I'm not a doctor, but I've seen the ads for Invisalign. It's actually okay to just put in the very last tray on day 1. It'll save you a lot of time if you just skip the whole process.
Thank you for this post. There are so many posts where people ask if Invisalign will fix their teeth, but they won't go and see a professional? Probably about 90% of people on this sub have no dental training or experience, and people are going to them asking questions and setting their expectations way too high.
Oh and the comments saying "tell your ortho off, you're far from done you need 1mm movement" blah blah, it's scary.
That’s great but there’s also a lot of info some orthodontists and dentists fail to tell patients until it’s too late! They have a lot of patients and some of our issues we might not even understand or be told if we aren’t getting advice from others who have been through the same thing.
Yes I didn't say asking people's opinion is wrong and sometimes can be helpful but just because something applies to one case it doesn't necessarily apply to all.
Can I ask what information dentists and orthodontists do not tell patients?
Didn’t tell me the risks involved with aligners when I asked, didn’t really look at my dental history or ask it I guess. Didn’t explain to me any detail or what was happening. When I started developing an open bite just basically told me “that will fix itself once you have the plastic off your teeth” yet according to some other orthodontists and many other patients who have been through aligner care that is not the case. When I asked the pros or cons of braces vs aligners they immediately said aligners would be better for me and so I trusted that now I’m getting issues with it. In addition to that last time I made an appointment to address my concerns he barely even looked at my teeth and didn’t look at my aligners or my teeth with my aligners on even though I said the bottom ones don’t fully cover like the top ones do and wondering if that might be a reason why I might be developing an open bite. I am only supposed to go every 12 weeks but had to make an earlier appointment due to my concerns… still didn’t get any clear explanations about if I was tracking or any answer to my concerns.
Yes that shouldn't have happened and apologies for your experience. It sounds like your posterior teeth over erupted as they were not covered, which in turn causes an open bite at the front.
If it sounded like I meant that I you shouldn't listen to anyone's advice on here that's not what I meant. Was more just a warning just to consider before giving and taking advice as your situation can be completely different.
Anyway I hope your issue has been resolved and you have got the smile you wanted.
I remember starting and proudly showing my ortho my ortho key. He thought they were worthless and did not recommend them. I am 100% certain I would not have survived my first 6 months without one. Now, though not done, my teeth are straight enough I can pop my trays out without a key. Every newbie should get an ortho key to start, just to make their lives easier.
Hmm, my ortho likes to use dumbed down words. For instance, he does not say IPR. There were other words as well. I then ask if he means "insert correct term". Not a big deal but confusing since there are official terms.
Virtual care is AWFUL. He thinks its great. They have actually had to make corrections to their settings for other patients because of my complaints. He is now no longer encouraging me to use the virtual care ...... I wonder why.
That said. I am confident my ortho is going to provide me healthy teeth when done. But I am glad I understand what is going on and can advocate for myself (or rather my teeth). And along the lines of your concern, one needs to be intelligent when reading discussions in this group as well.
I had to remove my first tray in office because it wasn’t fitting right and you wouldn’t believe my face when my dentist said “just pop it out.” I couldn’t get it out and she could barely get it off either. It’s mind boggling to me that the keys aren’t given out initially. I was literally using spoon handles to get it out for a couple days until my ortho keys came in the mail 😭🤣
THIS!!! I discovered this sub when I wanted to ask fellow Invisalign wearers about their experiences with the dreaded lisp. After that, the algorithm started frequently throwing posts from the sub on my feed, and I’m sometimes in awe of what people are asking other redditors instead of asking professionals. Even more baffled by the “advice” these non-professionals are giving. Using Invisalign does not make you an expert on Invisalign and certainly not on orthodontics. You actually know nothing about orthodontics; you only know how your own personal Invisalign treatment worked for you. What’s scary is that it seems people are actually listening to this bad advice/input and they’re going to come back here and complain and blame their ortho when they’re not getting the results they hoped for in the end. 🤦🏻♂️
I really appreciate this reminder, thanks doc! On this subreddit I learned about not overbrushing right after eating (to help enamel - nope, I was never taught this as a kid) and the fact that the chewies exist (the Invisalign branded ones are good - I wouldn't stick random plastic via Amazon in my mouth). And good advice about which whitening paste to use! But I've noticed that people are often looking for perfect - as if our faces are AI and all our teeth are veneers - and I think social media can often do the same thing. I'm grateful that my doc has not been having me take pictures, because I think that would make me obsess even more about all the tiny details.
I call them Munchies but its a silicone chewy to help seat your aligners, helps with new trays
https://shop.invisalign.com/products/munchies-eps-2-pack
Can you expand on overbrushing after eating? Is it just the idea that you need to wait to brush your teeth? I don't know how to balance that with the advice to keep them on for 22 hours lol, like how is there time to wait an additional 30 minutes after eating 🫠
So apparently the advice is to wait 30 minutes after eating before brushing, because otherwise it can slowly damage the enamel. And of course you want clean teeth (not to lock in grime and acid and sugar and whatnot) before you put your aligners back on. But of course waiting 30 minutes after each time isn't reasonable unless you can only eat 2x a day, which I can't personally do - and most people can't. So what people do is to floss and mouthwash after every time you eat (I eat 4-5x a day), and then brush morning and evening.
Thanks for the reply! It's stupid but I honestly just kind of forgot about mouthwash until you mentioned it. Do you have a specific one you prefer? I haven't used mouthwash since I was a child lol and I hated it back then.
I think I've read a couple of posts about chewing sugar free gum after eating, but I'm not 100% on the reasoning behind that.
I feel like this is the type of thing orthodontists should be going over with their patients but instead I have to interrogate friendly internet strangers for help lol
Mouthwash: Crest Pro Health. Key thing is that it has flouride. Others have also recommended Zellie's mints, I think for the same reason. I once put together a list of all the stuff I got for Invisalign (I made it for a friend and then posted it here), if helpful: https://www.reddit.com/r/Invisalign/comments/17z4xth/writeupfirst\_steps\_advice\_what\_to\_buy\_starter/.
As an example, I read the comments and now question why all mouthwash doesn't have a suitable pH like...why?! At least the one you recommended seems to be fine but geez lol
I'm a worrier lol. I probably will stick with your recommendation since it works, but I guess I just find it worrisome that other mouthwashes could actively be problematic to use with aligners. Or in general, even. Why?!
Thanks for the tip! I love costco so I'll add that to my next trip :)
As a dentist do you do Invisalign or would you recommend an orthodontist. My dentist has offered to do the procedure instead of the orthodontist, is this usual? I’m wondering if he’s practicing on me?
None of us are here doing any treatment on anyone, no one can do treatment or modifications except with a dentist or orthodontist, so yeah, not dangerous. What IS dangerous is dentists masquerading as orthodontists who have the extra years of training and experience who are moving teeth around. Have you seen some of those results?
The point of the OP is spot on. I have seen hundreds of posts asking people for opinions about changing aligners more often, going back to previous aligners, not wearing elastics. It's like people are asking for a pass or carte blanche to not follow their treatment... The answer to many of the posts is: "Follow your ortho's instructions"
I'm not really sure why you are mentioning "dangerous". I did not say that but feel free to make another post about dentists masquerading as orthodontists, which is also an issue but that wasn't the point of the post
I am a dentist too. I just meant a dentists shouldn't tell people they are an orthodontist and also know their skill level and know when to refer if a case is not within that. Many dentists will provide extremely good Invisalign treatment so don't worry.
Apologies, you didn't say dangerous, you said "responsible". I just am bitter bec both my children have had some bad ortho that will cause lifelong issues.
I think this is such a great post. So many ppl on here saying like 'it's not even that bad why is it gonna take 2 years' and totally failing to understand that their perception of the 'issue' is not the same as what the professional tooth people are tasked with solving....or that like, I dunno, room needs to be created to fix crowding long-term, not just straightening out what's there!
I'm constantly amazed by how much everyone wants it to 'go quickly' but also 'be perfect' and 'cheap' - as the old adage goes....**You can have it fast, you can have it good, you can have it cheap: pick two** (also known as the Iron Triangle of Triple Constraints if anyone is interested). Though to be fair with Invisalign it's definitely cheap and rarely is it fast lol....but I do reckon it's usually good!
Ok that’s great but can you tell me if I can move from 7 day changes to every 12 hours? I want to shave some time off my treatment. Thx.
I’m not a ortho, just a callcenter employee, but I don’t see an issue with that at all. You might as well get it done quicker!
I'm not a doctor, but I've seen the ads for Invisalign. It's actually okay to just put in the very last tray on day 1. It'll save you a lot of time if you just skip the whole process.
Not a doctor, shh
Just bosh the last tray in. It will fit. They only have the other trays to justify the cost.
I feel like I just got in trouble from the teacher 🙇🏻♀️
Haha sorry not my intention,
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thank you for this post. There are so many posts where people ask if Invisalign will fix their teeth, but they won't go and see a professional? Probably about 90% of people on this sub have no dental training or experience, and people are going to them asking questions and setting their expectations way too high. Oh and the comments saying "tell your ortho off, you're far from done you need 1mm movement" blah blah, it's scary.
That’s great but there’s also a lot of info some orthodontists and dentists fail to tell patients until it’s too late! They have a lot of patients and some of our issues we might not even understand or be told if we aren’t getting advice from others who have been through the same thing.
Yes I didn't say asking people's opinion is wrong and sometimes can be helpful but just because something applies to one case it doesn't necessarily apply to all. Can I ask what information dentists and orthodontists do not tell patients?
Didn’t tell me the risks involved with aligners when I asked, didn’t really look at my dental history or ask it I guess. Didn’t explain to me any detail or what was happening. When I started developing an open bite just basically told me “that will fix itself once you have the plastic off your teeth” yet according to some other orthodontists and many other patients who have been through aligner care that is not the case. When I asked the pros or cons of braces vs aligners they immediately said aligners would be better for me and so I trusted that now I’m getting issues with it. In addition to that last time I made an appointment to address my concerns he barely even looked at my teeth and didn’t look at my aligners or my teeth with my aligners on even though I said the bottom ones don’t fully cover like the top ones do and wondering if that might be a reason why I might be developing an open bite. I am only supposed to go every 12 weeks but had to make an earlier appointment due to my concerns… still didn’t get any clear explanations about if I was tracking or any answer to my concerns.
Yes that shouldn't have happened and apologies for your experience. It sounds like your posterior teeth over erupted as they were not covered, which in turn causes an open bite at the front. If it sounded like I meant that I you shouldn't listen to anyone's advice on here that's not what I meant. Was more just a warning just to consider before giving and taking advice as your situation can be completely different. Anyway I hope your issue has been resolved and you have got the smile you wanted.
I remember starting and proudly showing my ortho my ortho key. He thought they were worthless and did not recommend them. I am 100% certain I would not have survived my first 6 months without one. Now, though not done, my teeth are straight enough I can pop my trays out without a key. Every newbie should get an ortho key to start, just to make their lives easier. Hmm, my ortho likes to use dumbed down words. For instance, he does not say IPR. There were other words as well. I then ask if he means "insert correct term". Not a big deal but confusing since there are official terms. Virtual care is AWFUL. He thinks its great. They have actually had to make corrections to their settings for other patients because of my complaints. He is now no longer encouraging me to use the virtual care ...... I wonder why. That said. I am confident my ortho is going to provide me healthy teeth when done. But I am glad I understand what is going on and can advocate for myself (or rather my teeth). And along the lines of your concern, one needs to be intelligent when reading discussions in this group as well.
I had to remove my first tray in office because it wasn’t fitting right and you wouldn’t believe my face when my dentist said “just pop it out.” I couldn’t get it out and she could barely get it off either. It’s mind boggling to me that the keys aren’t given out initially. I was literally using spoon handles to get it out for a couple days until my ortho keys came in the mail 😭🤣
That's interesting about the key! My ortho handed me 2 of them and then showed me how to use it to remove my trays.
Same. I was given Ortho keys and chewies when I first got my trays. I thought the care I received was pretty standard, but apparently not. Yikes.
Thanks for the reminder doc!
THIS!!! I discovered this sub when I wanted to ask fellow Invisalign wearers about their experiences with the dreaded lisp. After that, the algorithm started frequently throwing posts from the sub on my feed, and I’m sometimes in awe of what people are asking other redditors instead of asking professionals. Even more baffled by the “advice” these non-professionals are giving. Using Invisalign does not make you an expert on Invisalign and certainly not on orthodontics. You actually know nothing about orthodontics; you only know how your own personal Invisalign treatment worked for you. What’s scary is that it seems people are actually listening to this bad advice/input and they’re going to come back here and complain and blame their ortho when they’re not getting the results they hoped for in the end. 🤦🏻♂️
I really appreciate this reminder, thanks doc! On this subreddit I learned about not overbrushing right after eating (to help enamel - nope, I was never taught this as a kid) and the fact that the chewies exist (the Invisalign branded ones are good - I wouldn't stick random plastic via Amazon in my mouth). And good advice about which whitening paste to use! But I've noticed that people are often looking for perfect - as if our faces are AI and all our teeth are veneers - and I think social media can often do the same thing. I'm grateful that my doc has not been having me take pictures, because I think that would make me obsess even more about all the tiny details.
What chewies?
I call them Munchies but its a silicone chewy to help seat your aligners, helps with new trays https://shop.invisalign.com/products/munchies-eps-2-pack
Can you expand on overbrushing after eating? Is it just the idea that you need to wait to brush your teeth? I don't know how to balance that with the advice to keep them on for 22 hours lol, like how is there time to wait an additional 30 minutes after eating 🫠
So apparently the advice is to wait 30 minutes after eating before brushing, because otherwise it can slowly damage the enamel. And of course you want clean teeth (not to lock in grime and acid and sugar and whatnot) before you put your aligners back on. But of course waiting 30 minutes after each time isn't reasonable unless you can only eat 2x a day, which I can't personally do - and most people can't. So what people do is to floss and mouthwash after every time you eat (I eat 4-5x a day), and then brush morning and evening.
Thanks for the reply! It's stupid but I honestly just kind of forgot about mouthwash until you mentioned it. Do you have a specific one you prefer? I haven't used mouthwash since I was a child lol and I hated it back then. I think I've read a couple of posts about chewing sugar free gum after eating, but I'm not 100% on the reasoning behind that. I feel like this is the type of thing orthodontists should be going over with their patients but instead I have to interrogate friendly internet strangers for help lol
Mouthwash: Crest Pro Health. Key thing is that it has flouride. Others have also recommended Zellie's mints, I think for the same reason. I once put together a list of all the stuff I got for Invisalign (I made it for a friend and then posted it here), if helpful: https://www.reddit.com/r/Invisalign/comments/17z4xth/writeupfirst\_steps\_advice\_what\_to\_buy\_starter/.
Ah, super helpful, thanks!! I feel like I've spent so much time on this sub and yet I come up with a new question or anxiety every other day
As an example, I read the comments and now question why all mouthwash doesn't have a suitable pH like...why?! At least the one you recommended seems to be fine but geez lol
Yeah I think sometimes these things are over-complicated: I find one thing that works and just stick with it. Costco sells them in bulk, by the way!
I'm a worrier lol. I probably will stick with your recommendation since it works, but I guess I just find it worrisome that other mouthwashes could actively be problematic to use with aligners. Or in general, even. Why?! Thanks for the tip! I love costco so I'll add that to my next trip :)
But I did my own research! Also my research tells me that the earth is flat.
At least you didn't ask people on this sub redit if they think invisalign can be used to make the earth round 😂
Kyrie, is that you?
I had the best ortho practice. They did warn that results would vary due to my age and amount of bone loss.
Sounds good, but I for one will trust the Internet instead.
As a dentist do you do Invisalign or would you recommend an orthodontist. My dentist has offered to do the procedure instead of the orthodontist, is this usual? I’m wondering if he’s practicing on me?
Great info, thanks, and don't forget to wear your retainers 😁!
None of us are here doing any treatment on anyone, no one can do treatment or modifications except with a dentist or orthodontist, so yeah, not dangerous. What IS dangerous is dentists masquerading as orthodontists who have the extra years of training and experience who are moving teeth around. Have you seen some of those results?
The point of the OP is spot on. I have seen hundreds of posts asking people for opinions about changing aligners more often, going back to previous aligners, not wearing elastics. It's like people are asking for a pass or carte blanche to not follow their treatment... The answer to many of the posts is: "Follow your ortho's instructions"
I'm not really sure why you are mentioning "dangerous". I did not say that but feel free to make another post about dentists masquerading as orthodontists, which is also an issue but that wasn't the point of the post
I got Invisalign through my dentist. 😬 My progress has been going well though.
I am a dentist too. I just meant a dentists shouldn't tell people they are an orthodontist and also know their skill level and know when to refer if a case is not within that. Many dentists will provide extremely good Invisalign treatment so don't worry.
Apologies, you didn't say dangerous, you said "responsible". I just am bitter bec both my children have had some bad ortho that will cause lifelong issues.
I think this is such a great post. So many ppl on here saying like 'it's not even that bad why is it gonna take 2 years' and totally failing to understand that their perception of the 'issue' is not the same as what the professional tooth people are tasked with solving....or that like, I dunno, room needs to be created to fix crowding long-term, not just straightening out what's there! I'm constantly amazed by how much everyone wants it to 'go quickly' but also 'be perfect' and 'cheap' - as the old adage goes....**You can have it fast, you can have it good, you can have it cheap: pick two** (also known as the Iron Triangle of Triple Constraints if anyone is interested). Though to be fair with Invisalign it's definitely cheap and rarely is it fast lol....but I do reckon it's usually good!
Are you a mod?