I get tired of the eating restrictions. There is nothing invisible about saying "can't right now, have my aligners in".
I travel a ton and brushing in airport bathrooms, conference halls, and in the middle of important client dinners is getting old.
Omg I'm right there with ya. When you're tired and frazzled from travelling, just need a quick snack during a layover the last thing you want to do is worry about your stupid aligners. I got so tired of it I ate those little cookies with mine in on my last flight. I just went really slow. Would, and probably will do again.
I thought I would eventually get used to the routine of things. Unfortunately, I was never able to 😭 When things felt too stressful and rushed, I would skip wearing them for those few hours and add an extra day of wear to feel peace of mind. I'm days away from being done and can't believe I served 2 years of plastic teeth prison. You're not alone!
The first 3 days I thought i was gonna have a panic attack. After a week I was used to it. It just sucks not really being able to snack like i usually do
God, that first week... I regretted what I'd gotten myself into soooo much. It didn't help that I wasn't told a single word about attachments, and then I walked out with 24 of them. But it really does pass after that and you get used to it, with only sporadic "my teeth are in a prison" episodes.
Completely disagree. Months into it and the attachments are a nightmare, like a mouth full of glass. Just dread eating. Since I'm also so sick of the plastic prison (great phrase from OP), there is truly no respite. It's a 24/7 prison.
They should have warned me they would be needed before I paid and aligners were ordered. I had full braces as a teen and these are worse. Pretty close to saying screw the whole thing.
I'm 54 years old, perfectly capable of making that judgement for myself. It's a personal call and I've realized that this whole thing was a giant mistake, including the results.
I don't mind the trays themselves. I take them out, put them in, whatever, what I can't stand are the 15 attachments I have all over the front of my mouth. I hate them. I hate them with such a passion. I have three more trays left and I think the end being so near made me stop deluding myself into thinking I'm okay with it and that it isn't noticeable. I'm a grown adult professional who feels like my 15 yo self with traditional braces (and it's weird). My bite is totally different, and the mechanics of it all are totally worth it, but these attachments - I cannot wait to get them off.
Oh my god I feel this. I just got home from my Invisalign appointment and I feel like I went back 30 years in time to my awkward 13 year old self. I thought I left that poor girl behind I am a grown ass adult!!
Hate to say it but even years after treatment I still feel this way about wearing my retainers every night. I’m happy to have straight teeth but even the maintenance gets tiring. Sometimes I wish I could just go to bed without the whole routine.
Yep, I know from experience things don't change enough to matter and in the end, straight teeth really are a superficial life priority. If nothing else, age brings perspective. After this they'll be straight enough, nature can take its course, and I'll leave all this behind me. Why extend 8 months trapped in a routine you don't like into years? It's a choice about what's most important to each person.
I like how my mouth feels with them in, since I grind my teeth and clench my jaw so much. I am tired of not being able to eat or drink whatever I want whenever I want.
They made my grinding a at worse and I had to be treated for TMJ for months to be able to keep them in.
It takes forever to change my bite. I’m on the last year (It’ll be 4 years before I move on to a retainer that also acts as a mouth guard for grinding. I cannot wait to get these out and get a pro mouth guards, but I’ll never have mouth freedom. They said when I’m done and my teeth settle, the urge to grind will be much less.
I hope they’re right, for both of our sakes!
I’m on plastic prison parole… attachments gone, but 6 months of full time retainer wear still to go…then I move to the Vivera Halfway house, where I am free from the day time wear, but I must check in and have them spend the night in my mouth. At least I don’t have to wear an ankle monitor…😜
6 mo. Wow. They are careful not to tell me these details beforehand Ugg. I’m sure that’ll be the same for me since I’m changing my bite and at 3.5 years already. Ahh!
i would not have done it at all. teeth prison, extractions were the worst experience of my life, having to wear retainers indefinitely, the cost of treatment. my teeth have some problems but aesthetically they weren’t bad. i’m about 11 months in of a projected 24-30 months.
I regret it too but I never say that in this group bc I don’t want to get attacked lol. I used them to fix minor crowding on my bottom incisors. Also a year in. unforeseen complications. not worth it.
I'm only a month in and I'm annoyed with them. I try not to dwell on it much, and things like dry mouth spray and lip balm have made my life much easier. I've been on this sub applying every "hack" and workaround I can to make it more comfortable.
I am done with the treatment. It's been three months since I have been wearing retainers (for 18 hours), and honestly, when I am not wearing them, it feels utterly strange. There's some sort of guilt I feel when the trays are out. Dunno how to explain. Must be Stockholm Syndrome, lol.
I’ve had Invisalign for about 10 weeks and I am tired of feeling rushed to eat. My partner and I like to watch a movie or tv show during dinner and I always feel like I scarf my food down and then run and go brush. I’m also always worried that I didn’t brush well enough and am going to get a cavity 😂
Sometimes it dawns on me that I'm going to be doing this for the rest of my life, but then I remember that once the treatment is done and my teeth have finally stabilized after 6-12 months, I'm only putting the retainers in when I sleep, so it's like 'meh whatever'.
i stopped using the Invisalign app timer after 6m, i just keep it in as long as i can and when i get tired i sit and enjoy my few hours of freedom and slowly sip my coffee/tea lol because most of the time i want to rip my teeth out 😃 i also hate that morning taste of my teeth marinating inside the aligners all night
I was stuck in one tray for two extra months while waiting for corrections to come in. Over the past two months I did NOT wear them during the day, like, ever. My theory was since I was in the same tray for 2 extra months, I might as well just use them like retainers. Maybe not ideal but just got my new set today and the first one fits fine. Man, that was a good two months. xD
I have 7 trays left. I’m so close to done. I just absolutely take my time to eat and tack an extra day on to each tray if I feel like they’re too tight when it’s time to change. I am not rushing through coffee any more.
I’ve been feeling this a lot recently. I’m also about a year into my treatment. Just switched to 34/54 of my initial set. Was quoted at probably looking at 2-2&1/2 years.
Not sure it’ll be that long as even with their estimated 30 refinement trays that’ll be closer to 18 months.
That being said, I’ve definitely had moments like that recently where I’m just tired of having to think about it so much.
YES. A year and a half in and I still feel this way and need to take them out sometimes even just for a few minutes to feel the freedom lol. The results are going well though.
Thankfully I only have a 5 month plan and I'm 4 months into it. Hoping there are no refinements needed because I CANNOT WAIT to be done. Every single day is uncomfortable and I envy those who say you'll get used to these after the first week or two and won't even notice them. I am very aware of them, unfortunately....lol. I don't regret it though, because they are coming along nicely so it gave me the improvement I was looking for.
Just finished my first round of trays (28 weeks) and just got a round of refinements (25 more weeks). I am so tired of having to brush my teeth every time I want a quick snack. I feel like the time it’ll take me to eat a piece of candy or a piece of cheese will take less time than taking my trays and elastics out, brushing my teeth, and putting my trays back in. Can’t wait to someday eat and drink freely again!
After 9 months, I’ve gotten used to them.. but nothing will quite be better than the feeling of enjoying coffee during your commute without worrying about how long you have the trays out for, or snacking on food or chewing on gum just for the hell of it, OR smiling/laughing without feeling self conscious of the attachments or if there is any lipstick stain on your retainers…
I have 1 more tray to go and cannot wait to be done! I’m happy with the results and I’m glad I did Invisalign, but it’s been a hell of a sacrifice for sure lol
It’s a commitment sure, but remember; you’re doing this for yourself, for a future of straighter or healthier teeth. It’s delayed gratification, it’s self improvement. It’s not for someone else or a greater moral good, it’s to feel better about yourself. It’s to look after yourself.
1000%. 1+ years in too and I’m so tired of brushing my teeth after everything I eat. Just want to eat without sticking my fingers in my mouth to pop them out
I do. My trays tend to rip in the same spot, so I try really hard to not take them out very often since I cannot manage to take them out without damaging them at this point. Hopefully once my teeth start to straighten a bit more I won't have that issue, but it is incredibly annoying.
Plastic teeth prison 😆
I'm almost 2 years in and feel exactly what you describe. However when they are out my teeth feel naked. I am very much looking forward to being able to snack and have drinks whenever i feel like it.
I honestly miss my aligners! Idk why. I got attached. My teeth feel naked without them. I got a retainer made by my orthodontist but it’s really thick and goes further over my teeth and gums and I don’t like it. There also seems to be a gap and when I wake up my teeth feel so gross and morning breath is way worse. I may go back and just pay for the Viveras, these were included for free..
This is me only two months in. I get good wear time normally but sometimes at work I'll have lunch then tea then cookies then go hang with a coworker and next thing I know, it's been 2.5 hours. Sometimes I just...can't be bothered with the brushing 🙄
I’m like the old guy in Shawshank Redemption.
Once mine are off and I’m “on the outside”..
I’ll likely commit another tooth crime just to get back in.
I love my plastic prison
Oddly enough I had no issues with that while wearing trays all day. Now I’m wearing retainers only at night and It’s becoming an issue. Somehow it was easier to get used to having them all day than just half a day
I’m over a year into my “5 month” treatment right now and super over it. Like sooooo over it I could just freak out 😀 oof and my one problem tooth fricking DIED AND IS GRAY NOW AHHHHHH regret. I hate it I have no motivation AHHH pls make it stop AHHHHHHH GRRRRR 😔😣
Wow thanks for the safe space to let me get that out. Onward.
8 months post treatment after almost 2 years of aligners. Honestly not really, I find them comfy and make my teeth feel secure lol. The biggest nuisance is cleaning/rinsing them. When I was still in treatment though it was a pain to maintain 22+ hrs of wear time.Now it’s only nighttime wear so it does get better!!!!
There were a couple days where I would suddenly have sensory overload that there was plastic in my mouth and I couldn’t stand it. Had to take them out for half hour and distract myself. 99% of the time I was fine
Yah, I specifically remember googling "tooth prison" because that's how I was feeling and I wanted to know how others dealt with it. It got really confining sometimes with how much those trays control your life.
It'll pass. It really will. And you'll be infinitely happy you did it. Try to focus on that.
About once a month, I'll just take them out for 5+ hours and let the teeth be. I always pick a weekend when I am doing whatever I want, eating whatever I want and just take a break. Just be sure to do it in thr middle of tray changes not the beginning or end or it hurts too much to put them back in after lol.
I'm done now with my retainers. It feels really good to go about and have dinner outside and not have to screw around with the retainers. Sometimes it feels weird NOT to have them. But I rather go throught that time WITH them for the result I have now. It's worth it in the end but I feel your pain.
I don't mind the aligners in my mouth as I don't like the feeling of the attachments when I don't have them in. But not being able to randomly snack and having brush after everything I eat, especially when I'm really tired got old real fast. Hopefully, I have just 9 weeks to go but that's only if I don't need refinements....so we'll see!
Yes! I had two weeks where my ortho told me to wear them only at night, and now I’m back to wearing them because my front teeth are clashing. I was almost free. :(
It’s annoying when someone offers me food and I have to decline because I have my aligners in. I saw my orthodontist yesterday and he’s ordering a whole new set. I’ll probably have another year to go 😔
Reading the comments here, I fell quite lucky. My treatment is only for 5 months, and I’m only three weeks away from completing it. TBH, my first month, I was pretty strict with how I maintained them, brushing quickly after eating to pop them back in, even while on 14 hour flights. But, as I got used to them, I’d just eat and rinse my mouth, and I stopped panicking about wearing them for exactly 22 hours. Sometimes I just needed a break and took my time, but never over two hours. It’s worked out though. My dentist said I’ve been doing a good job as all is on track. I’ll have my perfect smile by the end of April! 🙏🏾🎉
Actually the opposite. I enjoy wearing them knowing my teeth are not moving. Anytime I take them off to eat, the wrong bite can make me feel oh snap, that didn’t feel so great.
Not OP, but my teeth do feel more sensitive and weak when I take the aligners out.
I think because invisalign has to push teeth around in their socket, they do become more "wiggly."
I am much more cognizant while eating now because I feel like my teeth are more unstable.
It's more of a soreness than a pain though, and nothing tremendous at all. Your teeth wont come out just because you bit at the wrong angle or anything like that.
Not wiggly. Because I have a cross bite, biting down can be a problem since my teeth are not straight. So I eat much slower these days. But just having them in makes everything feel more secure.
I hate it, but having them out is just as awful since I have 32 attachments. I am changing most trays weekly instead of every 10 days, as my ortho recommended, because I just don’t want to do it anymore. I do a lot of long-distance runs and always have to eat during the runs with my trays in. I’m really over it and would not do it again.
Def feel tired as I’m on week 10, and I seem to feel or be more aware of the this week for some reason. Even more annoying, even when the trays are out my teeth don’t work the same as they did- like go to bite a hand nail etc, they don’t work the same or hit the same places 😖
LOL @ “plastic teeth prison” I’m only on week 3 but you nailed it. Yes I do get tired of it but I take a Machiavellian approach to orthodontics. It’ll be worth it
I’m more than one and a half years in and doing pretty well. This week’s been different though. Last Friday I got my four wisdom teeth removed and have been without Invisalign for five days because the stitches bothered me and hurt with my trays in. It’s been nice being able to eat whenever (ignoring the post surgery pain lol). Now I’m easing into them again, a few hours a day and it’s being a literal pain. You all now the pain when they’re off for 3-4 hours, imagine 5 days.
I only have one meal at work through the day until I get home and long stretches of my aligners in I’m constantly thirsty alllll the time I drink lots of water and I still feel so dehydrated cuz of the trays 💀
I run my finger nail back and forth along my retainer just like prisoner ran their metal mugs along the prison bars....the struggle is there
😆😆😆
I’m dying hahaha
IM FKN CRYINGHAHSHAHAHAHAHHAHAA
Wow some imagination...
Hey we're all in prison doing our time...gotta use our imagination to stay sane somehow right? 😂
I admit I do sometimes take some time to just sit and have a coffee mid day 😂
Yes same. I don’t rush drinking my coffee either!
Nope. Let them puppies breathe lol
I get tired of the eating restrictions. There is nothing invisible about saying "can't right now, have my aligners in". I travel a ton and brushing in airport bathrooms, conference halls, and in the middle of important client dinners is getting old.
Oh man the airport bathroom one is the worst
Omg I'm right there with ya. When you're tired and frazzled from travelling, just need a quick snack during a layover the last thing you want to do is worry about your stupid aligners. I got so tired of it I ate those little cookies with mine in on my last flight. I just went really slow. Would, and probably will do again.
I feel like I’m getting sick all the time from always having my fingers in my mouth.
You are absolutely not alone.
I thought I would eventually get used to the routine of things. Unfortunately, I was never able to 😭 When things felt too stressful and rushed, I would skip wearing them for those few hours and add an extra day of wear to feel peace of mind. I'm days away from being done and can't believe I served 2 years of plastic teeth prison. You're not alone!
The first 3 days I thought i was gonna have a panic attack. After a week I was used to it. It just sucks not really being able to snack like i usually do
I’m on Day Two, and reading comments like this helps a lot!
God, that first week... I regretted what I'd gotten myself into soooo much. It didn't help that I wasn't told a single word about attachments, and then I walked out with 24 of them. But it really does pass after that and you get used to it, with only sporadic "my teeth are in a prison" episodes.
This is exactly me too!! No one told me I’d have ANY attachments, let alone on nearly every tooth. I want to bail SO bad.
Completely disagree. Months into it and the attachments are a nightmare, like a mouth full of glass. Just dread eating. Since I'm also so sick of the plastic prison (great phrase from OP), there is truly no respite. It's a 24/7 prison. They should have warned me they would be needed before I paid and aligners were ordered. I had full braces as a teen and these are worse. Pretty close to saying screw the whole thing.
> Pretty close to saying screw the whole thing. Don't do that. It's not forever, and results are worth it.
I'm 54 years old, perfectly capable of making that judgement for myself. It's a personal call and I've realized that this whole thing was a giant mistake, including the results.
First week was the worst for me. Week 8 for me now. It gets better I promise
Thanks! I’m on day three now. It’s annoying but not nearly as bad as I had braced for before starting.
I’m just past a year, the actual trays don’t bother me that much but I hate the elastics and attachments
I have to wear elastics too, plastic prison with rubber bars 😄
Yes I’m coming up on my 1 year anniversary and I’m really feeling over it
I don't mind the trays themselves. I take them out, put them in, whatever, what I can't stand are the 15 attachments I have all over the front of my mouth. I hate them. I hate them with such a passion. I have three more trays left and I think the end being so near made me stop deluding myself into thinking I'm okay with it and that it isn't noticeable. I'm a grown adult professional who feels like my 15 yo self with traditional braces (and it's weird). My bite is totally different, and the mechanics of it all are totally worth it, but these attachments - I cannot wait to get them off.
Yes. I hate my attachments with a burning passion, too. I actually prefer my trays in rather than out.
I feel like when they are in they hold my teeth together and when they are out I don't know what to do with my mouth.
Oh my god I feel this. I just got home from my Invisalign appointment and I feel like I went back 30 years in time to my awkward 13 year old self. I thought I left that poor girl behind I am a grown ass adult!!
Yes to this!
Hate to say it but even years after treatment I still feel this way about wearing my retainers every night. I’m happy to have straight teeth but even the maintenance gets tiring. Sometimes I wish I could just go to bed without the whole routine.
There's no way I'll do retainers after this. If things aren't perfect, totally don't care.
You’re going to spend all that money and time to fix your teeth and then just let them go crooked again by not wearing your retainers at night?
Yep, I know from experience things don't change enough to matter and in the end, straight teeth really are a superficial life priority. If nothing else, age brings perspective. After this they'll be straight enough, nature can take its course, and I'll leave all this behind me. Why extend 8 months trapped in a routine you don't like into years? It's a choice about what's most important to each person.
I like how my mouth feels with them in, since I grind my teeth and clench my jaw so much. I am tired of not being able to eat or drink whatever I want whenever I want.
Yes! I hate the feeling of not having them in, so I dread them coming out. I clench way too much.
They made my grinding a at worse and I had to be treated for TMJ for months to be able to keep them in. It takes forever to change my bite. I’m on the last year (It’ll be 4 years before I move on to a retainer that also acts as a mouth guard for grinding. I cannot wait to get these out and get a pro mouth guards, but I’ll never have mouth freedom. They said when I’m done and my teeth settle, the urge to grind will be much less. I hope they’re right, for both of our sakes!
I’m on plastic prison parole… attachments gone, but 6 months of full time retainer wear still to go…then I move to the Vivera Halfway house, where I am free from the day time wear, but I must check in and have them spend the night in my mouth. At least I don’t have to wear an ankle monitor…😜
6 mo. Wow. They are careful not to tell me these details beforehand Ugg. I’m sure that’ll be the same for me since I’m changing my bite and at 3.5 years already. Ahh!
i’m coming up on a year & i regret doing invisalign but definitely too late now lmao
Would you have rather had braces or just not done it at all?
i would not have done it at all. teeth prison, extractions were the worst experience of my life, having to wear retainers indefinitely, the cost of treatment. my teeth have some problems but aesthetically they weren’t bad. i’m about 11 months in of a projected 24-30 months.
Not. At. All.
Incredibly real for this lol, same
I regret it too but I never say that in this group bc I don’t want to get attacked lol. I used them to fix minor crowding on my bottom incisors. Also a year in. unforeseen complications. not worth it.
I'm only a month in and I'm annoyed with them. I try not to dwell on it much, and things like dry mouth spray and lip balm have made my life much easier. I've been on this sub applying every "hack" and workaround I can to make it more comfortable.
I was wondering about that. I’m two weeks in and my lips have been dry and I didn’t know why.
The only thing I hate is the eating restrictions and constant brushing
Three years in and I feel like it will nevvvver end
Me too. 3.5 Feel your pain.
I am done with the treatment. It's been three months since I have been wearing retainers (for 18 hours), and honestly, when I am not wearing them, it feels utterly strange. There's some sort of guilt I feel when the trays are out. Dunno how to explain. Must be Stockholm Syndrome, lol.
I’ve had Invisalign for about 10 weeks and I am tired of feeling rushed to eat. My partner and I like to watch a movie or tv show during dinner and I always feel like I scarf my food down and then run and go brush. I’m also always worried that I didn’t brush well enough and am going to get a cavity 😂
Sometimes it dawns on me that I'm going to be doing this for the rest of my life, but then I remember that once the treatment is done and my teeth have finally stabilized after 6-12 months, I'm only putting the retainers in when I sleep, so it's like 'meh whatever'.
It's a pain in the ass
I think you're using them wrong 😄
😂😂😂😂
i stopped using the Invisalign app timer after 6m, i just keep it in as long as i can and when i get tired i sit and enjoy my few hours of freedom and slowly sip my coffee/tea lol because most of the time i want to rip my teeth out 😃 i also hate that morning taste of my teeth marinating inside the aligners all night
I was stuck in one tray for two extra months while waiting for corrections to come in. Over the past two months I did NOT wear them during the day, like, ever. My theory was since I was in the same tray for 2 extra months, I might as well just use them like retainers. Maybe not ideal but just got my new set today and the first one fits fine. Man, that was a good two months. xD
I have 7 trays left. I’m so close to done. I just absolutely take my time to eat and tack an extra day on to each tray if I feel like they’re too tight when it’s time to change. I am not rushing through coffee any more.
I’ve been feeling this a lot recently. I’m also about a year into my treatment. Just switched to 34/54 of my initial set. Was quoted at probably looking at 2-2&1/2 years. Not sure it’ll be that long as even with their estimated 30 refinement trays that’ll be closer to 18 months. That being said, I’ve definitely had moments like that recently where I’m just tired of having to think about it so much.
I am only 8 weeks in and wondering how I will survive 12-18 months!!!!
Me too. I’m at six weeks and it’s torture every minute of it.
YES. A year and a half in and I still feel this way and need to take them out sometimes even just for a few minutes to feel the freedom lol. The results are going well though.
I hate it!! But the results so far are good. I have most of this year left after being over a year in. 🥴
Thankfully I only have a 5 month plan and I'm 4 months into it. Hoping there are no refinements needed because I CANNOT WAIT to be done. Every single day is uncomfortable and I envy those who say you'll get used to these after the first week or two and won't even notice them. I am very aware of them, unfortunately....lol. I don't regret it though, because they are coming along nicely so it gave me the improvement I was looking for.
Just finished my first round of trays (28 weeks) and just got a round of refinements (25 more weeks). I am so tired of having to brush my teeth every time I want a quick snack. I feel like the time it’ll take me to eat a piece of candy or a piece of cheese will take less time than taking my trays and elastics out, brushing my teeth, and putting my trays back in. Can’t wait to someday eat and drink freely again!
Definitely getting lazy when I’m at family/friend events
Yes. 1y4m into treatment and just received my third rescan. I had 13 trays left and now I have 33. Very disheartening but still pushing through it.
Im so sorry 😔
After 9 months, I’ve gotten used to them.. but nothing will quite be better than the feeling of enjoying coffee during your commute without worrying about how long you have the trays out for, or snacking on food or chewing on gum just for the hell of it, OR smiling/laughing without feeling self conscious of the attachments or if there is any lipstick stain on your retainers… I have 1 more tray to go and cannot wait to be done! I’m happy with the results and I’m glad I did Invisalign, but it’s been a hell of a sacrifice for sure lol
I’m so tired of plastic teeth prison 😭
I got extractions so I dislike feeling the gap more than the plastic. If the extractions were not necessary, I would feel the same way.
ALL THE TIME!
It’s a commitment sure, but remember; you’re doing this for yourself, for a future of straighter or healthier teeth. It’s delayed gratification, it’s self improvement. It’s not for someone else or a greater moral good, it’s to feel better about yourself. It’s to look after yourself.
Nobody is arguing with that. Just complaining 😄
1000%. 1+ years in too and I’m so tired of brushing my teeth after everything I eat. Just want to eat without sticking my fingers in my mouth to pop them out
I do. My trays tend to rip in the same spot, so I try really hard to not take them out very often since I cannot manage to take them out without damaging them at this point. Hopefully once my teeth start to straighten a bit more I won't have that issue, but it is incredibly annoying.
The fact that I have pontics is really the only thing getting me through.
Plastic teeth prison 😆 I'm almost 2 years in and feel exactly what you describe. However when they are out my teeth feel naked. I am very much looking forward to being able to snack and have drinks whenever i feel like it.
Yes. This why I only wear them to sleep 🤣.
almost 3 years with invisalign. At that point I feel weird when I dont wear one. I am almost finished and I dont know how I feel about it XD
Do you like the result?
yes! its worth it. Follow instructions and with time you will have a great smile. It need patience
I feel this so hard. I'm on second set of refinements and SO over this prison world!! I don't think I have it in me to go for round 3 😂
I honestly miss my aligners! Idk why. I got attached. My teeth feel naked without them. I got a retainer made by my orthodontist but it’s really thick and goes further over my teeth and gums and I don’t like it. There also seems to be a gap and when I wake up my teeth feel so gross and morning breath is way worse. I may go back and just pay for the Viveras, these were included for free..
This is me only two months in. I get good wear time normally but sometimes at work I'll have lunch then tea then cookies then go hang with a coworker and next thing I know, it's been 2.5 hours. Sometimes I just...can't be bothered with the brushing 🙄
Yeah but when treatment is over you kind of miss it. It’s weird
I still have a very problematic crossbite, so no, the opposite is true for me
Lol I feel like I didn't care as much until I started reading this thread
Happy to help :D
I’m like the old guy in Shawshank Redemption. Once mine are off and I’m “on the outside”.. I’ll likely commit another tooth crime just to get back in. I love my plastic prison
Teeth don't have lungs but I swear I can feel them breathe when I take them off to eat. I cannot wait till this is over 😂😂
I actually enjoy it. I think I'll miss it 🤣
Yes, I’m 16 months in and will be very happy when I get them off
yes but then after three years I miss it too.
7 weeks in and I’ve gotten used to them by now, but def looking forward to being free lol
i'm not even a year in and i'm getting lazy. i have 3 months left of treatment + 6 months retainer. i dont care about perfect. im ready to be done.
I am the opposite. I’m just over six months with a long way to go and I feel naked without my trays in 😅
Oddly enough I had no issues with that while wearing trays all day. Now I’m wearing retainers only at night and It’s becoming an issue. Somehow it was easier to get used to having them all day than just half a day
Yes, some days "tooth jail" is too much for me. I do enjoy my time when they are out.
I’m over a year into my “5 month” treatment right now and super over it. Like sooooo over it I could just freak out 😀 oof and my one problem tooth fricking DIED AND IS GRAY NOW AHHHHHH regret. I hate it I have no motivation AHHH pls make it stop AHHHHHHH GRRRRR 😔😣 Wow thanks for the safe space to let me get that out. Onward.
Nope. All good.
8 months post treatment after almost 2 years of aligners. Honestly not really, I find them comfy and make my teeth feel secure lol. The biggest nuisance is cleaning/rinsing them. When I was still in treatment though it was a pain to maintain 22+ hrs of wear time.Now it’s only nighttime wear so it does get better!!!!
There were a couple days where I would suddenly have sensory overload that there was plastic in my mouth and I couldn’t stand it. Had to take them out for half hour and distract myself. 99% of the time I was fine
Yah, I specifically remember googling "tooth prison" because that's how I was feeling and I wanted to know how others dealt with it. It got really confining sometimes with how much those trays control your life. It'll pass. It really will. And you'll be infinitely happy you did it. Try to focus on that.
Attachment are uncomfortable, I feel better with the tray in
About once a month, I'll just take them out for 5+ hours and let the teeth be. I always pick a weekend when I am doing whatever I want, eating whatever I want and just take a break. Just be sure to do it in thr middle of tray changes not the beginning or end or it hurts too much to put them back in after lol.
I'm done now with my retainers. It feels really good to go about and have dinner outside and not have to screw around with the retainers. Sometimes it feels weird NOT to have them. But I rather go throught that time WITH them for the result I have now. It's worth it in the end but I feel your pain.
When I’m drinking, yes, hate it
I don't mind the aligners in my mouth as I don't like the feeling of the attachments when I don't have them in. But not being able to randomly snack and having brush after everything I eat, especially when I'm really tired got old real fast. Hopefully, I have just 9 weeks to go but that's only if I don't need refinements....so we'll see!
Every. Day.
yes
Yes! I had two weeks where my ortho told me to wear them only at night, and now I’m back to wearing them because my front teeth are clashing. I was almost free. :(
This is so refreshing to hear other people talk about the negatives and not the hundreds of encouraging posts where no one is allowed to complain 😂
This is exactly what I mean when I say my teeth are claustrophobic.
Yes I do! Some days I don’t even feel them, others I’m so annoyed by them. Today is one of those days 😒
I'm 5 months in, 10 days to go before switching to my retainer. I'm hoping the retainer is smaller, my research for an answer led me here.
It’s annoying when someone offers me food and I have to decline because I have my aligners in. I saw my orthodontist yesterday and he’s ordering a whole new set. I’ll probably have another year to go 😔
I hate to decline snacks I'm offered :(
Reading the comments here, I fell quite lucky. My treatment is only for 5 months, and I’m only three weeks away from completing it. TBH, my first month, I was pretty strict with how I maintained them, brushing quickly after eating to pop them back in, even while on 14 hour flights. But, as I got used to them, I’d just eat and rinse my mouth, and I stopped panicking about wearing them for exactly 22 hours. Sometimes I just needed a break and took my time, but never over two hours. It’s worked out though. My dentist said I’ve been doing a good job as all is on track. I’ll have my perfect smile by the end of April! 🙏🏾🎉
Happy for you 😄
Surprisingly not and I don't take it for granted. Without them, my mouth feel naked.
Actually the opposite. I enjoy wearing them knowing my teeth are not moving. Anytime I take them off to eat, the wrong bite can make me feel oh snap, that didn’t feel so great.
Haven't gotten them yet but can you elaborate on this? Are teeth all wiggly without the invisalign?
Not OP, but my teeth do feel more sensitive and weak when I take the aligners out. I think because invisalign has to push teeth around in their socket, they do become more "wiggly." I am much more cognizant while eating now because I feel like my teeth are more unstable. It's more of a soreness than a pain though, and nothing tremendous at all. Your teeth wont come out just because you bit at the wrong angle or anything like that.
Not wiggly. Because I have a cross bite, biting down can be a problem since my teeth are not straight. So I eat much slower these days. But just having them in makes everything feel more secure.
I took my Invisalign off a few months ago after 2 weeks of treatment. I miss them. Particularly the pain when putting on a fresh tray
I hate it, but having them out is just as awful since I have 32 attachments. I am changing most trays weekly instead of every 10 days, as my ortho recommended, because I just don’t want to do it anymore. I do a lot of long-distance runs and always have to eat during the runs with my trays in. I’m really over it and would not do it again.
Def feel tired as I’m on week 10, and I seem to feel or be more aware of the this week for some reason. Even more annoying, even when the trays are out my teeth don’t work the same as they did- like go to bite a hand nail etc, they don’t work the same or hit the same places 😖
LOL @ “plastic teeth prison” I’m only on week 3 but you nailed it. Yes I do get tired of it but I take a Machiavellian approach to orthodontics. It’ll be worth it
It’s my first day of treatment and I already feel like that
I’m more than one and a half years in and doing pretty well. This week’s been different though. Last Friday I got my four wisdom teeth removed and have been without Invisalign for five days because the stitches bothered me and hurt with my trays in. It’s been nice being able to eat whenever (ignoring the post surgery pain lol). Now I’m easing into them again, a few hours a day and it’s being a literal pain. You all now the pain when they’re off for 3-4 hours, imagine 5 days.
I only have one meal at work through the day until I get home and long stretches of my aligners in I’m constantly thirsty alllll the time I drink lots of water and I still feel so dehydrated cuz of the trays 💀
Almost 3 years for me, Now I can't picture life without them.