Invisalign attachments were not exactly what I thought they’d be. First, I didn’t realize how long it would take. My appointment lasted an hour. That is probably because I had quite a few attachments to put on my teeth. With an overbite, asymmetrical bite, space between my front teeth, etc. it takes quite a bit to straighten that out. I also didn’t realize the attachments had to be “filed” down and smoothed. The tool they used looked and sounded like a drill. Some of my gums have receded due to my “age” and when the clinical assistant got close to the gum line, I could feel it! But she was very aware of this and did her best to reduce any pain that I might have felt. She never actually touched the tooth but I could feel it in the nerve a tad. I just kept reminding myself of the beautiful smile I would have at the end of the treatment. Another aspect of Invisalign attachments that I hadn’t anticipated was eating with attachments. Food definitely gets caught around the attachments which makes me definitely want to brush my teeth after I eat. I’ve been quite vigilant about brushing my teeth before I put the aligners back in but now, even more so.

I was really excited about this Invisalign attachment appointment because I knew the attachments would take the teeth straightening to a whole new level. At age 42, I’ve waited quite a while to get my teeth straightened so I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to see a change in my smile. With this blog, I want to be honest about my experience both positive and negative. I want readers to realize the “no pain, no gain” aspect of Invisalign. It is definitely better than metal brackets that you can’t take out and that food really gets stuck in. I love the aspect of being able to take the aligners out. If I’m at a party or work function that involves eating, I just take them out and put them back in when I leave. I actually like wearing them over taking them out because they fill in the space between my front teeth and already make my smile look a lot better.

I was with two friends today and they offered me a snack to eat. I turned it down because my aligners were in and I didn’t want to take them out, eat, brush my teeth, and put them back in just for Cheezits (less snacking, another benefit.) So I told them I was wearing the aligners and I didn’t want to take them out. They were shocked. They had no idea I was wearing them, even with attachments! And they had never heard of Invisalign! I got to educate them on this amazing teeth straightening treatment! They couldn’t believe you could take them out and that you couldn’t see them. That was very encouraging to me.

I don’t go back for another 7 weeks. Next week I change my aligners for the first time. I’ll let you know how that goes. In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions. I’d be happy to answer them!

-Melissa

I’m on my second week wearing Invisalign and no one has really noticed. Even my husband forgets I’m wearing them! One friend did notice them and thought they were cool and said she was considering doing Invisalign. Like me, she did not want to look like a 12-year-old with a metal mouth. No offense to 12-year-olds. I am definitely much better at putting the Invisalign aligners in and taking them out. I even discreetly took them out at a restaurant tonight because someone was in the bathroom and wouldn’t come out. Nobody knew the difference. And it has definitely helped me cut down on snacking because I know I’ll have to brush my teeth and clean my aligners before I put them back in. Sometimes M&Ms just aren’t worth it. ;0) I go back to Carter Orthodontics on the 16th to get my attachments. (Little bumps of tooth colored acrylic called attachments may be bondedglued to the front or back side of specific teeth to give your aligners more grip on your teeth for moving them updown, changing their tilt, or spinning them straight.) That will be interesting learning how to take the aligners out and put them back in with the attachments on my teeth. I’ll post a video about that too. Feel free to ask questions or make comments about your own Invisalign experience. – Melissa

Now I get to try to insert and remove the Invisalign aligners myself! It took a bit but I figured it out!

This is a video taken during my first appointment at Carter Orthodontics to receive my first set of Invisalign aligners. Cheryl, the Clinical Manager, shows me how to insert and remove the aligners. To insert them, you start with the front teeth and then work your way around to the back teeth. They fit really snug at first! To pull them out, you start with the back teeth and work your way around. I found this to be difficult at first mostly because I thought I was going to break a nail. (One tip would be to cut your fingernails before this appointment.) I’m actually on day 3 of wearing the aligners. My teeth only hurt when I’m taking the aligners out or putting them in. And by “hurt” I really mean that I feel soreness for a moment. My mouth stays kind of dry so I’m drinking more water than I normally do which is a good thing. And I’m not snacking near as much as I normally would because I need to brush my teeth before I put the aligners back in after eating. I’m finding it’s just not worth the snack. :0) I really would rather wear the aligners than not because they make my smile look better when they are in. The space between my two front teeth isn’t noticeable at all when the aligners are in. Any questions??  – Melissa

Today I went for my first appointment at Carter Orthodontics to get my first Invisalign aligners! I was very excited and a little nervous. The main thing I worried about was how uncomfortable the aligners might be at first. Having seen both of my teenage boys go through Damon Braces with Carter Orthodontics, I was expecting a bit of pain on the first day. Thankfully, it was not bad at all. The boys didn’t want to bite down on food at all and requested milk shakes. I was able to eat dinner with no pain at all. Certain teeth are definitely more sore than others but I took some Advil and they are fine.

Cheryl, Carter Orthodontics’ Clinical Manager, was very friendly and knowledgeable about Invisalign and was able to answer all of my questions. I was worried that I couldn’t chew gum for bad breath anymore. While that is true, I can have mints as long as I don’t bite down on them. She even said I can drink Coke and tea, but it might stain my teeth. I think I’ll stick to water. She also gave me a sheet of instructions and went over them with me. She even gave me her cell phone number and told me to call anytime I had questions. How’s that for service?!

The coolest part of the appointment was getting to see a computer animated 3D image of my teeth. It showed my teeth before, during and after the Invisalign process. I took some video of it and am including it in this post.

When I came home my husband looked at my teeth and said the space between my two front teeth had already closed up. I looked in the mirror and it was true! I was so excited! I have always had that space between my front teeth. Unfortunately, when I take the aligners out, the space is still there. But it has only been one day. I’m already much better at pulling the aligners out and putting them back in. I’m really excited about the Invisalign process and glad that I can be documenting the process to help other people make this decision.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. – Melissa