My first month with Invisalign

Here I am, a month into wearing Invisalign aligners. I have worn my first two aligners and things have been going quite well.

At first, I became very nervous after reading on the internet about people getting multiple cavities just weeks into using Invisalign. I suddenly feared what risks I was letting my teeth in for. However, I decided that with a strict and thorough hygiene routine, the chances of getting any cavities at all would be minimal. Wearing Invisalign must either drastically improve your oral health (with cleaning and flossing three times a day), or, be to the detriment of your teeth if you don't step up your cleaning habits. After all, what you are essentially doing is putting plastic over your teeth after eating, so you either will remove all bits of food to a point of cleanliness that you would not do normally, or, trap bits of food in there that will lead to cavities and fillings. I decided to get into a very strict routine from day one, and cleaned regularly and vigorously.

That is, until a few days down the line when my boyfriend commented that I should not be cleaning too much and too hard, in case I'm reducing my enamel. That's when I realised there's more to the picture than just cleaning my teeth all the time, but to look at what I'm eating and how soon I brush my teeth after eating acidic food.

So, even though time is tight for mealtimes and I'm aiming to get my aligners back in as soon as possible, I also try to leave time for the pH of my mouth to get back to neutral before brushing my teeth. If I want to eat anything acidic (such as an orange), I eat it at the beginning of my mealtime so that I have maximum time for the acidity to neutralise. I follow that up with my meal of whatever I'm eating, and sip water throughout the meal to keep food particles and acidity at bay. I also try to finish up with cheese or milk (which alkanise the mouth) then wait about 10-15 mins before going to brush my teeth.

I like to drink tea, but I heard that you should avoid drinking tea with meals (or just before or after them) as it can sap the nutrients from your food. I was disappointed to learn this, because with wearing Invisalign, it seems convenient to lump my adored cup of sweet tea in with a mealtime. I decided that sometimes, I will just have to have a tea at mealtimes. At other times I will have a break in the afternoon just for tea, then brush and mouthwash afterwards.

Onto my brushing routine itself. It's very strict. I don't want cavities...

I remove my aligners, rinse with water, rinse the case with water, then put them away and go eat.
When I return, I brush my teeth (I use a manual brush out of preference, I like to have control over the brushing and have found electric toothbrushes are a bit too ferocious for my IPR-ed gaps) and brush my tongue. I then floss (everytime I have eaten something). I then gargle and rinse my mouth out with Listerine for at least 30 secs, and whilst I'm doing that I check my aligners visually and start to clean them, with a soft toothbrush and water. I brush my aligners gently like this everytime I put them back in. I used toothpaste at first, until I learnt that it's not recommended to do so, because it can be abrasive and make tiny bacteria-breeding holes in the aligner. So instead, I use toothpaste only once a day (in the morning) on the aligners, and the tiniest amount possible, enough to make a brief white watery foam on the aligner. The toothpaste I use for this is a natural, non-whitening paste (Kingfisher toothpaste, to be precise). I try to get a bit of warm water on the aligner whilst I clean it. I then rinse them, rinse out my mouth, rinse out the case, give final visual check to the aligners to see if there are any marks, give visual check to my mouth (on the IPR gaps in particular) then put the aligners back in.

I never drink anything but water with the aligners in, and I try to sip water regularly, to stop my mouth getting dry especially in hot weather. I did drink sugar-less tea through a straw once, with the aligners in, but afterwards I felt like I just wanted to get them out (even just for the feel of them having had tea on them) so I didn't see the point of keeping them to start with.

I've weirdly enjoyed the experience so far, and stepped-up hygiene routine isn't that much of a problem. After all, one should brush 3 times a day anyway. Sometimes I find myself brushing 4 times with the added tea break in the day, but that's ok. I strangely enjoy flossing, so that's not too much of a chore, and I've learnt how to do it fast (but safely). I'm getting through alot of floss.

Regarding mealtimes, I have had to get used to keeping mealtimes brief and not dawdling over meals or my cups of tea, but half-full tepid cups of tea left lying around pre-Invisalign days weren't necessarily conducive to my life anyway. I have missed being able to lounge around snacking especially in the evenings, but that kind of habit is not good for your teeth anyway. I cram any treats into mealtimes.

Even if I have not eaten through the evening since my last meal, I like to take out the aligners for 5 minutes before bedtime to give a quick mouthwash rinse and check the aligners for any marks, before a long night with them. Sometimes I will flush my mouth with mouthwash with the aligners in, after long periods. I make sure I rinse well afterwards.

I have already noticed movement which I am very excited about. I have observed that my front teeth (which are drifted about 3mm to one side, the crux of what I want to correct) have already moved round maybe as much as 1mm. My bite also feels a little bit different already; when I clench my teeth together with the aligners in (gently!) my front teeth meet my bottom teeth in a way I am pretty sure I could not do before...

Next week I go to get some more teeth IPR-ed - and also - drumroll - a load of attachments on my teeth. 14 of them! Up to now, the experience has been attachment-free.
I feel alot more confident about getting the aligners in and out (at first I was very scared of scratching my teeth or gums, or yanking out my teeth themselves!) whereas now I can pop 'em with complete assurance that nothing bad is going to happen. So I imagine that once I have attachments, the experience I've had over the last 4 weeks will significantly bolster my confidence and ability in prising out the aligners, which I've heard become alot harder to remove when wearing attachments.

Fuck... 14 attachments. Then I get another 3 more in 12 months if everything goes to plan.

I'm going to have alot to get used to. Bah.

The ongoing movement will keep my excited though. I feel like this is going to be a journey I enjoy, not merely a rush to a final result. I am already fascinated by it.

Why I chose Invisalign

I have always been unhappy with my teeth ever since I first noticed my midline drift and decidedly asymmetrical smile in my early teen years. However, dentists never remarked on it, and always noted my teeth as healthy. When I did finally decide to ask a dentist about my wonky teeth (at the age of 18) they said I could get braces for 2 years which would involve full head gear - I was about to embark on my gap year and didn't like the thought of braces at all, so I forgot all about it. As no-one has ever commented on my wonky teeth, I just forgot about the aesthetics and concentrated on keeping them clean and healthy.

A few years later (now 23) I came round again to my dissatisfaction with my smile, especially because after a particular trip to the dentist, I realised for the first time I had a very prominent 'open bite' (my teeth don't bite together properly, only 3 teeth meet). I also found out that I had an impacted canine (my left canine had never come through) why explained why I had a midline drift - why my front teeth were shifted slightly to one side where the canine hadn't come through. No dentists had ever mentioned this to me or my mum in my childhood, and my mum was oblivious to any misalignment of my teeth to this day... not a very observant lot!

Renewed determination quickly rose in me again, and I wondered if I could do something about my teeth so I didn't have to live with the way they looked for the rest of my life. I decided it's now or never! However, I am stolidly averse to the 'porcelain veneer' culture and how people go to extreme lengths to have flashing great smiles - irreversibly filing down their own teeth to replace them with expensive false ones, which might last as little as 5 years! This was definitely not a consideration for me. The health of my teeth is the most important thing, so some form of braces, of safely restructuring the teeth I already have, was naturally the only option I was considering.

I decided to visit a couple of orthodontists to find out what I could do to improve my bite or smile, or both. They commented on my 'terrible bite' which made me feel even worse. At first I considered metal 'Damon' braces. I would have them for 2 years and it would involve drawing my impacted canine out of the gum. The prospect would involve travelling to Hungary for cheaper treatment, which would involve about 10 trips overall, bringing the total cost of treatment plus flights and accommodation to about £5000.

The whole idea did not sound very tempting. Looking at other options, I learned of Invisalign. I did not think that Invisalign could work for my complex realignment case, but I thought I should go for a consultation anyway, especially as it was free. I was surprised to find out that Invisalign could do something for my smile. They said they can centreline my front teeth, tidy up the symmetry whilst keeping the canine where it was - and they would even try to go all the way to correcting my bite.

It certainly seemed advantageous to having metal Damon braces, there was no doubt about that: being clear braces, being removable, a shorter duration (they predicted 1 year for most correction and a further possible year, max, for full correction if do-able), and also, not involving those trips abroad, but all done in London. It also came out cheaper than the whole cost of getting Damon braces.

Pleased, I went to do some research on Invisalign on the internet. I was happy to learn that most people's experiences were pleasant, but I also accepted that there will be some pain and discomfort - after all, my teeth are shifting round my mouth, what would I expect? ;-) The people at the clinic said there was no pain, only 'pressure', but surely pressure can be pain?! Besides, I anticipated it - if I didn't have some discomfort, surely there would be something wrong. However, I also wanted to make sure I had a reputable orthodontist who was fully qualified in Invisalign (Platinum Elite) who would not move my teeth too fast or do anything 'cowboy' style.

I found out more about the use of attachments/'buttons', IPR (interproximinal reduction, where small amounts of enamel are stripped from between teeth to create space), both which I would need, and both seemed to be reported as safe procedures.

What bothered me most was the prospect that wearing braces becomes a lifetime thing - something they don't emphasise on Invisalign websites/promotional material! To keep your teeth where they are, you need to wear a retainer, either in the form of an aligner at night every week or so - forever - or as a metal bar permanently glued behind each arch. I decided that correcting my teeth was important enough to me to warrant this lifetime commitment. I must stress here that if my teeth were only moderately wonky - as are alot of people's - I would NOT bother with braces and this commitment. Some people seem to notice negligible flaws about their teeth that no-one else would even care about - slightly wonky teeth are fine! Personally I am unhappy with my actual lack of 'smile' - my open bite obscures my teeth so not many show when I smile, and my centreline is just too off to look acceptable to me - but still I accept that not everyone even notices this, and it's possibly still my own aesthetic paranoia. Nevertheless I decided to spend the money, time and commitment on doing this, as it will help my biting functionality as well as the look of my smile. I decided that I'd rather not live with the current look of my teeth for the rest of my life, if I had the chance to change it.

I was also concerned about the material from which the Invisalign aligners are made. There didn't seem to be anything adverse reported about the plastic polymers from which they are made, though I was aware they can cause allergic reactions in some people, upon which occasion the cost of treatment would be refunded. I also decided that if there were any risk with the material, in terms of ingesting small amounts of toxins over the years (lifetime) of having Invisalign aligners/retainers, then it would have to be accepted, just as we consume small toxic amounts of everything else in everyday modern life, from the chemicals used in carpets to make-up (or the danger of using a mobile phone...) Besides, metal braces must have their own toxicity for the human body to deal with.

I went to have my impressions made to send off for my scans (taking impressions was fine, although I found it a bit scary when they were pulling out the moulds, almost felt like my two fillings were going to come out, but it was fine). When my trays arrived (only about a week later) I was very excited to at last (after months of research etc) to finally be on the road to improving both my smile, and the functionality of my teeth.

I will be blogging about my experiences from here onwards!