Does Invisalign hurt?

In order to move your teeth then needs to be some pressure applied to them, in some cases people can describe this pressure as pain although this is rarely the case. Invisalign can sometimes be a little bit uncomfortable when you first begin a new aligner as this is when the pressure on the teeth will be greatest, however, this will subside after a couple of days.

Is Invisalign more painful than any other form of orthodontics?

Absolutely not. Invisalign is generally considered one of the most comfortable for the orthodontic treatment.

Conventional orthodontics using brackets bonded to your teeth and wires between the brackets can be considerably more uncomfortable than Invisalign. These brackets and wires have a tendency to scrape the inside of your cheeks and can cause ulcers, whilst wax is usually provided by your orthodontist to cover these wires wax can dislodge.

Invisalign utilises a completely different system from moving teeth and is constructed of a completely clear and smooth aligner. The aligner is fitted over your teeth so there is nothing sharp to catch the inside of your cheeks making Invisalign and extremely comfortable way to straighten your teeth.

Any pain from Invisalign is usually classified by patients as a dull ache, rather than actual pain.

How to make Invisalign more comfortable

• When you first begin wearing a new aligner (which will happen approximately every two weeks) start wearing the new aligner when you go to bed. This will give your teeth time to adjust whilst you are asleep and generally not putting any other pressure on your teeth.
• With each new aligner give your teeth time to settle in, approximately 3 days. This means avoid eating particularly crunchy or hard food which could put undue pressure on your teeth and make sensitivity worse.
• Be sure to wear a sports guard if you play any sports, this should be a custom-made guard made by your dentist to give you the maximum amount of protection and prevent your teeth being knocked and made more sensitive.
• Do what you can to reduce stress and be mindful of grinding or clenching your teeth, this grinding and clenching can put pressure on your teeth and exacerbate any mild sensitivity caused by the new aligner.

Invisalign begins to work immediately, as soon as you wear your first aligner Invisalign is working, you won’t however be able to see any tooth movement happening. Invisalign puts continuous pressure on your teeth to move them in the desired direction, it is only with time that this movement becomes apparent… So the actual question is:

How long will it take to see results from Invisalign?

You should begin to notice very supple tooth movement after about 4 weeks of wearing your Invisalign aligners. One of the problems with noticing this is that the movement happen so slowly that you may think your teeth are not moving. We can assure you that if you wear your aligners for the recommended 22 hours per day then the required amount of tooth movement is taking place.

How long will it take to see the final result from Invisalign?

The final result from Invisalign can be seen once you have finished the full course of a line therapy. At the beginning of treatment you will be told how long this is likely to be but it is typically in the region of 6 months to 1 year, depending upon the severity of your malocclusion, or what you want to achieve.

How will I know how long treatment will take?

At the beginning of any Invisalign treatment your orthodontist will undertake a Clincheck®. This is a digitised scan of your teeth, the digitised scan is manipulated in software to show the final result. Once the software knows how far each tooth has to move it can calculate the number of aligners required, this then dictates the amount of time the whole treatment takes. A typical treatment takes upwards of 26 aligners, you will be given a written treatment plan at the beginning of any treatment so that you know exactly how long treatment would take.

No. In order to eat you will need to remove the Invisalign aligner. Once you have finished eating or drinking anything other than water you should clean your teeth and immediately put your aligner back in.

Invisalign aligners are made from a clear plastic which sits over the top of your teeth. If you try to eat sticky food such as pizza you may find that it can pull the aligner out, you could then bite down on it and break it.

Similarly, eating foods which are extremely crunchy or have a very hard texture, such as chicken on the bone can break the aligner if you bite down on that hard substance.

As well as risking breaking the aligner, you could also do damage to your teeth if you eat with the aligner in. This is because small amount of food may creep underneath the aligner and then be held in place against your teeth.

This will give the acid excreting bacteria in your mouth something to live off, as they digest the food hey give off acid which can attack your teeth and cause tooth decay, therefore if you leave the aligner in and don’t clean your teeth after eating you increase the chances of dental disease and decay.

What can you drink whilst wearing Invisalign?

We recommend only drinking water whilst wearing Invisalign. The problem drinking anything else is that if any of the liquid gets underneath the aligner then it can be held in contact with your teeth which can lead to dental decay. To have no risk of this happening we recommend drinking water only.

Can I chew gum whilst wearing Invisalign?

No. You may find that chewing gum whilst wearing Invisalign can pull the aligner is out, this could result in breaking the aligner. Not all gum is sugarfree, so having this sugary gum in your mouth could also lead to dental decay as the aligner may keep this sugar in contact with your teeth for longer.

Can I smoke whilst wearing Invisalign?

Whilst theoretically possible to smoke whilst wearing Invisalign it is not recommended. Invisalign is made from a material which is sensitive to heat, smoking could therefore damage the aligner. Smoking will also discolour the aligner making it very obvious that you are wearing an orthodontic appliance.

Yes. Invisalign is designed to be worn for 22 hours each day.

When you decide to go with any orthodontic system, Invisalign included, you need to be aware of what is required of you. If you can wear your Invisalign braces for us close to 24 hours per day as possible then you will see the best results in the shortest amount of time.

Is Invisalign uncomfortable to wear at night?

No. Invisalign is made from an extremely thin almost completely see-through acrylic resin. The Invisalign aligner fits very precisely over your teeth but the outer surface is extremely smooth. This makes it very comfortable to wear as you will barely even notice it is in place.

Could I swallow Invisalign at night?

No. Invisalign covers all of your teeth and is therefore reasonable size, it is not possible to swallow the Invisalign aligner at night. The aligner will also fit very tightly over your teeth needing a definite pull to remove it each day. This means the aligner will be fixed in tightly and not able to come out on its own at night.

Can I just wear Invisalign at night and not in the day?

No. If you only did this then you would be wearing your Invisalign aligner is for probably a maximum of eight hours per day. Invisalign is designed to be worn for at least 22 hours per day and is also designed to be barely noticeable whilst being worn.

This design makes it the perfect orthodontic brace to be well worn by people with busy lives and who don’t want others to know they are having orthodontic brace treatment.