What was it like wearing Invisalign?
Hi everyone, my name is Olivia Bramsden, and I began my Invisalign treatment in May 2020 and finished in October 2020. I’m 20 years old and currently in my final year of university.
Why did I choose Invisalign?
I have had an overbite (plus a few wonky front teeth) for as long as I can remember. However, after seeing multiple orthodontists, it was concluded that my overbite and few wonky front teeth were not extreme enough to receive NHS treatment – including train tracks. For this reason, my parents and I decided not to treat my teeth until many years later.
However, in 2020, after hearing about Invisalign from some friends and family members, I booked my initial consultation at Chapel Dental to discuss my smile makeover goals (because I also wanted composite bonding) and learn more about what Invisalign involves. When I was 18 years old, I decided to fix my teeth. I didn’t want to stand out or have train tracks as everyone else had already had them when they were younger. So, Invisalign provided a discreet solution to feeling self-conscious with train track braces.
Why did I choose Chapel?
I chose Chapel Dental as they have extensive Invisalign experience (according to their reviews), and friends and family living in the local area highly recommend Dr Rachel Derby.
How did I begin my Invisalign journey?
I must admit that before my initial consultation with Dr Rachel, I did feel very nervous about the whole process, especially pain levels and how much of a hassle it might have been. Dr Rachel answered all my questions and assured me of any worries I had.
My initial consultation with Dr Rachel was extremely comprehensive. It gave me an idea of the length of treatment, the different Invisalign options, the financial investment, and what my personal experience with Invisalign would look like, explicitly tailored to my individual needs and goals. See packages.
The first step
Following this initial consultation, Dr Rachel began a detailed examination of my teeth, including taking photographs, videos and a digital scan. Additionally, they made a mould of my teeth to send in to create my Invisalign aligners. I left my initial consultation confident and assured that Invisalign was the right choice to achieve my perfect smile.
Following my initial consultation, I had a follow-up appointment to discuss the aesthetics of my current teeth, including my overbite and general misalignment. We then discussed my goals for my new smile.
Dr Rachel presented me with a 3D image of the results that Invisalign treatment would achieve. Once I was happy with everything, they went ahead with adding the small white attachments to my front and bottom teeth, which was a completely painless process.
These attachments are anchors for the Invisalign aligners to hold on to and are incredibly discreet because of their colour. While initially, they may feel slightly weird having them in your mouth, you get used to them very quickly. From there, they put in my first week’s Invisalign retainer and ensured everything fit properly.
Dr Rachel then talked me through how to clean my aligners and when to change to the next week’s aligners, discussed taking them out to eat, drink (anything other than water), and brush my teeth. It also provided me with information booklets to take home and read.
How long did I need Invisalign treatment for?
Although the typical length of Invisalign treatment is around 12 to 18 months, due to most of my teeth being straight and my overbite being the primary reason for treatment, I only needed 5 months of Invisalign treatment.
What is it like wearing them every day?
Dr Rachel told me I had to wear my aligners for 20 to 22 hours daily. While I initially found wearing them somewhat uncomfortable, I got used to having them in all the time (aside from eating) reasonably quickly.
At the very beginning, I did have a slight lisp that was, for the most part, very unnoticeable. The more I wore them, the less I had a lisp. Overall, I found wearing them every day very easy, comfortable, and discreet. Hardly anyone even noticed that I was wearing aligners.
How painful was Invisalign?
The first week of Invisalign was reasonably painful but completely manageable. It was also the first week of A-level examinations, and to ease the pain slightly, I would take paracetamol and eat soft foods such as ice cream and rice pudding.
However, there was very little pain after the first couple of weeks. Aside from your teeth feeling slightly stiff and the first couple of days following changing to a new aligner feeling somewhat uncomfortable, my experience was relatively pain-free.
How do you look after your aligners?
Although I changed my aligners weekly, in my case, it is essential to clean your aligners every night (although I must admit, I was not perfect with this). Mostly, I rinsed them with water and then brushed them with a soft-bristled brush.
The Invisalign pack I was provided with also included some cleaning crystals to clean my aligners, which I would occasionally use toward the end of the week.
Additionally, when not using my aligners, for example, when eating, it is essential to store them in a protective case to ensure they don’t get damaged or chipped.
It is also important to only drink water with the retainers because other drinks, such as coffee and juice, can stain them. I wore the aligners for a week each time, so I did not have to worry so much about staining, unlike friends I knew who sometimes had to wear them for 2-3 weeks.
Following Invisalign treatment, what is the aftercare like?
After the last week of my treatment, I went back to see Dr Rachel for my final check-up and to analyse how my teeth have come along. Dr Rachel also removed the attachments on my front and bottom teeth.
Afterwards, Dr Rachel took some 3D scans of my teeth and showed me a side-by-side comparison to the scans from my first appointment to show me the change. The change was remarkable; my overbite was gone entirely, and any misaligned teeth I had previously had were straight.
How I felt about the retainer
Dr Rachel then led me through the aftercare, including wearing a night retainer and fitting a permanent retainer behind my teeth. I still wear my night retainer—a thicker Invisalign aligner—every night to ensure my teeth stay put. This is especially important after finishing the Invisalign treatment, as the night retainer ensures that your teeth remain the same while becoming fixed in their new position.
Initially, I was hesitant about the prospect of wearing a permanent retainer and having to wear a night retainer, but both are very comfortable and easy. I barely even notice my permanent retainer anymore!
In my final appointment, Dr Rachel also fitted a permanent retainer, a single metal wire fixed to the back of my front and bottom teeth, using a special bonding agent. This is a completely painless procedure, and although I could feel them in my mouth for the first couple of days, I barely noticed that they were there anymore.
It’s been four years since my Invisalign treatment, and my teeth look the same and are as straight as they were when I finished.
Overall, my Invisalign experience was straightforward, discreet, painless, and worth it. I would definitely recommend it.
