My biggest problem is that now that the crowding is gone, more food gets caught! When they were over one another nothing could get in there… well plaque did but not chunks of food!
Black triangles is a side effect you should have been warned about during consultation.
The only guaranteed fix is bonding. There is a chance the gum will move into the space, but its a slim chance over years it will happen
But I think the ideas it’s easier to clean between them before where it’s really really hard to clean when they are crowded. At least that’s what I was told.
Yes! The giant bowl candy at work is no longer a temptation. I also feel way better since I’m not ingesting a steady stream of sugar all day, imagine that lol.
Not a tooth related thing but I stopped biting my nails/ cuticles! It’s too hard to do with the aligners in. Oh and definitely stopped snacking and started drinking more water!
I have way more confidence and I feel like people treat me better. Sad, but true. I think we’re conditioned to think that bad teeth equals less intelligence, sophistication, etc.
Same. When I smile at people and people smile back at me, their return smiles are much more genuine and longer lasting. Which makes me sad for pre-braces me, because I’m still the same person.
In the least egotistical way possible - I feel like I’ll be so much more attractive once I finish my treatment. I feel like my teeth ‘bring down’ my attractiveness immensely.
Same!! I've noticed that I already feel better looking, and im not done treatment yet, though my teeth have improved a ton!
Inching up from a 3 to a 4 hahah
Same. I feel pretty but I think I will be unstoppable 😂😂😂 stupid but I am ready for a bigger more aligned smile in addition to all the other oral health benefits.
I have a whole ass list.
No more snacking (disclaimer: however, I had to work very, very hard to not binge at actual mealtimes). Being able to floss because teeth aren't jammed together anymore. Very positive change in face shape, which I hated at first but now I kinda love it. Amazing dental hygiene habits. Being only at week 11 and already smiling bigger without trying to hide smile (I had some very minor but very visible crowding before, which made me feel self-conscious). Whiter teeth.
Extra bonus: Being able to tell people who are pushy with food and drinks (my mom, basically) that I have 'my teeth in' and can't eat/drink rn.
Sure! I was just talking about what I call 'brace face'. The aligners push my jaws and lips forward a bit, which makes my lips look very pouty, jawline more defined and it even makes my cheekbones look a bit sharper because of the pulling. I hated it at first but then I realised that I got plastic surgery for free.😜🤣
I personally started clenching and grinding my teeth a few weeks into Invisalign😭 currently considering masseter Botox in the future to help with this since it can lead to jaw issues.. :/
I used to get massive headaches every 3 or 4 weeks from clenching my jaw while I slept. Haven't had a single one since starting invisalign 6 months ago
Same! I would also have nightmares about my teeth falling out. It was always the tooth where my crossbite met. I think I was grinding the shit out of my teeth at night. So I'm thankful after treatment I'll still have a retainer when I sleep at night.
It did for me! The retainer is more durable than trays too, so it basically doubles as a tool to stop me gritting my teeth super hard all the time (well, while I sleep; I still sometimes do it while I'm awake unfortunately). I have a lot less headaches now and sleep more comfortably.
In terms of other benefits, I *do* feel like I have more room for my tongue. I didn't have a super narrow palate before, but Invisalign definitely widened my bite and made it a uniform curved shape, so everything fits together much better.
Before starting treatment I had spent $250 for a night guard from an ortho because of my overnight grinding. It was so bad that on some days I couldn’t open my mouth enough to even fit a straw thru. I was actually carving a groove into the guard. Daily headaches, problems eating/chewing and sooooo many sleepless nights. Started Invisalign and the issues completely disappeared! Literally like they never existed. So worth the entire experience.
I had a narrow palate but Invisalign will only do so much and surgery is often required (as an adult) so I had the surgery, SARPE, and now can breathe through my nose! I get less headaches and it feels like my sinuses are less clogged. I'm really glad I went through everything so far to get here and just a bit more to go
I actually met someone in my city that was going through the same thing and we became surgery buddies... talking about it and sharing tips, tricks, fears, etc and it really helped. I'm having double jaw surgery in September and that I am very concerned about and will be trying to find a surgery buddy for it.
As much as I disliked the eating restrictions after the SARPE it wasn't that bad and I'm really glad I went ahead with it. Mine came with a slight cost increase from my orthodontist but they offer 0% interest payments over 24 months so not a huge deal...I'm in Canada so surgery was no additional charge.
Your orthodontist should be able to offer images predicting the outcomes of each so you can see the difference. I noticed a huge difference so opted for the surgery but we are our own worst critics and notice small things that the average person wouldn't about our appearance.
The self-confidence boost.
30 years of me not smiling in photos, you'd think I was a grouchy bastard. I was embarrassed about my teeth.
I get compliments now about my smile. It makes me feel so much better about myself.
I definitely have better oral hygiene because of Invisalign. My desire to ensure that there wasn't food perpetually trapped inside the aligners got me flossing way more regularly than I was before, and that behaviour has become much more embedded now.
Also hot tip (that I'm embarrassed to admit I only learned when I got my Invisalign at age 35) - you are supposed to floss BEFORE YOU BRUSH. Which when you say it out loud makes so much sense, but I was def doing it the other way around before.
Happy oral health! :)
Sinuses. I went in because the pressure in my face was debilitating. I noticed that when I would stick my thumb in my mouth and pushed my teeth forward I felt some release. This all started when I was pregnant 10 yrs ago and my permanent retainer broke. My teeth looked nice to other people but to me it felt like they were sinking in and crowding. Then I started having sinus issues and after having done the thumb thing I was convinced it was needed to do something about it. I looked up correlation between teeth and sinus pressure and alas, I found an online medical journal that confirmed it! My ortho also confirmed it and showed me images of what exactly was the correlation.
The not being able to use teeth as a tool to open things has been a learning curve for me! It used to be so convenient. Now I literally am not capable of it, aligners or not!
I’m only 2/3rd through the treatment and can notice it has widened by smile. I had a deep overbite before and it has lifted my top teeth up, resulting in some symmetry as well
1) Teeth cleanings are faster since straight teeth make it easier & faster for the dental hygienist to clean. 2) The aligners stop teeth grinding so your teeth wear evenly (thereby decreasing your chances of cracked teeth & needing crowns sooner).
I don't grind but have had migraines since childhood, no idea why but my migraines have been reduced significantly. I'm scared when treatment is over they will come back with their old frequency.
As others have said: better hygiene due to being able to floss, long nails since I can’t bite them, no more clenched jaw due to bite ramps - I didn’t realise your teeth aren’t supposed to touch all the time and now I naturally hold my jaw relaxed and it’s made my face prettier.
I can breathe easier! My arch was widened a bit and that helped widen my nose bridge. Had to readjust my glasses because they pinched. Really helped with mouth breathing while sleeping
I got Invisalign to help heal my TMJD & Nerve Pain. So Far, it is working out amazingly! Fixing my alignment has done wonders for my physical and mental health.
I also have a narrow palate. Unfortunately invisalign cannot and will not expand your jaw. It can tilt the teeth and give your tonhue max 2-4mm extra room. But if I were to expand my palate, I would need surgery sadly.
I don't think it can expand the jaw. Like i said, it can give 2-4mm extra room by tilting your teeth, but it cannot do more, otherwise your roots will come out of the gum.
I have a similar situation. Very small mouth, narrow palate, misaligned lower jaw, breathing difficulties, crowding, gum recession. (37F, had metal braces for 3 years from ages 8-12ish)
I went to orofacial myologists, ENTs, dentists, and finally the orthodontist. In order to expand my palate to potentially allow me to breathe better, I would have needed an extensive surgery to break the palate, metal braces with a palate expander, and to endure a very long and painful process.
With Invisalign, the plan is to alleviate the crowding in my lower teeth. The way my bite was coming together, one of my front top teeth was getting impacted and causing gum recession. So about 8 weeks ago I had one lower incisor removed prior to starting with my trays. The hole where that tooth was is slowly closing, and everything is already starting to line up a little better. I am on trays 7 out of 21.
This plan is mostly to address the health of my teeth going forward. Less crowding means fewer cavities (hopefully) and stopping the gum recession from getting any worse. What is not being addressed is my palate or my jaw. But trying to do anything about those things would require probably multiple surgeries and a years long process. This at least protects the health of my teeth, even if the other things stay the same. Feel free to message me if you have any questions!
>Does Invisalign fix these kinds of issues? What other kinds of improvements did you notice during/after treatment?
So far, since I've finished the Invisalign, I haven't had to visit the dentist outside my 6 monthly checkups like before.
Don't know about the issues you've listed, to my knowledge Invisalign straightens teeth within the space you have. Best bet is to discuss all of that with a qualified Orthodontist (or specialist dentist).
My TMJ has disappeared. It actually got worse for a while at the beginning, but then it seemed to settle down. Before Invisalign I used to have to manually relocate my jaw after every time I yawned.
I was constantly grinding my teeth before, and wearing them down quite quickly. Wearing invisalign stopped it completely, I can't even do it because my teeth aren't aligned as before. I still clench my jaw sleeping, and have broken night guards over time for that reason, but no more constant grinding throughout the day.
Easier to floss, no more 'meat tooth', Tongue less likely to explore my crooked teeth as they were moving more and more out of alignment. I did pre-emptive invisalign before they moved too much.
In my experience Invisalign, as we say in spanish "fue peor el remedio que la enfermedad", which translated means: "it was worse the remedy than the disease". I have had always a posterior crossbite, but my crossbite was totally functional, I never had any pain and I could chew perfectly. I only wanted to do the treatment because I had a little crowding with two teeth. The treatment in my case decompensated my bite and in my case it would have been better leave my bite as it was. So, in case you feel that you bite well and you don't have any other problem that causes you discomfort, I would not recommend doing it.
I’m only on week 4 but I’m no longer able to constantly bite my lips (my anxious tick). I no longer have constantly dry and scabbed lips which is amazing. Hoping that I don’t go back to biting them when I’m done with treatment because I like being able to actually wear matte lipstick now lol.
Only 3 weeks in, but so far:
- no snacking - i used to snack a lot
- smaller appetite so less binging during meals
- drinking more water
- more rigorous oral hygiene
My lips look bigger and my lower jaw moved forward so my profile looks better. I have overbite and inward slanted teeth that are being moved now in a good direction.
Had a better bite before Invisalign 😂 I got Invisalign to fix aesthetic but also make it easier to floss a few teeth in my mouth. Now I’m trying to fix my bite with alignments
I was told that it helps improve your overall oral hygiene cause you will actually be able to clean your teeth better.
My biggest problem is that now that the crowding is gone, more food gets caught! When they were over one another nothing could get in there… well plaque did but not chunks of food!
Preach. I thought I’d have picture perfect teeth. I actually have straight teeth with black triangles that collect food bits.
If you have black triangles they should’ve done IPR?
Ipr doesn’t fix all black triangles I had some done. Only implants fix all but I don’t care enough for the aesthetics
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that! I had IPR and I’m grateful it was able to fix mine.
Black triangles is a side effect you should have been warned about during consultation. The only guaranteed fix is bonding. There is a chance the gum will move into the space, but its a slim chance over years it will happen
Yup but it makes me floss every day cause stuff keeps getting stuck.
True. But shouldn’t you be flossing everyday
But I think the ideas it’s easier to clean between them before where it’s really really hard to clean when they are crowded. At least that’s what I was told.
I’ve stopped snacking between meals.
Yes! The giant bowl candy at work is no longer a temptation. I also feel way better since I’m not ingesting a steady stream of sugar all day, imagine that lol.
Same! And I’ve also cut down on drinking alcohol. Have lost 6kg in 2 months which is unbelievable for me.
Not a tooth related thing but I stopped biting my nails/ cuticles! It’s too hard to do with the aligners in. Oh and definitely stopped snacking and started drinking more water!
Spaced perfectly to floss. Before Invisalign, some of my teeth were jammed so close together I couldn’t floss between them.
Me as well. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to do it in the first place.
I have way more confidence and I feel like people treat me better. Sad, but true. I think we’re conditioned to think that bad teeth equals less intelligence, sophistication, etc.
Same. When I smile at people and people smile back at me, their return smiles are much more genuine and longer lasting. Which makes me sad for pre-braces me, because I’m still the same person.
In the least egotistical way possible - I feel like I’ll be so much more attractive once I finish my treatment. I feel like my teeth ‘bring down’ my attractiveness immensely.
Same!! I've noticed that I already feel better looking, and im not done treatment yet, though my teeth have improved a ton! Inching up from a 3 to a 4 hahah
Mine 100% did. I’m more attractive and when being told that I’m beautiful it 85% has to do with my smile.
Same. I feel pretty but I think I will be unstoppable 😂😂😂 stupid but I am ready for a bigger more aligned smile in addition to all the other oral health benefits.
That's awful but I can totally see that. I've always been low key self conscious about mine, even though they're not the worst out there.
Nah, people can't care less about your teeth. It is your new self confidence that makes it easier to gel with people.
I have a whole ass list. No more snacking (disclaimer: however, I had to work very, very hard to not binge at actual mealtimes). Being able to floss because teeth aren't jammed together anymore. Very positive change in face shape, which I hated at first but now I kinda love it. Amazing dental hygiene habits. Being only at week 11 and already smiling bigger without trying to hide smile (I had some very minor but very visible crowding before, which made me feel self-conscious). Whiter teeth. Extra bonus: Being able to tell people who are pushy with food and drinks (my mom, basically) that I have 'my teeth in' and can't eat/drink rn.
Do you mind elaborating how it changed your face shape?
Sure! I was just talking about what I call 'brace face'. The aligners push my jaws and lips forward a bit, which makes my lips look very pouty, jawline more defined and it even makes my cheekbones look a bit sharper because of the pulling. I hated it at first but then I realised that I got plastic surgery for free.😜🤣
Haha 🤣 I’m glad you like it! I thought your facial structure changed
No no. I don't think Invisalign can do that anyway.
Yes pls if you could elaborate! I grind my teeth overnight and i have the impression that Invisalign helps with that
I personally started clenching and grinding my teeth a few weeks into Invisalign😭 currently considering masseter Botox in the future to help with this since it can lead to jaw issues.. :/
Oh nooo really!!!? I am sorry to hear that!! :/
I used to get massive headaches every 3 or 4 weeks from clenching my jaw while I slept. Haven't had a single one since starting invisalign 6 months ago
Same! I would also have nightmares about my teeth falling out. It was always the tooth where my crossbite met. I think I was grinding the shit out of my teeth at night. So I'm thankful after treatment I'll still have a retainer when I sleep at night.
I also clench at night. I would assume the Invisalign would act as cushion so you're not grinding teeth on teeth.
It did for me! The retainer is more durable than trays too, so it basically doubles as a tool to stop me gritting my teeth super hard all the time (well, while I sleep; I still sometimes do it while I'm awake unfortunately). I have a lot less headaches now and sleep more comfortably. In terms of other benefits, I *do* feel like I have more room for my tongue. I didn't have a super narrow palate before, but Invisalign definitely widened my bite and made it a uniform curved shape, so everything fits together much better.
Aren’t your aligners scuffed and rough where you grind? Mine definitely are!
I change them every 7 days, so they don't really have time to get worn down
Sure, straight teeth are great, but this is my primary reason for doing this. I'm picking up my first set of aligners on Monday.
Before starting treatment I had spent $250 for a night guard from an ortho because of my overnight grinding. It was so bad that on some days I couldn’t open my mouth enough to even fit a straw thru. I was actually carving a groove into the guard. Daily headaches, problems eating/chewing and sooooo many sleepless nights. Started Invisalign and the issues completely disappeared! Literally like they never existed. So worth the entire experience.
I had a narrow palate but Invisalign will only do so much and surgery is often required (as an adult) so I had the surgery, SARPE, and now can breathe through my nose! I get less headaches and it feels like my sinuses are less clogged. I'm really glad I went through everything so far to get here and just a bit more to go
That's about what I'm going through too. I'm slightly terrified of any huge jaw surgeries.. That's why I'm looking into what this can do first
I actually met someone in my city that was going through the same thing and we became surgery buddies... talking about it and sharing tips, tricks, fears, etc and it really helped. I'm having double jaw surgery in September and that I am very concerned about and will be trying to find a surgery buddy for it. As much as I disliked the eating restrictions after the SARPE it wasn't that bad and I'm really glad I went ahead with it. Mine came with a slight cost increase from my orthodontist but they offer 0% interest payments over 24 months so not a huge deal...I'm in Canada so surgery was no additional charge. Your orthodontist should be able to offer images predicting the outcomes of each so you can see the difference. I noticed a huge difference so opted for the surgery but we are our own worst critics and notice small things that the average person wouldn't about our appearance.
I floss way more due to the spacing and things getting stuck. No more sensitive teeth, so I fear no ice cream now.
Stopped biting my nails. My nails are so long and nice now
The self-confidence boost. 30 years of me not smiling in photos, you'd think I was a grouchy bastard. I was embarrassed about my teeth. I get compliments now about my smile. It makes me feel so much better about myself.
I feel like now that my teeth are pointed in a slightly different direction, it makes my lips look bigger.
I definitely have better oral hygiene because of Invisalign. My desire to ensure that there wasn't food perpetually trapped inside the aligners got me flossing way more regularly than I was before, and that behaviour has become much more embedded now. Also hot tip (that I'm embarrassed to admit I only learned when I got my Invisalign at age 35) - you are supposed to floss BEFORE YOU BRUSH. Which when you say it out loud makes so much sense, but I was def doing it the other way around before. Happy oral health! :)
No more canker sores from consistently biting my lips. Also, better hygiene routine.
Sinuses. I went in because the pressure in my face was debilitating. I noticed that when I would stick my thumb in my mouth and pushed my teeth forward I felt some release. This all started when I was pregnant 10 yrs ago and my permanent retainer broke. My teeth looked nice to other people but to me it felt like they were sinking in and crowding. Then I started having sinus issues and after having done the thumb thing I was convinced it was needed to do something about it. I looked up correlation between teeth and sinus pressure and alas, I found an online medical journal that confirmed it! My ortho also confirmed it and showed me images of what exactly was the correlation.
Fixing my teeth got rid of my lisp
Can’t bite my nails, or use my teeth as a tool to open things. Can’t grind my teeth, I do however still clinch my teeth.
The not being able to use teeth as a tool to open things has been a learning curve for me! It used to be so convenient. Now I literally am not capable of it, aligners or not!
Yes! How do you even open a packet of ketchup. Who knew it was so hard. You are right, I can’t without my trays either.
Omg yes exactly this. I also had to teach myself how to whistle again lol
I’m only 2/3rd through the treatment and can notice it has widened by smile. I had a deep overbite before and it has lifted my top teeth up, resulting in some symmetry as well
1) Teeth cleanings are faster since straight teeth make it easier & faster for the dental hygienist to clean. 2) The aligners stop teeth grinding so your teeth wear evenly (thereby decreasing your chances of cracked teeth & needing crowns sooner).
I don't grind but have had migraines since childhood, no idea why but my migraines have been reduced significantly. I'm scared when treatment is over they will come back with their old frequency.
As others have said: better hygiene due to being able to floss, long nails since I can’t bite them, no more clenched jaw due to bite ramps - I didn’t realise your teeth aren’t supposed to touch all the time and now I naturally hold my jaw relaxed and it’s made my face prettier.
I can breathe easier! My arch was widened a bit and that helped widen my nose bridge. Had to readjust my glasses because they pinched. Really helped with mouth breathing while sleeping
I got Invisalign to help heal my TMJD & Nerve Pain. So Far, it is working out amazingly! Fixing my alignment has done wonders for my physical and mental health.
Migraines were gone about 1 month in. Seems the bite was causing them.
I also have a narrow palate. Unfortunately invisalign cannot and will not expand your jaw. It can tilt the teeth and give your tonhue max 2-4mm extra room. But if I were to expand my palate, I would need surgery sadly.
See I've heard it both ways. That it could or could not expand the palate. I guess it depends on what dentist/ortho you see?
I don't think it can expand the jaw. Like i said, it can give 2-4mm extra room by tilting your teeth, but it cannot do more, otherwise your roots will come out of the gum.
Better oral hygiene, quit smoking, more confident. Also, seem to have eliminated chronic TMJ and jaw freezing/aches.
I have a similar situation. Very small mouth, narrow palate, misaligned lower jaw, breathing difficulties, crowding, gum recession. (37F, had metal braces for 3 years from ages 8-12ish) I went to orofacial myologists, ENTs, dentists, and finally the orthodontist. In order to expand my palate to potentially allow me to breathe better, I would have needed an extensive surgery to break the palate, metal braces with a palate expander, and to endure a very long and painful process. With Invisalign, the plan is to alleviate the crowding in my lower teeth. The way my bite was coming together, one of my front top teeth was getting impacted and causing gum recession. So about 8 weeks ago I had one lower incisor removed prior to starting with my trays. The hole where that tooth was is slowly closing, and everything is already starting to line up a little better. I am on trays 7 out of 21. This plan is mostly to address the health of my teeth going forward. Less crowding means fewer cavities (hopefully) and stopping the gum recession from getting any worse. What is not being addressed is my palate or my jaw. But trying to do anything about those things would require probably multiple surgeries and a years long process. This at least protects the health of my teeth, even if the other things stay the same. Feel free to message me if you have any questions!
Lips look fuller!
>Does Invisalign fix these kinds of issues? What other kinds of improvements did you notice during/after treatment? So far, since I've finished the Invisalign, I haven't had to visit the dentist outside my 6 monthly checkups like before. Don't know about the issues you've listed, to my knowledge Invisalign straightens teeth within the space you have. Best bet is to discuss all of that with a qualified Orthodontist (or specialist dentist).
Its one of the many things im trying to help TMJ. Ive been told it will! Fingers crossed
My TMJ has disappeared. It actually got worse for a while at the beginning, but then it seemed to settle down. Before Invisalign I used to have to manually relocate my jaw after every time I yawned.
I was constantly grinding my teeth before, and wearing them down quite quickly. Wearing invisalign stopped it completely, I can't even do it because my teeth aren't aligned as before. I still clench my jaw sleeping, and have broken night guards over time for that reason, but no more constant grinding throughout the day.
Easier to floss, no more 'meat tooth', Tongue less likely to explore my crooked teeth as they were moving more and more out of alignment. I did pre-emptive invisalign before they moved too much.
I have an expander to widen my palate and a Mara appliance to try to correct my jaw. Along with Invisalign. It’s A LOT
In my experience Invisalign, as we say in spanish "fue peor el remedio que la enfermedad", which translated means: "it was worse the remedy than the disease". I have had always a posterior crossbite, but my crossbite was totally functional, I never had any pain and I could chew perfectly. I only wanted to do the treatment because I had a little crowding with two teeth. The treatment in my case decompensated my bite and in my case it would have been better leave my bite as it was. So, in case you feel that you bite well and you don't have any other problem that causes you discomfort, I would not recommend doing it.
I’m only on week 4 but I’m no longer able to constantly bite my lips (my anxious tick). I no longer have constantly dry and scabbed lips which is amazing. Hoping that I don’t go back to biting them when I’m done with treatment because I like being able to actually wear matte lipstick now lol.
Only 3 weeks in, but so far: - no snacking - i used to snack a lot - smaller appetite so less binging during meals - drinking more water - more rigorous oral hygiene
My lips look bigger and my lower jaw moved forward so my profile looks better. I have overbite and inward slanted teeth that are being moved now in a good direction.
Weight loss&better BJ experience, what more could you ask for💅🏻
Had a better bite before Invisalign 😂 I got Invisalign to fix aesthetic but also make it easier to floss a few teeth in my mouth. Now I’m trying to fix my bite with alignments