than I think it is. Plus, I'm still only on my first set, and am having some drymouth, too. I think it really depends on your specific dental problems and therefore, how the aligners sit in your mouth. Personally, I'm noticing slight difficulty saying the following consonants: s, f, th (in "think" and "those") If I concentrate and speak more slowly, I can say the "s" fine, but it's not as natural, and when I speak quickly (as people from the northeast and NJ are apt to do), my tongue tends to forget to adapt to the aligners and the sounds come out slurred. I also think my mouth/lips does/do bulge out the slightest bit with the aligners in, but I honestly don't think anyone else has noticed. The aligners are so thin, it really can't make that big of a difference. However, if you don't drink alot of water, you'll get drymouth, and you'll notice your lips sticking to your teeth/aligners more often. As for the gaps, I think the aligners actually disguise the gaps more when they're in, because they seem to "fill them in" a bit. I don't have a gap at all, but since I've been flossing like crazy, the tiny space between my front teeth is more noticable now. However, when I have my aligners on, I don't notice the space at all. Hope this helps. Again, individual experience is going to vary in many areas, so don't just take my word for it! ~Thy
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kujo123
Junior Member
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posted 09-12-2006 11:04 PM
I had my invisilagn for 6 months now to fix a slight overbite, Im half way done but I 've noticed that one side of my face looks smaller than the other its giving me issues because I had full features all my life which I thought made me attractive but now that my teeth are smaller due to the slimmimg process of my teeth its making me a basketcase. My ortho said he expanded my teeth to make it nice but Im worried he over corrected it. Im very concerned is does anyone notice a change on their face not just their teeth.
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Betsy
Preferred Member
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posted 09-13-2006 11:15 AM
Eric, what I don't understand is this. The permanent retainers are much heavier and less comfortable than the treatment trays but you are supposed to wear them full time for 3-4 months. You also said that after 10 days, you stop wearing them for awhile (did I understand correctly)?It sounds like you are finding it hard to comply with target time for wearing the retainers? I had a nightguard before starting Invisalign and I did not like it and ended up quitting after my first crown (hurt the first night and then I never tried again). Did your ortho give you a choice of retainment options? If so, were you able to see samples of the appliances before you made your choice? Are you finding it hard to comply with the target wear time for your retainers? quote:
Originally posted by eric:
Figured I'd give all of you another update now that I finished my last invisalign retainer a couple months ago.
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Relle
Junior Member
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posted 09-13-2006 09:54 PM
just the other day, i had a chance to see a retainer that was a clear tray.. like invisalign. different ortho, wire braces case.. The tray looked similar but, you could tell it was thicker. wasn't as clear.
part of it covered the roof of the mouth and seemed to sit higher up on the gums. The bottom looked more like the invisalign tray, only much thicker..It was a stranger inline at a store. i spotted something different about her mouth right away. I said.. Invisalign? She didn't know what i was asking. when I pointed to my teeth and said, you have invisalign?
She said, no, they were new retainers. she'd just gotten her braces off. She said she was uncomfortable that I had noticed..
I felt bad.. should have put something a little more tasty on my foot before I stuck it in my mouth. She did take them each out to show me. I didn't like the looks of the top one at all.
I didn't tell her that. She said her Ortho said three months night and day, then only at night forever.. She was probably half my age.. early 20's. I though, Man, that really stinks...
So, does anyone know anyone else with any retainer and how long did they have to wear it.. when and time frame? quote:
Originally posted by Betsy:
Eric, what I don't understand is this. The permanent retainers are much heavier and less comfortable than the treatment trays but you are supposed to wear them full time for 3-4 months. You also said that after 10 days, you stop wearing them for awhile (did I understand correctly)?It sounds like you are finding it hard to comply with target time for wearing the retainers? I had a nightguard before starting Invisalign and I did not like it and ended up quitting after my first crown (hurt the first night and then I never tried again). Did your ortho give you a choice of retainment options? If so, were you able to see samples of the appliances before you made your choice? Are you finding it hard to comply with the target wear time for your retainers?
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BadBoy
Preferred Member
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posted 09-14-2006 02:22 AM
There are several types of clear type retainers the most common is known as "Essex" do a search for more info. Thats probably what those were. The Invisalign clear retainers are reportedly thinner and clearer and more comfortable than those according to an Invisalign rep I talked to. He told me the Invisalign formulation retainer material is designed for 2 year life and of course he said its the best choice.
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BadBoy
Preferred Member
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posted 09-14-2006 02:32 AM
If the typical recommendation after the tooth movement process is complete is about 3 months of day+night retainer wear and then only night wear after that, then I think a good option for Invisalign patients is to use the final aligner set during the 3 month retainer period for daytime use as needed and the harder clear retainer at night and other times were possible. Since someone has successfully worn the final aligner fulltime for 2.5 months, it should be fine for 3 months parttime use.
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Betsy
Preferred Member
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posted 09-14-2006 10:35 AM
Makes sense - I wonder if removal of the attachments would impact the fit though. quote:
Originally posted by BadBoy:
If the typical recommendation after the tooth movement process is complete is about 3 months of day+night retainer wear and then only night wear after that, then I think a good option for Invisalign patients is to use the final aligner set during the 3 month retainer period for daytime use as needed and the harder clear retainer at night and other times were possible. Since someone has successfully worn the final aligner fulltime for 2.5 months, it should be fine for 3 months parttime use.
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AnneC
Preferred Member
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posted 09-14-2006 07:38 PM
Good question, Betsy - also, your attachments will be removed before your retention phase begins & this makes those bumpouts in your final tray much more obvious with nothing to fill them with - maybe not a good look.Supposedly the retainers made of Invisalign's patented material is 5x more durable & has more elasticity for ease of placement/removal than competitors' similar thermoplastic retainers. It's also supposed to be an extremely form fitting .040" thickness. Somewhere I did read that the retainers do cover your gums on the inside of the trays, unlike regular Aligners. Your added cost if not included in your treatment plan, should be about $200 extra for both arches. You can use any fixed or removable retainer you prefer - it's a personal choice based on the recommendations of your doc.
Anne (BB & Betsy - I've left a message for you on my blog)
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AnneC
Preferred Member
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posted 09-14-2006 07:54 PM
OK - to compare Essix "Embrace" retainers, I just found a link with info on them:http://www.essix.com/professional/downloads/techmag_fabrication.pdf#search=%22essix%20retainers%22 Apparently they are ".030 AND .040" inch thick (whatever that means exactly) and are recommended to be used for up to 16 months. That particular company has several different product choices, including one that GLOWS in the dark -
oh, boy...that's just what we need...
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BadBoy
Preferred Member
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posted 09-14-2006 08:34 PM
Thanks Anne for that excellent info on the clear retainers. Anyone know what the reported thickness of the regular invisalign aligners are in comparison to the 0.04" (1mm) for the clear retainer?
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eric
Junior Member
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posted 09-15-2006 05:08 AM
Betsy,
Yes, they're heavier and a bit more uncomfortable than the invisalign and I do have to wear them for 3-4 months. Basically the reason I've only been wearing them for about 10 days at a time is I'll end up going out to like a bar or something and wont want to wear them because they are a bit more awkward to talk with than the invisalign (I would still wear the invisalign when I went out before). After that first 10 day cycle it took me a couple days to start wearing them again because of the pain (since this retainer happens to be making one final large adjustment). After the second 10 day cycle, I got in a fight and my lip was a bit swolen so I didn't really feel like having 2 awkward things going on with my mouth, so there was a couple days off. Now that I'm in the third 10 day cycle the pains not really bad any more and I don't have a swolen lip, so I'm sure I'll continue wearing them every day (the 10 day cycle is just some arbitrary number, their shouldn't actually be any cycle).My orthodontist did give me 3 options for a retainer, it was these plastic ones (apparently the Essex retainer), the normal metal retainer kids have after they get braces, or basically wire glued to the back of my teeth (non-adjustable braces?). My ortho said that the metal retainers are the most effective but as I'm sure you know, it's really hard for people to talk correctly with them. The glued wire didn't seem to go over well with my ortho as he didn't give me much information about it. He said that the plastic retainer is the most common for invisalign patients and it does a pretty good job. Regarding the snaps, The retainer I wore for 2 1/2 months I wore for most the time without snaps. The fit was fine, and it was really nice not having to put forth any effort to remove them as the just slid right off (held tight enough so my tounge couldn't just push it off). Though the pictures aren't that great, the Essex retainer looks to be what I have. As you can kind of see in figure 17B and 23 of that link AnneC posted, the bottom of the retainer goes down further than your invisalign and covers some of the gums. Tess,
I had a gap between my upper front 2 teeth before I started the treatment. The gap wasn't a huge one or anything but it was easily noticable. Wearing the invisalign really gives the illusion of not having a gap so I wouldn't worry about any negative effects of wearing the invisalign with a gap. I also noticed a slight change in my face wearing invisalign. I think its mostly because the invisalign changes your bite slightly (especially while you're wearing them) so it causes different muscles in your face/jaw to work to hold your mouth closed. Sorry if this message isn't very coherent, I've been working way too much and am really tired.
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Tess
Junior Member
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posted 09-15-2006 01:03 PM
thanks to all who answered my last question. i ended up getting the invisalign yesterday. dang, i didn't realize the pressure would be so painful. but i can already see a difference. like i used to have a gap between my two front teeth and now they are barely touching. it is crazy. did anyone else see results after the first day too? how long is it going to hurt like this? any idea on how i can make it less uncomfortable?
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Relle
Junior Member
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posted 09-15-2006 01:27 PM
Dear tess,
I remeber last year when i got my first set. I couldn't believe the discomfort. It semmed like such a long time to see the end of treatment. Its sucked to get them in and out. Now I am done with the bottoms and halfaway through on top 48/19.. almost a year has gone by and it went like a snap.
It gets to the point where you will almost welcome the pressure from the new trays because you know that they are moving the teeth. I have found that some trays are less painful than other sets.. for a while there, all i could think through about 5 sets of trays was." OH my POOR molar". My upper right molar seemed to hurt all the time. But, now that the olars and bicuspids are where they are supposed to be, i am seeing more movement on the front. The first day is bad, the 2nd day seems to be worse.. harder to get the tray out.. third day is easier and the next 11 days are easy. You will find that as time goes on, you won't even think about the trays in your mouth.
My Ortho said I have to keep each set of used trays in their original packaging, in case there is a problem and I have to go back to another tray to get the proper movement. So far, i haven't BUT, its great to be able to compare my first trays to the current ones.. What a difference. Very encouraging.
How many tray sets does your Ortho give you between clinchecks? Mine originally did 4 trays(8 weeks).. Now because the bottom is static(done). he give me 5 trays at a time between clinchecks.(10 weeks) I REALLY appreciate that.. because I have 24 trays to go, so I will only have to see him 5 more times.. When i look at it that way, the times seems even that much shorter.
Take care, welcome to the Baord and keep us posted regularly. We are alll more than happy to share our experience and help where we can.
Relle
quote:
Originally posted by Tess:
thanks to all who answered my last question. i ended up getting the invisalign yesterday. dang, i didn't realize the pressure would be so painful. but i can already see a difference. like i used to have a gap between my two front teeth and now they are barely touching. it is crazy. did anyone else see results after the first day too? how long is it going to hurt like this? any idea on how i can make it less uncomfortable?
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Amy's teeth
Junior Member
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posted 09-15-2006 04:50 PM
Hi Everyone,
For various reasons, I’m considering transferring my treatment to a new ortho. There are several things that have given me that not so comfortable feeling in my gut about my current treatment. I’m going to really think this through over the weekend. In the mean time, if anyone can provide a great recommendation for an ortho in Chicago, I would appreciate your help! Thanks!
Amy
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marsha
Preferred Member
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posted 09-16-2006 08:57 AM
The first week was the worst for me. I'm on week three on aligner #1 and I don't feel anything. Advil helped with the tooth pain but that only lasted a day or two. It was my tongue that was a killer. I got some good advice on that down the page in a thread called raw tongue. The best thing someone said was wait 8-10 days and all will be well. They were right and it didn't even take that long..maybe a week. I'm getting #2 on Monday so I know I'll have the tooth pain and pressure again but I can deal with that! I'm just hoping my tongue won't start all over.
quote:
Originally posted by Tess:
thanks to all who answered my last question. i ended up getting the invisalign yesterday. dang, i didn't realize the pressure would be so painful. but i can already see a difference. like i used to have a gap between my two front teeth and now they are barely touching. it is crazy. did anyone else see results after the first day too? how long is it going to hurt like this? any idea on how i can make it less uncomfortable?
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Betsy
Preferred Member
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posted 09-16-2006 01:25 PM
Congratulations Marsha! It is always good to hear from another new member who has just gotten over that initial hump!!!!Newbies, take heart - this is how it is for almost everyone. The first week is the hardest - then it just gets easier and easier! quote:
Originally posted by marsha:
The first week was the worst for me. I'm on week three on aligner #1 and I don't feel anything.
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ASom
Junior Member
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posted 09-18-2006 05:20 PM
This topic has been a lifesaver. I am on set 14 out of 29..1/2 way there. The first set was miserable for the first few days and my mouth and tongue was all roughed up, but that did go away after a week or so. I have 4 buttons on the tops. I have had just about every other tooth "shaved" and that is only uncomfortable because I am a bleeder and on the teeth they had to go close to the gum...well you get it. My teeth were crammed in there like sardines. So I can see significant improvement on my bottoms-almost straight and my top front teeth are just starting to move, as with invisalign the back teeth move first. As far as the cleaning goes, efferdent works so well that I have not been interested in trying anything else.
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TheGapper
Junior Member
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posted 09-20-2006 12:26 PM
Hey everyone. I am new to this board and glad I have found it. Its nice to know I can read through these posts and find advice from people who have actually gone through the invisalign process. With that said... I have always had a large gap (roughly 2 cm) in between my two front teeth and now at age 25 I am finally considering taking the effort to have it fixed. Before I jump into such a huge commitment though, I have some questions I was hoping you guys could help me with. I've read here that the invisalign can actually hide smaller gaps in teeth, but regarding specifically a large gap in between the two front teeth, how is the appearance? I would think that having clear plastic across a blank space would be rather visable. I am also active and like to go out with friends and drink every weekend. The cigarettes and coffee I can kick, but going out is part of my current lifestyle. Would drinking beer, and lots of it  , with these on affect anything? Or could I just take the invisaligns out for 4-5 hours only on Fri & Sat night and get away with it? And my last question, is the speech/lisp thing worse in the case of a front gap? I'm thinking that if you've learned s's, th's and f's with air passing through the gap, once that is covered up it would drastically change speech. Also, if you have pictures of gap teeth with invisalign's on would that be great. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Tess
Junior Member
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posted 09-20-2006 02:11 PM
It is true that wearing invisalign makes gaps look non-exsistant. I have found myself becoming more self concious without the invisalign in my mouth because they give the effect of perfect gapless teeth. my gaps are much smaller than yours so i cant not promise yours will not be noticable. however, the good news is that (for me) the two front teeth move very quickly. The gap in my two front teeth was practically gone by the first week. If you take out your invisalign for 4-5 hours it will probably be very painful to put them back in... and removing them for such a long period of time will probably slow down the tooth movement process. so it really depends on which one you value more: getting drunk or having nice teeth faster. maybe you should consider taking on the perminant role of designated driver. And ya, speaking is a little difficult. S's and TH's you will get down after a few days... but F's are killer. I have yet to find a way to pronounce them properly. I mean, where the flip is the air suppose to pass through now? Oh well, it is a small price to pay I guess. Hope some of that helped a little.
quote:
Originally posted by TheGapper:
Hey everyone. I am new to this board and glad I have found it. Its nice to know I can read through these posts and find advice from people who have actually gone through the invisalign process. With that said... I have always had a large gap (roughly 2 cm) in between my two front teeth and now at age 25 I am finally considering taking the effort to have it fixed. Before I jump into such a huge commitment though, I have some questions I was hoping you guys could help me with. I've read here that the invisalign can actually hide smaller gaps in teeth, but regarding specifically a large gap in between the two front teeth, how is the appearance? I would think that having clear plastic across a blank space would be rather visable. I am also active and like to go out with friends and drink every weekend. The cigarettes and coffee I can kick, but going out is part of my current lifestyle. Would drinking beer, and lots of it , with these on affect anything? Or could I just take the invisaligns out for 4-5 hours only on Fri & Sat night and get away with it? And my last question, is the speech/lisp thing worse in the case of a front gap? I'm thinking that if you've learned s's, th's and f's with air passing through the gap, once that is covered up it would drastically change speech. Also, if you have pictures of gap teeth with invisalign's on would that be great. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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TheGapper
Junior Member
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posted 09-20-2006 03:18 PM
Yeah, the speech thing worries me a little more than the drinking. It probably wouldn't hurt my body or my wallet to cut back on the partying for a year, but I was hoping that invisalign would not affect my social life as much. However, I'm not sure I want to trade a nice smile for a permanent lisp. Then again I guess there's always speech therapy. Thanks for the response Tess, it definitely helps.
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kris13
Junior Member
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posted 09-20-2006 04:55 PM
TheGapper - I have not yet experienced any speech problems with Invisalign. So it all depends on the case. And if you want to drink at the bars without staining your trays, why not switch to vodka tonics instead of beer? quote:
Originally posted by TheGapper:
Yeah, the speech thing worries me a little more than the drinking. It probably wouldn't hurt my body or my wallet to cut back on the partying for a year, but I was hoping that invisalign would not affect my social life as much. However, I'm not sure I want to trade a nice smile for a permanent lisp. Then again I guess there's always speech therapy. Thanks for the response Tess, it definitely helps.
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Tess
Junior Member
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posted 09-20-2006 06:17 PM
oh, it's not a permanent lisp. just an everynow and then thing with the invisalign in. so you really only have to deal with that until your done with the treatment. once the invisalign are out you wont have any speech problems.. just clarifying. quote:
Originally posted by TheGapper:
Yeah, the speech thing worries me a little more than the drinking. It probably wouldn't hurt my body or my wallet to cut back on the partying for a year, but I was hoping that invisalign would not affect my social life as much. However, I'm not sure I want to trade a nice smile for a permanent lisp. Then again I guess there's always speech therapy. Thanks for the response Tess, it definitely helps.
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dyingsun16
Preferred Member
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posted 09-20-2006 10:12 PM
quote:
Originally posted by TheGapper:
Hey everyone.
Aloha! quote:
Would drinking beer, and lots of it , with these on affect anything? Or could I just take the invisaligns out for 4-5 hours only on Fri & Sat night and get away with it?
I am a college student as well. I drink all the beer I can and don't take my aligners out. After you are done drinking and ready to go to bed, you take them out anyway to clean them (I put mine in a light bleach water mix while I am eating at the house or brushing/flossing) and brush your teeth. Drink your heart out.
A hui hou
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TheGapper
Junior Member
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posted 09-21-2006 11:00 AM
Woohoo! That's good to know. I figured it wouldn't hurt as long as I cleaned them afterwards but wasn't sure if anyone had tried it.Tess, I see what you're saying but I guess my worry is that once they come off, the space is still closed so the speech problem would continue. I guess there's only one way to find out though, right?
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Bethie
Junior Member
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posted 09-21-2006 02:07 PM
I go out and haven't noticed a problem w/ staining. I have tried to leave them out before, but it's just too painful. Maybe you should try it with leaving them in and just see if there is any staining? They're just in there for 2 weeks, even if they do stain you'll get a new set pretty quickly! quote:
Originally posted by TheGapper:
Hey everyone. I am new to this board and glad I have found it. Its nice to know I can read through these posts and find advice from people who have actually gone through the invisalign process. With that said... I have always had a large gap (roughly 2 cm) in between my two front teeth and now at age 25 I am finally considering taking the effort to have it fixed. Before I jump into such a huge commitment though, I have some questions I was hoping you guys could help me with. I've read here that the invisalign can actually hide smaller gaps in teeth, but regarding specifically a large gap in between the two front teeth, how is the appearance? I would think that having clear plastic across a blank space would be rather visable. I am also active and like to go out with friends and drink every weekend. The cigarettes and coffee I can kick, but going out is part of my current lifestyle. Would drinking beer, and lots of it , with these on affect anything? Or could I just take the invisaligns out for 4-5 hours only on Fri & Sat night and get away with it? And my last question, is the speech/lisp thing worse in the case of a front gap? I'm thinking that if you've learned s's, th's and f's with air passing through the gap, once that is covered up it would drastically change speech. Also, if you have pictures of gap teeth with invisalign's on would that be great. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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ASom
Junior Member
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posted 09-21-2006 04:57 PM
I lisped on set 10 & 11 for a couple of days, a few coworkers noticed and asked if I had whitening trays in...since then the lisp has gone away for the most part. I think those sets finally moved some of my front teeth and my tongue had to get used to new teeth location.
quote:
Originally posted by TheGapper:
Yeah, the speech thing worries me a little more than the drinking. It probably wouldn't hurt my body or my wallet to cut back on the partying for a year, but I was hoping that invisalign would not affect my social life as much. However, I'm not sure I want to trade a nice smile for a permanent lisp. Then again I guess there's always speech therapy. Thanks for the response Tess, it definitely helps.
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