Does it ever get easier taking the trays in and out? I don’t even want to eat or drink because it’s such a struggle idk why 😭
Speaking of eating and drinking….How strict are y’all with the eating and drinking? I don’t want to ruin my teeth or the trays. Is it really that serious to take it out? I know gum is a big no no.
Any other tips or advice is appreciated!
It's been almost 3 years.
If you are thinking about it, go for it, the best decision I've made!
Day 1 of Invisalign and I thought the trays would be less visible, like in photos I’ve seen people share. Does it get better as I move forward with future trays?
After so much thought, research, and anxiety, I’m finally starting my journey to correct my open bite as well as some aesthetic spacing and crowding! I’ve only had my first trays in for a couple hours at this point but so far they’re not too uncomfortable or even painful. But that open bite is OPEN. First photo is with aligners and second photo was yesterday without. We’ll see how I feel after wearing rubber bands for the first time tonight. 😅
Excited to start seeing results! Grateful to finally be here after lurking on this sub for soooo long!
Progress so far. Do you see a difference ?
I have some staining going on, but that’s okay! I’m here for the long run. Once I’m done with tray 28 I’ll do refinements, then composite bonding.
Biggest difference in my opinion is how easily I can floss now! My teeth used to be pretty crowded, making it difficult to floss.
Also, my jaw was pretty shifted to the left causing issues with TMJ, pain has been significantly reduced since starting Invisalign!
i'm 1 tray away from being completely done with invisalign and i'm honestly really confused and frustrated about what my dentist wants to do now.
when i first started invisalign, i specifically told him that when i was finished i wanted to do composite bonding to even out the shape and length/edges of my front teeth. he agreed with me and that was basically the plan from the beginning.
now, literally 1 week before i'm done, he's telling me he doesn't want to do the composite anymore and would rather just shave my teeth down. he basically told me it would be easier for him to just shave them down instead of putting the work in to do the composite on me, and i just really don't agree with that. he did not mention any other reason besides that, like if it would affect my bite or something like that). he showed me a visual of what he wants to do, and it was basically making all of my front teeth shorter so they would be closer to the length of my shortest front teeth. the mockup i made is actually really close to what he showed me at my last appointment. extremely short and would make my biting/chewing a lot harder then it is now
my issue is i've told him from the beginning that i do not want healthy enamel removed just for cosmetic reasons unless necessary (like ipr). my teeth are already naturally small, and he has literally told me for years that they are small (has been my dentist since i was 5), so i don't understand why the solution would be to make them even smaller. i don't want giant teeth or anything crazy. i just want the shorter and uneven areas built up a little so everything looks more balanced. not hollywood style, just more natural. i actually like the length of my canines and i would rather have everything look more proportional to them instead of shaving everything down.
top: my teeth now, middle: basically what my dentist wants to do, bottom: what i want done with composite bonding (obviously doesn't have to be exact but just a better visual) last picture is my first tray for reference
the mockups are obviously just edits i made myself (thank you phone stylus) so people can actually see what i'm talking about, but the middle one is still very close to the visual he showed me.
i was also under the impression that composite bonding after invisalign is a pretty normal thing to do, especially when it's just for small shape and edge differences like this. i know bonding can chip, stain, need maintenance, or eventually need to be replaced and i'm okay with that for down the line. i would personally rather deal with that than to permanently remove healthy enamel from multiple teeth that are already small. what bothers me the most is that this was something i brought up before i even started invisalign. he agreed to it then, and now right before i'm finished he's changed his mind.
am i being unreasonable for not wanting him to shave them down? should I get a second opinion from a different dentist? my next appointment is next week! I'm freaking out fr.
I can’t believe it, had my last appointment today. Will remove the attachments in 2 weeks and I’m so stoked. I’ve cried so much through this journey, tears of joy. Something I’ve wanted for a large portion of my life and it’s finally finished.
Invisalign journey of initial trays complete! Very satisfied with the results over 8 months; 17 trays (every 2 weeks); no refinements, now just waiting on retainers.
It was not an easy process and I was pretty diligent about keeping trays in for 20 hrs a day. I used the Invisalign app to help track my time in and out of my teeth for first 4 months, then it got too cumbersome.
Pros: straight teeth! it only works if you stay on top of daily/hours per day.
Cons: bringing a travel kit/bag everywhere, not being to slowly drink and enjoy coffee, can’t wait to do that again once I wear retainers only at night. Brushed and flossed after almost every meal, even at work office.
I used cleaning tablets daily and a bought a $40 Ultrasonic cleaner on Amazon that worked wonders.
Good luck to everyone on their journey!
I’ve been in my retainers for about 5 years now, after finishing my aligner treatment. I wear my retainers every night without fail. My teeth are still straight but over time I can tell there’s a little bit of shifting. So when I request replacement retainers (Vivera) I’m told I need a new scan for them to order from. Why?? Wouldn’t we want the retainers to be in the shape I had right when my teeth were perfect out of my aligner treatment? Why go by a scan where they might have shifted a little and aren’t quite as straight as they originally were? This makes no sense to me. When I asked my orthodontist about this, they agreed but told me that it’s Invisalign’s policy to only replace the aligners with a new scan despite them having the information to create retainers from my original scans. Or is my orthodontist feeding me a line? And paying 500.00 per retainer… ugh. I’m retired and this is getting expensive.
I just got my aligners, and expecting 28 weeks.
I have a 2 month trip to Japan planned in 90 days.
I’m worried about the pain ruining my trip and considering just staying with the same aligners I’m flying with for the entire trip, delaying my progress for 2 months.
What would you recommended?
My ortho is recommending me Invisalign after I removed one of my baby teeth. I’m 24, does this seem plausible? I want to fix my teeth, I’m so embarrassed by it.
I have prominent canines and I love them. It's always been my favorite part of my teeth/smile. I'm worried that my dentist will want to shave them down after my treatment.
I have a slight overbite currently, a 12 tray treatment and am switching to my second tray tomorrow.
I'm obviously going to bring up my concerns when I go in to get my attachments adjusted before my 5th tray.
But how common is it for them to want to shave teeth down?
Also, I'm starting to see gaps in between my teeth and I hate it. I'm scared that they'll be there after my treatment is over 😅
Started: February 2026
Ended: August 2026
Photo 1: After
Photo 2: Day 1 of Invisalign
Photo 3: Before
I am thrilled to finally complete this journey today. My dentist suggested Invisalign to help move my lower teeth further back to reduce grinding and clenching pressure since I suffer from TMJ. The goal was to help distribute chewing forces more evenly and reduce excessive pressure on my jaw joints.
The Invisalign also corrected minor gaps in the bottom.
Overall, I’m very happy with the result. It took a few weeks to get used to wearing the aligners, but for me, the outcome made it worthwhile.
Pictures:
-before
-first day
-about 2-3 months in
-now! About 13 months later and overjoyed
My dentist did this and has been amazing!!!!! Only paid 2k out of pocket with Aetna dental coverage
I'm finishing up my Invisalign treatment (about 1 year of trays + refinements) and I was just informed by my orthodontist that they intend to install a permanent retainer top and bottom during the next visit. They did not discuss this with me prior or during treatment so I'm doing more research as to whether permanent retainers really are that different from night time removable ones for life.
had braces before when I was 13, but was not told by my ortho that I needed to wear removable retainers of the rest of my life so I stopped wearing them and my teeth moved. 20+ years later I did Invisalign because of issues I was having with my crowns/bite. Since I had braces as a teen, but smile hadn't shifted that much and wasn't a source of concern for me. I've been wearing the trays for a year plus so night time retainers forever wouldn't require a change in my routine.
Permanent retainers seem excessive if you're diligent about wearing removables every night. Seeing a lot of posts from folks who decided to go the permanent route and claim that it's better, but there's no counterfactual.
Any Invisligners out there who decided to just do removables and their teeth are doing just fine? Or any that regret not getting permanent?
I had 2 of my wisdom teeth removed from the left side of my mouth 3 weeks ago, it was done as a surgery and i also had my stitches removed 2 weeks ago. But today i had some kind of feeling at the back of my mouth in the morning and in the evening it got worse and my left cheek is swollen right now and it kinda hurts as well...im wondering if should continue wearing my aligners, i havent been able to ask it to my orthodontist since it was late at night.. the photo that shows inside my mouth was taken just before my left cheek swallowed
Has anyone ever been here in Houston for Invisalign? They have the best prices in Houston for Invisalign at $3279
Will Invisalign be able to fix this?
I am on my 2nd aligner out of a total of 82. Do you think Invisalign will be able to fully fix my teeth/bite based on how things look now?
I’d appreciate any feedback from people who’ve had a similar case.
Note: I had dental cleaning done before starting invisalign. Dentist said she would be able to fix it in 82 aligners.
My dentist she has - MAGD (Master of the Academy of General Dentistry), Invisalign Diamond provider, Bioclear-certified, with expertise in cosmetic, restorative, implant, and Invisalign dentistry.