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Invisalign Braces Cont'...How about a new thread? (Page 4)

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Author	Topic: Invisalign Braces Cont'...How about a new thread?
chris8796 Preferred Member	posted 08-13-2007 03:31 AM My experience with the denture tablets is they work well keeping your trays clean, but you need to use them everyday. I use them everyday when I eat dinner at home and sometimes twice a day (breakfast). If I go several days w/o, just using the tablets alone will not clean them w/o some brushing involved. But with the denture tablets only about 5 cents a piece it shouldn't be a problem to use them daily. .
piggy_pig Preferred Member	posted 08-13-2007 06:41 AM I would highly recommend any of you who are really scrubbing your aligners hard to start using the denture tabs. I soak mine every night while I shower, then just lightly scrub them with a toothbbrush for a few seconds. I've never had any sort of build up (I only change my aligners every 3 weeks) and it's so easy! .
arch712 Preferred Member	posted 08-13-2007 11:03 AM Well here�s a little update on my treatment. I just got back from seeing my Clincheck for the first time and it looked pretty good so far. My Ortho initially estimated 15 months of active treat. According to the Clinckeck, I will have 22 uppers, and 24 lowers, so that�s about 11 months of treatment. Depending on the results, I probably will end up around 15 months anyways with refinements. I will be getting buttons attached on the third set of trays. Unfortunately I will have 6 on top including the front 4 teeth, and I believe I saw about 4 on the bottom. I should have the trays and begin treatment at months end. Some interesting things he told me. He�s one of a few Orthos that�s really experienced with an Elite status. When I viewed my Clincheck, I noticed that my front crooked teeth start moving from day one. I mentioned to him that I was surprised they start moving that soon, and some people online were complaining that they didn�t see anything until the few last trays. He said that they use to treat it that way, by moving the back teeth first then the front. Now they move every tooth at the same time. He says that moving every tooth the same time is a better treatment and cuts down on time. This is why some people have so many trays. Regarding the buttons: He says that they place the buttons lower on the teeth now because they are more effective (and in cases less noticeable) He told me at first that he thought they would be more noticeable being lower on the tooth but it ended up being the opposite. Actually having them lower on the teeth would make it a little easier to take them out. Also he said (I don�t remember hearing this from anyone on here) by swishing warm water in your mouth before taking them out for the first time will make it a lot easier. Well that�s all I have for now. I�ll keep everyone up dated when I start with the trays. .
scorpetteFL Junior Member	posted 08-13-2007 05:58 PM I lightly scrub with the toothbrush - I used those cleansing tabs that you can get (not specifically denture tabs, but I don't remember what they're called) and they didn't work. I do think the key is rinsing well when you take them off, also probably depends on what toothpaste you use. Crest Pro Health isn't cleaning them as well as crest multicare did. .
soozj Junior Member	posted 08-13-2007 09:43 PM I got my second set of aligners last night. I kept my first set and when I got home compared them with the new ones. They looked sort of cloudy when I held them next to the new ones, like the plastic didn't look clear anymore. (Has anyone else tried doing this?) I figure I must be doing something wrong when I'm cleaning them. I think it was either the denture cleansing tablet I used (they seemed to turn a bit wierd after I soaked them with the tablet), or perhaps the whitening tooth-paste is leaving a residue on them. Jil, I am worried about germs too, I keep thinking that having your teeth covered in plastic for 22 hours a day encourages germ growth, no matter how often you clean and floss. I am getting a bit obsessive over it! .
jil Preferred Member	posted 08-14-2007 12:53 AM quote: Originally posted by soozj: Jil, I am worried about germs too, I keep thinking that having your teeth covered in plastic for 22 hours a day encourages germ growth, no matter how often you clean and floss. I am getting a bit obsessive over it! Yes, obsessing is the key word here. I am obsessing about a new problem every second week and go and buy myself new tooth product (brush, paste, mouth smell neutralizer, etc). I do spend a lot of time brushing my teeth and the trays. Right now it's about a real problem though - something I started noticing about a month ago - and it's getting worse. All my front lower teeth have started to look stained in their base - it looks like smoking or coffee stains, though I don't smoke and hardly drink any coffee. The dentist said it's as a result of the tooth movement and not because of cavities. It was easy to ignore till now because it's not something you'd see, unless I pull the lower lip down. Thank God, it's not happening to the upper tooth. Since it's getting worse instead of getting better I would have to do something about it soon. arch712, my front tooth were 'on the move' since tray 1, and I could already see results from the third tray. But I have a rather mild case, only 10 trays for the upper jaw, which is what I originally wanted to have fixed. .
lemongrass11 Junior Member	posted 08-15-2007 12:32 AM i have a question here my trays should be arriving anyday now, anticipating that. what i was wondering was how much longer do i have to wait to put the tray in? on my very first appointment? or is the 1st just showing clincheck and stuff? please reply thank you .
BadBoy Preferred Member	posted 08-15-2007 12:47 AM Usually the clinicheck should be shown before the aligners are ordered, so you can approve the case first. If the aligners are in already, they skipped that step. They should put the first aligners in your mouth at the office then. The doctor may give you a few more sets of aligners to take with you, but that varies with each doctor and also depends on subsquent visits if you will have attachments done and when. .
lilypad Preferred Member	posted 08-15-2007 03:19 AM I had to ask to see my clincheck. My ortho never even mentioned it. Only way i even knew about it was through this forum! .
Pawnjuggler Junior Member	posted 08-15-2007 07:15 AM I just started my Invisaligns. Today is my first full day. However, I've only got the lower one. I went in yesterday but my dentist had some scheduling problem or an emergency and had to cut my appt very short and reschedule. I have a very bad twist to my upper front teeth and so I have to have two back upper teeth extracted. He was going to do that yesterday but now I have to wait two weeks. The upper tray won't go in until the extractions are done. He sent me home with the lower one though. It just feels weird; there is no pain. They are not too bad to get out, but at my appt in two weeks he's adding some of those buttons. I've had no pain today when I took them out for breakfast. It's just sort of annoying and my tongue is always feeling the tray. I'm a bit concerned about needing extractions, but the upper front are so bad and I'm sick of it. I'll see how it goes. .
elle25 Junior Member	posted 08-15-2007 02:23 PM This forum is so great!!! I don't know anyone else who's had invalign so I didn't have anyone to relate to, I'm so relieved! I've just finished my first week... I was disappointed that they're not as invisable as I hoped. I need brackets (or buttons or whatever they're called)on the 2 incisors on either side of my 2 front teeth, so they're pretty obvious which I'm really bummed about. I haven't had the brackets put on yet, but the bumps are in the aligner. I'm an actress an I'm worried that even when I take the aligner out for a performance the brackets will be visable... any advice?? Has anyone else had the brackets on the front teeth?? thanks so much! .
BadBoy Preferred Member	posted 08-15-2007 03:10 PM The official technical term for the bits of composite material bonded to a tooth to help rotation or other special movement is "attachment" My doctor corrects me if you call then buttons or something like that. .
lemongrass11 Junior Member	posted 08-15-2007 08:36 PM quote: Originally posted by BadBoy: Usually the clinicheck should be shown before the aligners are ordered, so you can approve the case first. If the aligners are in already, they skipped that step. They should put the first aligners in your mouth at the office then. The doctor may give you a few more sets of aligners to take with you, but that varies with each doctor and also depends on subsquent visits if you will have attachments done and when. thank you badboy! i just got a call today and they asked me to go and and take more pictures...does that mean they have to redo my molds also? thank you for telling me about the clincheck. i'll ask him about it .
jil Preferred Member	posted 08-16-2007 05:22 AM I finally found something suitable to clean the trays. It's tablets meant to clean tooth brushes and kill germs. You put them in a glass of warm water and let the tooth brush sit there for 10 minutes. I tried that with the trays with cold water and less than 10 minutes (I'm paranoid about damaging the plastic) and it works just wonderfully. Most of the dirt is gone, and the plastic looks clearer. Also the smell is gone (they never smelt strongly, but the smell was there, and it was annoying). I'm quite happy. .
Jon Preferred Member	posted 08-16-2007 07:26 AM Started on trays 5/10 for top and bottom yesterday, so I'm just about halfway finished. The time has flown by a lot faster than I thought it would. Man, these trays are hurting pretty badly. The 4th trays hardly hurt at all but these are killer, and I'm glad. That means there is a lot of movement going on. I saw my mom for the first time in over a month and she was amazed at how different my teeth looked. It's hard for me to notice a difference since I see them every day, but its nice to know others can tell a big change. If everything goes as planned, I should still be finished by November 7th. I started on June 18. .
elle25 Junior Member	posted 08-16-2007 11:33 AM me too! I rinse them after taking them out, and brush them after I brush my teeth. Luckily I haven't had any build-up. so far, so good. quote: Originally posted by soozj: I clean my aligners with a firm toothbrush and whitening toothpaste, twice a day. I always rinse them under warm water when I take them out as well, and drink lots of water. I tried a denture cleansing table (which said it was suitable for orthodontic braces) but it had a blue dye in it, and when I took the aligners out they had a slight blue tinge to them, so I had to scrub like mad to get rid of it. The aligners look very clean when I use toothpaste, it just takes a lot of scrubbing to get them this way. Not sure why my aligners feel soft and rubbery...I'm seeing my dentist tonight to get my second pair so I'll get him to examine them. .
kimchula Junior Member	posted 08-16-2007 12:05 PM I have two buttons on the same teeth as you soon will. I was bummed too when I found out I would need them. I tried to look for pictures on the net to see what it would look like, but I decided to make the commitment and just deal with it when it comes to it. I got my buttons put on the same day I got my first tray...it's NOT that bad..yes they are not invisible, but MUCH less noticible than regular braces. NO ONE at work noticed, though I was very self consious and didn't smile much. I have a tiny mouth so I don't think my buttons are that noticible. Strangers never ask me about it...I tell my friends and show them so they aren't wondering what's going on w/ my mouth...all of my friends were real impressed with out invisible they Are compared to braces. Im on my 2nd set of aligners now and I no longer feel self-concsious, I am glad I made the choice despite my rediculous vanity. Think how wonderful acting will be once your teeth are straight... BTW when I take may aligners out, and I look at myself in the mirror at arms lenght I can't really see them...I suppose if you are face to face with someone they are noticible, but on stage? I doubt it. quote: Originally posted by elle25: This forum is so great!!! I don't know anyone else who's had invalign so I didn't have anyone to relate to, I'm so relieved! I've just finished my first week... I was disappointed that they're not as invisable as I hoped. I need brackets (or buttons or whatever they're called)on the 2 incisors on either side of my 2 front teeth, so they're pretty obvious which I'm really bummed about. I haven't had the brackets put on yet, but the bumps are in the aligner. I'm an actress an I'm worried that even when I take the aligner out for a performance the brackets will be visable... any advice?? Has anyone else had the brackets on the front teeth?? thanks so much! .
elle25 Junior Member	posted 08-16-2007 01:56 PM Thanks Kimchula! I feel so much better about it now. I tried to find pictures online too, but to no avail. It's funny that the bumps seemed obvious to me but not one person has noticed them. and you're so right - I'll be much less self-concious on stage once I'm happy with my teeth. I'm just going to suck it up. thanks again! quote: Originally posted by kimchula: I have two buttons on the same teeth as you soon will. I was bummed too when I found out I would need them. I tried to look for pictures on the net to see what it would look like, but I decided to make the commitment and just deal with it when it comes to it. I got my buttons put on the same day I got my first tray...it's NOT that bad..yes they are not invisible, but MUCH less noticible than regular braces. NO ONE at work noticed, though I was very self consious and didn't smile much. I have a tiny mouth so I don't think my buttons are that noticible. Strangers never ask me about it...I tell my friends and show them so they aren't wondering what's going on w/ my mouth...all of my friends were real impressed with out invisible they Are compared to braces. Im on my 2nd set of aligners now and I no longer feel self-concsious, I am glad I made the choice despite my rediculous vanity. Think how wonderful acting will be once your teeth are straight... BTW when I take may aligners out, and I look at myself in the mirror at arms lenght I can't really see them...I suppose if you are face to face with someone they are noticible, but on stage? I doubt it. .
BadBoy Preferred Member	posted 08-16-2007 02:36 PM Someone posted a link to a webpage with lots of photos of the different types of attachements (they come in different shapes for different movements) awhile back in a different thread here. Maybe they can find and post it again. This forum needs a search function! .
soozj Junior Member	posted 08-16-2007 05:52 PM Jil, glad to hear you found something that cleans the aligners effectively. I'll have to check whether they sell toothbrush cleaning product here. I have to get attachments on my teeth later on as well. I'm dreading it. They're all going to be on my front teeth so I'm sure they'll be pretty noticeable. My dentist didn't tell me until my aligners got ordered in and I only found out because I asked him what the red dots were on my computer animation thing. It's funny, most of the questions I've had have been answered via reading this forum. My dentist never seems to volunteer information and if I ask him something he's always really vague. I didn't even know that I couldn't eat with the aligners in until my dentist put them in for the first time. .
AnneC Preferred Member	posted 08-17-2007 08:48 AM A Search function would be good,BadBoy - I'm surprised this new format doesn't offer one. Here's a few articles on attachments: http://www.orthodonticproductsonline.com/issues/articles/2006-09_07.asp Scroll down to page 6 in this one for pics: http://etd.fcla.edu/UF/UFE0004566/durrett_s.pdf .
AnneC Preferred Member	posted 08-17-2007 08:51 AM One more - this was linked to in that first one I posted above - very technical explanations/illustrations: http://www.invisaligncec.com/consistent/pdfs/AttachmentProtocol0603.pdf .
arch712 Preferred Member	posted 08-23-2007 06:09 AM Yea!! Getting close to starting. I'm scheduled for next Thursday for the first trays. Also to my surprise, I can view my clincheck online through my Ortho's website. I also can email the movie to anyone. I haven't started my treatment yet, but this Ortho shows an excellent level of professionalism. He seems to really care about his patients. Anyone in Pittsburgh, PA looking into this treatment, I would highly recommend King Dental Braces. .
blueh Junior Member	posted 08-24-2007 03:27 AM Last night I was putting in my 5/19 trays for both upper and lower. I accidently put in the lower tray for week 6/19 for like 30 seconds before I immediately yanked it out. It hurt like crazy and I knew it was wrong right away. Its not bad that I had taken the tray out of the seal two weeks early right? I don't think putting the wrong tray in for so quick is bad for my lower teeth though...it was only in for less than a minute and then I snapped the proper one in right away. Stupid mistake on my part real stupid.... .
Pricey102 Preferred Member	posted 08-24-2007 05:48 AM quote: Originally posted by blueh: Last night I was putting in my 5/19 trays for both upper and lower. I accidently put in the lower tray for week 6/19 for like 30 seconds before I immediately yanked it out. It hurt like crazy and I knew it was wrong right away. Its not bad that I had taken the tray out of the seal two weeks early right? I don't think putting the wrong tray in for so quick is bad for my lower teeth though...it was only in for less than a minute and then I snapped the proper one in right away. Stupid mistake on my part real stupid.... I don't think you have anything to worry about .
Fbkprincess Junior Member	posted 08-24-2007 04:06 PM I was one of the people that didn't really research very much about Invisalign before I got it. It cost about $6000. I had a really painful experience with my first tray and I'm nervous about putting in my second one. I went into the ortho office and the compressor broke, so they wern't able to file down the attachments that were placed onto my teeth. I spent three days taking 30-60 minutes to put in my aligners and I finally got to the point where I didn't take them out for four days (disgusting, I know). I finally got brave and took the aligners out and they were so painful to remove. I finally had to call the doctor and they ended up filing down the attachments which made putting the aligner in a lot easier. So after that happened, I went on a liquid diet and I haven't fully removed my top aligner (the most difficult and painful) for about a week. I eat and then partially remove each side to brush and then put it back in. Now, it's about time to switch to my second set of aligners. I'm extremely nervous about this next set of aligners! Anybody have any advice? I know that they're supposed to be painful, but my first set was pretty much unbearable! Is there anything that would numb my mouth? I've tried Alavert and Advil and that's worked ok but I think I need something stronger (or maybe i just need to muster up the courage and pop it in ;-) ) . I'm really desperate to find something to make the transition into a new tray easier. I have 16 upper and 16 lower trays with 10 attachments on the upper and 4 on the lower, so I can't imagine having to go thru this for another 8 months! .
Geena Preferred Member	posted 08-24-2007 05:08 PM Fbkprincess, Something about your treatment just doesn't sound right. I can't imagine any situation where Invisalign would be so painful or so difficult to remove. With the price you have paid and the expectations I am sure you have for treatment, you need to get into your dentist/ortho's office and demand help. Maybe your initial impressions weren't accurate and the trays just don't fit your mouth right or maybe the attachments were put on incorrectly, but your treating provider should fix it immediately. Good luck! .
lemongrass11 Junior Member	posted 08-24-2007 05:34 PM quote: Originally posted by Fbkprincess: I was one of the people that didn't really research very much about Invisalign before I got it. It cost about $6000. I had a really painful experience with my first tray and I'm nervous about putting in my second one. I went into the ortho office and the compressor broke, so they wern't able to file down the attachments that were placed onto my teeth. I spent three days taking 30-60 minutes to put in my aligners and I finally got to the point where I didn't take them out for four days (disgusting, I know). I finally got brave and took the aligners out and they were so painful to remove. I finally had to call the doctor and they ended up filing down the attachments which made putting the aligner in a lot easier. So after that happened, I went on a liquid diet and I haven't fully removed my top aligner (the most difficult and painful) for about a week. I eat and then partially remove each side to brush and then put it back in. Now, it's about time to switch to my second set of aligners. I'm extremely nervous about this next set of aligners! Anybody have any advice? I know that they're supposed to be painful, but my first set was pretty much unbearable! Is there anything that would numb my mouth? I've tried Alavert and Advil and that's worked ok but I think I need something stronger (or maybe i just need to muster up the courage and pop it in ;-) ) . I'm really desperate to find something to make the transition into a new tray easier. I have 16 upper and 16 lower trays with 10 attachments on the upper and 4 on the lower, so I can't imagine having to go thru this for another 8 months! interesting~ i'm expecting my trays to arrive now~ and your painful experience....poor you~ i was wondering what type of teeth do you have. by that i mean, is it spacing problem? too crowded? underbite? over bite? could that be the cause of all your misery? 4 days...what did you EAT? liquid isn't enough! i would've starved to death! anyways hope you'll feel better soon! and your other trays won't be as messed up...is that's the case good luck! .
jil Preferred Member	posted 08-27-2007 01:56 PM Been to the dentist today, and I complained to him about my stained looking bottom teeth. They cleaned them and now they look more white than I ever remember having them. They also promised to do that every time I come there. So I'm happy. I asked what made it happened, and the dentist said I should spend more time brushing the teeth. MORE TIME. It's absurd. I already spend almost hours doing that. I asked him if it would be possible to cut the treatment short of a few trays, since I am not interested in the 'perfect teeth' look. I find it too boring, and too artificial looking, sorry guys, but it's how I see it. He said it's certainly an option, but not right now, there are still things to correct, and I agree with him on that. I also had a chance to compare my current tray (I'm on the sixth) to the first one. Wow, what a difference. I'm so happy I'm not there any longer, and that was less than 3 months ago. All and all I'm quite happy about my decision to go through this right now. .
jil Preferred Member	posted 08-27-2007 02:12 PM quote: Originally posted by Fbkprincess: I was one of the people that didn't really research very much about Invisalign before I got it. It cost about $6000. I had a really painful experience with my first tray and I'm nervous about putting in my second one. I went into the ortho office and the compressor broke, so they wern't able to file down the attachments that were placed onto my teeth. I spent three days taking 30-60 minutes to put in my aligners and I finally got to the point where I didn't take them out for four days (disgusting, I know). I finally got brave and took the aligners out and they were so painful to remove. I finally had to call the doctor and they ended up filing down the attachments which made putting the aligner in a lot easier. So after that happened, I went on a liquid diet and I haven't fully removed my top aligner (the most difficult and painful) for about a week. I eat and then partially remove each side to brush and then put it back in. Now, it's about time to switch to my second set of aligners. I'm extremely nervous about this next set of aligners! Anybody have any advice? I know that they're supposed to be painful, but my first set was pretty much unbearable! Is there anything that would numb my mouth? I've tried Alavert and Advil and that's worked ok but I think I need something stronger (or maybe i just need to muster up the courage and pop it in ;-) ) . I'm really desperate to find something to make the transition into a new tray easier. I have 16 upper and 16 lower trays with 10 attachments on the upper and 4 on the lower, so I can't imagine having to go thru this for another 8 months! It should certainly not be that bad. The other poster was right, the people handling you are doing something very wrong. I can tell you that with the first tray, the first 5 days were horrible (I didn't have problems taking them off, unlike many others, but the teeth were extremely sensitive and painful), but it kept getting better. The second tray wasn't half that bad, and with each tray it just kept improving. When I started with the current one (6th), I could only feel there was some added pressure, but there was no pain whatsoever. Those braces is not meant to be attached to your teeth till you starve to death. Go back to your dentist and find out what's going on. .
soozj Junior Member	posted 08-27-2007 04:29 PM I went to the dentist last night to pick up my third set of aligners and I got 7 attachments put on. They're all over the front of my teeth and they're so noticeable, I don't even want to open my mouth anymore. I had to take the aligners out to have dinner last night and my gums started bleeding because I was pulling so hard. I just could not get them off. And then one of the bottom attachments came off when I eventually got the aligner out. Does anyone know whether this may cause a problem with my treatment? I called my dentist this morning and he wants me to come back in tonight and have a new attachment put on, but I have a feeling they're going to be falling off constantly, particularly because I have 7 of them. I can't be at the dentist every day. And they've cut up the inside of my lip pretty bad as well. I'm actually ready to give up, I'm not sure whether it's worth it. I didn't have any major problems before these attachments, I could pull out the aligners in a couple of seconds. I can't see myself wearing these for another 7 months. I may as well have got braces, because it feels like I have a mouth full of concrete. .
jil Preferred Member	posted 08-28-2007 07:11 AM quote: Originally posted by soozj: I went to the dentist last night to pick up my third set of aligners and I got 7 attachments put on. They're all over the front of my teeth and they're so noticeable, I don't even want to open my mouth anymore. I had to take the aligners out to have dinner last night and my gums started bleeding because I was pulling so hard. I just could not get them off. And then one of the bottom attachments came off when I eventually got the aligner out. Does anyone know whether this may cause a problem with my treatment? I called my dentist this morning and he wants me to come back in tonight and have a new attachment put on, but I have a feeling they're going to be falling off constantly, particularly because I have 7 of them. I can't be at the dentist every day. And they've cut up the inside of my lip pretty bad as well. I'm actually ready to give up, I'm not sure whether it's worth it. I didn't have any major problems before these attachments, I could pull out the aligners in a couple of seconds. I can't see myself wearing these for another 7 months. I may as well have got braces, because it feels like I have a mouth full of concrete. I'm sorry to hear that soozj. Do you really have attachments on the very front upper teeth? If so, I can understand your frustration because that makes the whole 'invisual' thing pointless. And the experience of taking them out does not sound very good either. I hope you would take a few more days to think it through though. You know it can only get better and not worse. After all, the first tray must have been terrible compared to the second one, so it might be the same with the next trays. If you only have 7 months to go, maybe you should keep them for as long as you can, and get the major things fixed. If you would decide to change now to metal, it would surely take time to get it fixed, and that would cost you the improvement you have reached in the first 2 trays. I started to see big changes after the third tray on. Had I been forced to stop at that point, it would have been OK with the results already, because my main goal had been achieved. The teeth were and still are crooked, but that one tooth that had bothered me the most was no longer pointing out somewhere. So bare in mind that you might still get what you wanted, you just need to hang on a little longer. .
Pricey102 Preferred Member	posted 08-28-2007 07:12 AM quote: Originally posted by soozj: I went to the dentist last night to pick up my third set of aligners and I got 7 attachments put on. They're all over the front of my teeth and they're so noticeable, I don't even want to open my mouth anymore. I had to take the aligners out to have dinner last night and my gums started bleeding because I was pulling so hard. I just could not get them off. And then one of the bottom attachments came off when I eventually got the aligner out. Does anyone know whether this may cause a problem with my treatment? I called my dentist this morning and he wants me to come back in tonight and have a new attachment put on, but I have a feeling they're going to be falling off constantly, particularly because I have 7 of them. I can't be at the dentist every day. And they've cut up the inside of my lip pretty bad as well. I'm actually ready to give up, I'm not sure whether it's worth it. I didn't have any major problems before these attachments, I could pull out the aligners in a couple of seconds. I can't see myself wearing these for another 7 months. I may as well have got braces, because it feels like I have a mouth full of concrete. You will get used to them. I have 10 so far and get three more eventually. A few of mine fell off the first time but i switched to changing my sets to night and it gave the attachments a full night to settle on my teeth. They get less scratchy as you brush them. SO they stop cutting your mouth and they get much easier to remove the aligners after a few days .
chris8796 Preferred Member	posted 08-28-2007 09:06 AM quote: Originally posted by soozj: I went to the dentist last night to pick up my third set of aligners and I got 7 attachments put on. They're all over the front of my teeth and they're so noticeable, I don't even want to open my mouth anymore. I had to take the aligners out to have dinner last night and my gums started bleeding because I was pulling so hard. I just could not get them off. And then one of the bottom attachments came off when I eventually got the aligner out. Does anyone know whether this may cause a problem with my treatment? I called my dentist this morning and he wants me to come back in tonight and have a new attachment put on, but I have a feeling they're going to be falling off constantly, particularly because I have 7 of them. I can't be at the dentist every day. And they've cut up the inside of my lip pretty bad as well. I'm actually ready to give up, I'm not sure whether it's worth it. I didn't have any major problems before these attachments, I could pull out the aligners in a couple of seconds. I can't see myself wearing these for another 7 months. I may as well have got braces, because it feels like I have a mouth full of concrete. First off have your dentist file down any rough edges on the attachments. If they won't or you cant get in too see them, get some fine sandpaper (220 grit or higher)and carefully remove any rough edges. You can also take a little off any attachment that is extra tough letting go. This should make it bearable for the short term. You should also get an appliance removal tool or similar tool for helping remove the aligners. As your teeth move and form a more perfect arch and get better vertically alignment, it will be much easier to remove them. As others have said, make sure the first time you wear a set, to do it as long as possible before removing. I can typically go 16 hrs (7 pm - 11 am). I was in a very similar situation as you and was leary of how this would work. Its been 2 months since I had my attachments put on and they are only a minor inconvenience now. good luck and hang tough .
soozj Junior Member	posted 08-28-2007 06:43 PM My dentist talked me out of stopping the treatment, and has re-attached a new attachement to replace the one that fell off. He said I shouldn't have tried to take them out as soon as I got home, I should've slept in them overnight, which is what chris has just mentioned. I was also given a tool (a long metal thing with a hook at the end) to take them out with, and he spent ages showing me how to take them out correctly. He said I need to lift the aligners out where the attachments are fitted first. I was pulling from the back first and then straight down, which he thinks is what caused the attachment to break off. I took them out this morning to brush my teeth and managed to get them out with the metal tool without making my gums bleed or breaking another attachment. I'm avoiding eating at the moment because I don't have the confidence yet to take them out while I'm at work. I need the help of a mirror to remove them and don't want people staring at me in the bathroom. Jil, the attachments aren't on my 2 front teeth, but they're on the ones at the sides so it's quite obvious when I smile. They also make the left side of my top lip puff out a bit, where I have 4 of them in a row. Another thing my dentist mentioned is that I shouldn't be brushing the aligners with toothpaste, because its only meant for teeth and he belives can wear down the aligners. He suggested soap or dishwashing liquid, but I've since bought this spray on foam for cleaning dentures and found it worked well when i used it this morning. I just have to keep thinking to myself 'no pain, no gain' and get through the rest of the 7 months. .

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