My first few days with Invisalign

Post by: / December 11, 2016

My first few days with Invisalign

Hurray! On Friday, I had my Invisalign delivered by my wonderful team. The first appointment involved placement of attachments (little glue bumps on the teeth) and instructions on how to use the trays. My appointment also involved inter-proximal reduction which is the removal of small amounts of tooth material between the teeth to alleviate crowding (yes, I did some of the procedure on myself!). The entire procedure was straight forward and painless.

I can recommend a few tips and tricks right from the get go:

  1. Wear your ‘traning trays’ right away. The ‘traning trays’ are the templates used to put the attachments on. They are easy to take on and off and get you used to the process. THEY ALSO PROTECT YOUR TONGUE AND CHEEK from the attachments which can be irritating if they are left to contact the cheeks and tongue for long periods of time.
  2. Start your first trays immediately after dinner. Brush, floss and put them in. JUST DO IT!!! No sense procrastinating. Wear them up to breakfast the next day. That’s when you can remove them for the first time.
  3. Don’t stress when you first try to remove the trays. They are hard to remove the first time, but they will come out. Stay calm, be patient and work through it. Also, expect to break a nail or two (sorry!).
  4. The best way to remove the trays is to start from the back. Remove one or both sides and work your way to the front teeth for full removal. The front teeth are the ones that will hurt the most so removing them this way seems to minimize the pressure on the front teeth.
  5. Expect some discomfort. I would qualify it as a 3 out of 10 on the pain scale, but I have a high pain threshold. If you have a low pain threshold, take some Ibuprophen (Advil) for the first couple of days (Acetominophen (Tylenol) if you are allergic to NSAID’s).
  6. When putting the trays back in, I find it is best to run the aligners under warm water (not hot or boiling). This makes the trays more flexible and easier to place. Always remember to floss, brush and rinse.
  7. Expect less snacking. Given that it’s most ideal to remove the trays when you eat, you’ll find yourself skipping snacks. This can come in handy during the holiday party season!

Stay tuned for more updates as I progress through treatment. Dr. V

 Have an orthodontist evaluate your teeth from home!
Try our online smile app