Hmmm that's interesting. Now I'm confused. I was hoping my son's retainer would not discolor using their instructions.

My son wears a retainer at night. This is not an invisalign retainer, just the regular kind you get after wearing metal braces. He can soak his in denture cleaner.

Right from the invisalign book:

1 clean your aligners prior to each insertion. Use a soft bristle toothbrush with water and a small amount of toothpaste.

2 Do NOT use denture cleaners to clean aligners.
Do NOT soak them in mouthwash. These products can damage the surface of the aligner, causing it to become dull and more visible.

There is reference to an Invisalign cleaning product but no explanation is given and the dentist did not mention it.

I guess the worst that may happen is it gets dull, like etched by the cleaner????

When we picked up my son's retainer, they gave him an envelope with a tablet in it that came with the retainer, for soaking. The hygenist said it is the same thing as Polident, so just buy that in the future because it's cheaper. So my guess is that they are the same thing, but Invisalign wants you to buy their product. Invisalign does not list the ingredients in their product, so I'm not sure though, but that's what I'm guessing.

mini update. Taking the aligners in and out is getting much better. My teeth do hurt when chewing even soft food. I assume this will get better. Ice cream is just fine!

I still really miss my constant tea drinking.

Thanks for all the support and info.

Great! I put one of my old aligners in last night -- my teeth tend to move back out -- so I know what you're going through! My teeth are a bit sore today. Glad its getting better.

I had invisalign for 18 months starting in 2001. Love them. My top teeth tend to shift and make the teeth on either side of front teeth move back. I have the permanent wires behind bottom teeth. They originally put that on my uppers as well, but my bottom teeth hit it and that was changing the way I held my mouth and changing my jaw alignment. Had the dentist remove. I wear my last aligner at least twice a week or else the teeth start shifting again. It's slightly painful/uncomfortable when I first put the aligner in, but doesn't hurt but a minute.

Switch to flavored water rather than tea. I stopped drinking Coke a few months ago and went to Kirkland VitaRain Zero. Lost five pounds the first month. lol

The soreness should go away after a couple of days, until you put in the next aligner. After the first month, I don't remember any issues being sore, etc.

One thing that was not good happened today. Taking out the lower aligner part of a molar was stuck in the aligner. It doesn't hurt and that tooth is already cracked. The dentist had planned on fixing that tooth once the invisalign is done. A little scary to see that.

Another thing is talking. I still talk funny and have to explain the situation if I have to talk to someone who doesn't know. I notice strangers getting a funny look on their face and staring at my mouth. Its not just my imagination my family was surprised how much my speech is affected. The dentist staff said to keep talking and within a day it will be ok. Well thats not the case infact the more I talk the more I sound like I'm getting sloshed. I'm in the process of looking for a job so this could be an issue.

How long before you were talking normal?

My dd has never talked funny. Dh didn't even realize she had gotten them the day she first had them. We had to point them out.

Hope you start feeling relatively normal with them soon!

I didn't have invisalign, but metal braces then a clear retainer, like invisalign that I wore for several hours each day, now at night only. I bought an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and pop the retainers into it each day for cleaning. Nothing but water in it. I gave one to my friend when she got her invisalign and she took it to her orthodontist to check with him about using it. He thought it was a great idea and now recommends it. Before I did that and used either toothpaste or soda on my retainers they would get cloudy. With the ultrasonic cleaner, my newest ones have remained clear and unstained for 2+ years now.

I talked funny for awhile. If I was going to make a phone call, I removed. They also make you salivate more in the beginning, but once your mouth gets use to the foreign object that stops.

Sorry about your tooth. If you get a crown, it has to fit in your current aligner.

alison, did you always remove it during the whole process? I'm not working right now but the jobs I apply for usually involve lots of telephone or in person talking.

I also experienced the disruption in speech; it was pretty annoying and I also worried I'd be talking weirdly for years. Same for saliva; at first it was really noticeable but later lessened considerably.

As others have said, most if not all these side effects lessen or go away as you move through the treatment process. Once you get used to having the aligners in your speech will almost certainly return to your normal cadence. I have to admit (TMI alert) I do notice some drooling on the pillow, but then again that happens to some folks without aligners!

So now I will bring up something that really threw me for a loop when it happened; the attachments. These are small clear 'bumps' that are glued onto certain teeth, and the fit into matching hollows in the invisaligners. They are used to help move teeth when the aligners alone aren't quite enough. In my case, after I had moved through my first few sets of aligners I went in for my next group. When the hygienist put them in I was appalled--there were really noticeable (to me) 'bumps' on every tooth space in the aligners, including across the front teeth. Now, those were NOT invisible and I was pretty upset at my orthodontist for not warning me about that. I got used to it but frankly, I think there is some un-truth in advertising about Invisalign if you're not aware that you might end up with attachments that are in quite visible spots on your teeth. Oh and in my case my ortho didn't even put the attachments in the front so I spent a year wearing bubble front teeth aligners for no reason :(. I did eventually get some attachments but only on the sides and the aligners I'm using now no longer have the front bubble spots.

This may never happen to you; if you even need attachments they might be on the sides of back. But as I mentioned, I had no idea about attachments nor did I ever expect to have the bumps extend across all my front upper and lower teeth...that wasn't 'invisible' and it did bother me aesthetically.

Ann

Here is a link that might be useful: Invisalign Attachments

I certainly hope my speech gets better!

Oh I know about the attachments. I currently have 4 on the bottom and 4 on the top. 2 on one tooth near the front that to me makes it look like I have food stuck on my teeth when the aligners are out.

I'm getting 2 more next week on back teeth and then I get more put on sometime during the process. The 2 next week were supposed to be on from the beginning but the hygientist could not get them to stick to those teeth as they are crowns. The dentist said we will wait until my 2 week visit and she will get them on.

There is a lot more to invisalign then what you see in the commercials! For example there are questions you might not want to ask your dentist....like what about kissing and sex? I googled it and found most had no issues and for some it was even better,LOL. I discussed with DH and tried it. No issues. Well at least something to be happy about : )

Ann I would not be happy if they were on my two front teeth as they look bad enough already!

I just tried eating some chocolate chips out of the bags (a favorite snack of mine) They are just too hard to chew. So DH (what a sweetheart he is) melted them for me. Wonderful.....

I know in the end it will be worth it. EVERYONE keeps telling me that. I would say to anyone considering invisalign to talk to people who actually have it or post on a forum like this. Also, ask lots of questions! I am still annoyed about not drinking tea with them in!

Well, melting chocolate chips was the least he could do for you after your little "test".

My sisters dentist recommended Invisalign to her so I'm finding all these user comments interesting and helpful.

Despite my issue with the attachments, I have to say that the Invisalign treatment is one of the very best things I've ever done for myself. In my case, to tie into another discussion, I was the oldest in my family and my parents couldn't afford orthodontia for me, although my younger siblings did get their teeth fixed. My crooked teeth were a feature that not only had embarrassed me for many, many years, they made it harder to keep my teeth clean and affected my bite. But when my kids were growing up I never would have spent the money on myself. Once they were launched, getting my teeth fixed was part of deciding that my time had come!

Compared with classic metal orthodontia the Invisalign are incredibly less noticeable and obtrusive. And the difference in appearance is stunning. I just can't believe how much better I feel about myself now that my teeth are straight. And it's so much easier to keep them clean.

So hang in there and know that it will get better using them, while you will be so happy with your teeth once you are done.

Ann

I have invisalign now, I'm on my 35th set, so almost done. Yay! I drink with them in, and they haven't been ruined. I brush them every night with toothpaste and they are fine. I could not take them out every time I needed to drink something, I was getting really dehydrated. I drink iced tea all the time, and it is not a problem. I have to say, they are really easy to live with after a few weeks. I love them. :)

hhireno, LOL!!!

runninginplace, you are giving me encouragement!

Glad2be, so you drink iced tea with them in???? I don't like iced tea but as I already said am a avid hot tea drinker. So no bad staining? I will have a total of 23 sets if all goes well. The first plan was for over 50!

Update: I just got back from the dentist. Had two more attachments put on. Will have more in the future. The broken tooth is not an issue.

We did discuss my speech which has not improved. She thinks my speech issue is do to spacing/no spacing. Almost all my teeth have spaces between them. I was born without several permanent teeth. I am used to talking with those spaces. There is airflow between my teeth. The invisalign blocks all those spaces. That is a lot for my tongue to get used to. Many people don't have all these spaces and that is why my speech is more affected than others. She said it will just take me longer to adjust and encouraged me to tell people I'm wearing invisalign if they keep staring. Be proud of them, LOL.

Told me to run the aligners under warm water and they will go back in easier.

I still get frustrated but am feeling better about this whole situation.

Dry drinking with a straw. Sometimes I drink hot liquids through a straw with a lid to prevent spilling, so it should work for your hot tea addiction!

Also, I'd look into white teas....

When I got my braces back in 2005, I debated invisalign and regular brackets. I ended up going w/ clear top brackets and silver bottom brackets (because they weren't really visible and it saved me an additional $300, lol), I didn't pick the invisalign because of not being able to drink w/ them in (I am constantly drinking stuff, mostly water or unsweetened tea), plus I heard you get spit bubbles in them.

I did get a clear plastic nighttime retainer after my brackets came off, and I hated the thing. Made me very glad I didn't go the invisalign route. I stepped on it awhile back and crushed it, and I am picking up my old school Hawley retainer next week. I have a tooth that shifted, and the Hawley will help it get back in place, and I can then use it as my nighttime one. Had I gone w/ anohter clear plastic one, I'd have to pay for a second one once the tooth is moved for my nighttime one.

My sister's best friend decided on invisalign. She has had them for three years so far, and she has another 2 to go! I don't know if the problem is the retainers, the company making them or the ortho. Several times, the new sets she got did not fit, and when they send them back, it takes over three months to get them replaced. I'm sorry, but that is unacceptable. I'd be raising holy heck and either getting soem money back or switching to brackets at no additional cost.

caroleoh, I'm going to get some straws and try it. The worse that will happen is the aligners get stained and will look bad until the next set.

straitlover, There are also, other companies making clear aligners. They don't seem to advertise but they are cheaper. I know one person who had them. They worked but I don't know about quality and customer service.

I'm sorry your friend is having such trouble. Invisalign does not make teeth move faster. If I had gone with metal braces it would be the same amount of time. My original plan was going to take almost 3 years. My dentist worked with invisalign and came up with this new 11 month plan. It will leave a larger gap near the back but this can be filled in with a bridge if needed. Your friend should sit down with her dentist/ortho and get to the bottom of this.

The plastic retainer (which I'm sure I will have) will not bother me at all. For several years I have worn a splint or mouth guard to prevent damage to my teeth as I am a night time grinder.

You can drink water with the aligners in! Just not other stuff.

This 2nd tray seems to be going very well. Really hard to remove but no pain.

I find myself watching the olympics and staring at the athletes teeth, LOL!

Straitlover, this is definitely another of those individual/personal decisions.

At 55 YO, the option of wearing metal braces was simply unacceptable. In my job I deal with quite a few executives, high level business and academic folks etc. and I personally would have found it absolutely mortifying to smile through a mouthful of metal. Then too, based on the total cost of orthodontia, $300 is a miniscule price to pay for not being embarrassed to death to open my mouth for years. I get terrible mouth sores so having metal pieces poking at me, and causing open wounds in my mouth for several years..nope, not happening.

I think we all have our difference personal concerns and issues. For *me*, the invisalign has been the best choice by far.

Ann

I don't know why this got bumped up as there is no recent post but I thought I would use the opportunity to give an update.

My original time with invisalign is over but the dentist thought it could be better. That means I will be getting another treatment program. Hopefully this will be a short duration of just a few aligners of 2 weeks each. No additional charge. My teeth look much better but one area needs a little refinement.

What I found over the time was that I did not have to wear the aligners as much as they said and they were still effective. I would not recommend this as it was just my personal experience. In fact toward the end I lost a set of aligners and had to skip one (2 week) part and could do that with no issues. Speech is still slightly an issue when I wear them.

Right now I am just wearing my last tray at night while I wait for the new trays to come in.

I don't know how I never saw this thread before, but now I am curious about it as my dentist has said I need braces. I'm 59 and while I'd still like to look better, it's not like I have a reason I need to look better. But mainly, I'd like to get my front upper teeth aligned because I bite my lip all the time with one tooth that has moved inward. But it is a tooth with a root canal. I have 3 teeth with root canals. Do those present any problems? And can they straighten teeth that need quite a bit of straightening?

marti8a, I also have had 3 root canals and there have been no issues with moving those teeth. You should talk to your dentist and get an evaluation. Lots of dentist and orthodontists offer this so if you find one you like and has good references.

Originally I was given a plan that would take about 3 years. My dentist thought that was excessive so she modified it with my approval. The focus is on the front and getting my bite corrected.

I'm glad this got bumped up because I have been mildly curious about Invisalign but now have started to think about actually doing it. I don't know anyone who's had it so these "reviews" are helpful. I have a space to the left of my front teeth that seems somehow more prominent than it used to be. I also have an overbite (I had headgear -- ugh -- and braces as a teenager but didn't wear my retainer as long as I was supposed to).

Do you get used to the feeling of having a plastic thing in your mouth? I have a night guard and all I can think of is wearing that 24/7! I'm sure it must be quite different.

For those of you who have them or had them -- did you go through a regular dentist or an orthodontist? I would feel so funny going to my DD's orthodontist with all the kids, but maybe if I make appts during school hours I wouldn't be surrounded by 12 year olds.

Sue, I can't answer your specific questions about wearing Invisalign, though I think I did comment on this thread when it first came out. My dd currently has Invisalign. She was supposed to be done in early December, but I wanted more of a correction to her overbite. She will now have new "trays" designed for use with rubber bands. The initial treatment did help with the overbite but not as much as I wanted. Dd was annoyed so I let her mull it over and we both agreed that she had made it this far, so she should suffer through the 6 months to make it even better.

A funny story...on Christmas Eve I was taking pictures of my kids in front of our tree. I kept noticing how "bright" dd's teeth were when taking the picture. I suddenly realized that it was because for the first time, dd was smiling with her lips open! Since she was about 8-9 y/o, she has always smiled with her lips together b/c she was self-conscious of her teeth. Not sure why...her teeth were straight and the overbite/over jet was not bad! But when I realized I was suddenly seeing her beautiful smile again, i was so pleased she is no longer self-conscious!

To your last point, I was amazed during our first few visits to see so many adults getting treatment. I never realized how many adults get treated as they age. I would not worry at all about being surrounded by kids. If your ortho is anything like ours, while you won't be in the majority, you certainly won't feel out of place. Truth be told, like you I had braces and head gear, but I could probably benefit with some more orthodontics. My bottom teeth have shifted and I still have a slight overbite/over jet (there is a difference but I can never remember which is which).

I went to a new dentist (my husbands) because I had a few teeth start breaking. She determined my teeth were moving and now teeth were hitting each other. I trusted her based on my husband and others so there was no need to see an ortho. Make sure who ever you are dealing with is someone who is experienced with invisalign and is someone you can trust. Its a little stressful and you want to comfortable with the professional.

For years I have worn a mouth guard at night and the invisalign is much thinner. As you have read above it does take getting used to. I got invisalign at the same time of starting a new job which was in an office after working at home for over 2 years (not seeing other people). I'm sure I would have adjusted to it much easier if I didn't have that added stress.

From what I'm told, your teeth never stop moving. I will have to wear a retainer at night always but no issue as I have to wear something anyway due to night grinding.

My New Years resolution is to look into this! My DD goes to a very well-respected ortho, so I will give her a call and have a consultation. My dentist has been remarking about how "odd" my bite is over the last year or two, and he can't seem to figure out how/why it changed. I have noticed it too. For instance, when I bite down, my back teeth on one side touch each other (bottom and top) but not on the other side. I don't know if invisalign can fix that, but it's worth finding out.

Sue, do go and have a consultation. I finished my Invisalign treatment course this past summer and after seeing my comments earlier in this thread...I can only repeat that I have NO regrets and in fact it's one of the best things I've ever done for myself.

To address your concerns:

-as Fourkids says, many many many adults are now doing orthodontics and especially using Invisalign. I used the orthodontist who did my daughter's braces because he turned out to have Invisalign's top rating (ie did a substantial number of treatments annually and had gotten special training in fitting and using the system). I believe the Invisalign website has a list of dental providers by area so you might want to check that out to get a referral unless you have someone in mind already

-The aesthetics of straight teeth are important but really to me the top priority is that if you need it, orthodontia will do only good things for your oral/dental health, especially as one ages. My regular dentist had been telling me for awhile that orthodontia would be helpful and I notice a dramatic improvement in how easy it is to keep my teeth clean. My dental hygienist has literally cut the time it takes for my cleanings in half(!). And TMI warning: I am amazed at how much less food gets 'stuck' in nooks/crannies between my teeth after straightening

-The actual process is not that bad. As others mention, once you get used to it the trays aren't awful and they don't interfere with life. I wear my final set to bed nightly now, no hassles and not a problem

-Last but not least, the aesthetics are pretty darn great too! I still marvel at seeing a smile with nice straight even teeth in the mirror. I was so self-conscious about my teeth for my entire life, and the boost to my confidence is even better than I thought it would be

Good luck with your decision.
Ann

sueb, I'm going to look into it also. I don't have dental insurance, not that it paid much on dd's braces when we did have it. I also have a couple of crowns so that could be an issue. But I want to find out.

marti8a, I have 3 teeth with root canals and several (I lost count) crowns. I am also missing several teeth (was born without them). None of that has been an issue. My teeth will not be perfect but will line up properly and look a lot better than before! DH has noticed the difference and I'm not done yet.

Smiling was mentioned and I already find myself smiling more than I did before.

All dental insurance I know of will NOT cover invisalign or any type of ortho for adults even when necessary : (

Thanks debrak! I am getting excited about it. I hate smiling and seeing pictures of myself with my teeth showing.

I'm kind of excited too. Mentioned it to DH and he OK'd it so now I have no excuses. Calling the orthodontist on Monday!

I got the invisalign when I was 19 years old ( http://www.wilkandwilk.com/invisalign/what-is-invisalign/ ) from a Orthodontic clinic in Toronto and fortunately I’m not a heavy coffee consumer, so It didn’t agitate me at all. But you must be very careful with these beverages during your invisalign treatment. Tea and coffee can cause damage to your trays in two ways—through heat and through staining. Hot beverages can warp the plastic of the trays, changing their shape so they no longer fit over your teeth properly. If the trays become stained, they will no longer be apparent and virtually invisible, but will make your teeth look dingy and discolored.

I know this thread started in January 2014 but hopefully some people are still around. I would specifically like to ask Sueb20 if she had her ortho consult and what she decided.

Also, debrak2008, are you finished with your treatment now or not? Are you happy with your results?

Last question, for now anyway, would anyone be willing to give me at least a ballpark of what it cost them to have invisalign?

Thanks!

I got mine for free because my BIL is an orthodontist and only takes from family what insurance pays. Ours doesn't pay anything. (but we buy him really nice presents at Christmas!) But I think the charge would have been around 3000.00. Worth every penny if you can swing it. I had the "railroad tracks" too many moons ago, and it's like night and day difference/ease of use.

Regarding coffee staining and warping the trays. If you drink coffee only at certain times of the day, and infrequently at that, can't you take them out for that short period of time?

I've had mine 4 months now - and if I could have gotten them for 3k as Beth did I would have been THRILLED!!! Try $6500 :-/

I had regular braces as a teen but was a very uncooperative patient and I think my ortho kind of gave up. Plus I never wore my retainer to maintain whatever the braces did accomplish. My teeth went right back to where I started after several years. As an adult it never bothered me much until one front tooth began to turn slightly and it was shadowed in photos - not a good look. I stopped smiling in photos and became self conscious when talking to people and knew I had to do something. Looked into Invisalign in Chicago before we moved but figured it would be better to start and finish in the same place if possible so put it off. I'm the poster child for being a good patient now!!

I have not had a problem with staining and drink iced espresso with them in or coffee if it's not super hot. Brushing the trays cleans them up and since you change trays every 2 weeks a clean set is waiting in the wings.

DLM, WOW. That price is insane. Do you live in a high cost of living area? We are in the midwest, not in a HCOL area. Your story sounds much like mine, only my tooth wasn't turning, it was just gravitating back, so was slightly recessed. It was like that for a couple years and one night I smiled and my hubby said, You look like a hick. :o lol That was all it took to get something done. And I too am a very good patient now, ;)

You make great points about the brushing and switching out which I forgot about since I have been done for many months. Once you are done, you do keep the same trays, but, you eventually work it to where you only where them at night, so no one sees them anyway.

I haven't done anything yet! I'm a real procrastinator. A good friend of mine just got them for some alignment issues related to TMJ. She's on some kind of accelerated program for 38 weeks. I think she said $4000. The second day, she woke up with hugely swollen lips. I think she said the dr said it was from the cement that was used? Plus she had canker sores. Sounds really pleasant! She's only had them for a few weeks now but hasn't had any issues after those first few days. She said her lisp is gone, too.

I really like DD's orthodontist. I don't know why I feel like such a dork asking about braces for my 50 year old self, but I do. Plus I have dental phobia so maybe that's holding me back, even though I know there's no drilling involved!

So if you are, say, at a dinner party...do you leave the Invisalign at home for the night, or slip into the ladies room to take them out before dinner, then slip out again to put them back in?

I also had braces in middle school and was negligent about wearing my retainer. My uppers aren't too bad, but I have a lower canine tooth that has moved forward and the two front teeth have become crowded. I'm 70 and question whether I should even bother. But I think it's at least worth a consult with an orthodontist.

Sue, are you thinking your friend got Invisalign? There is no cement involved with these. The only thing that it could be, if she actually has these, is maybe an allergic reaction to the plastic. And that's totally possible, though I would imagine fairly rare.

And yes, you have a little hard plastic snap shut case for them and just run to the powder room and pop them out while eating (which is SO nice). I usually didn't put them back in unless I could brush my teeth first. Otherwise just waited til I got home.

Linelle. I think it's definitely worth a consult. Then mull it over.

I also had braces as a child (four years!), but my ortho never did get it right, and I've always had an overbite. So my 50th birthday present ($6500!, 32 trays, DC area) was to get Invisalign. So far so good! I take them out for about an hour for each breakfast and lunch, half an hour for tea time, and 2-3 hours for dinner (I'm the cook and I need to taste while cooking, and then I need to eat). All bets are off on the weekends, when I sip wine the entire evening. When I go to a dinner party I take the trays out in the car before going in, and put them back in once home. I'm almost halfway through, and very pleased with how it's going.

PS Maybe the swollen lips were from the cement used to make impressions, if impressions were made. (My ortho gives the option of impressions or digital scans, same charge. I chose the latter, and it was a rather tedious process. But it's supposedly more accurate and the trays arrive more quickly.)

I don't know...she called them Invisalign...maybe they're not!

Beth I hoped the cost here in small town western NC would be less than the estimates i got in suburban Chicago before we moved, but it wasn't. I'm sure there is some variable by location but probably more by the extent of straightening needed would be my guess. Regardless, you got a great deal!

Sue I have what they call 'attachments' on a few of my teeth. They are tiny pieces of tooth color material, that are placed to help in the movement - all depends on exactly what needs to be moved where. Those are put on with dental cement so perhaps that was what your friend reacted to. Also, each new set of trays has sharp edges in varying degrees and need to be filed down - literally i use either an emery board or a cuticle pumice stone to do it. I have had some places that were difficult to get smooth enough and occasionally get sores on the inside of my lips or tongue but wax helps with that. I wanted this badly enough that I am just sucking it up and plowing through but I have a long way to go - ask me again in 2 years!

I get the sibilant 's' sound - not quite a lisp - when I'm doing a lot of talking and my mouth gets dry. Ssssometimes it bothers me but mosssstly I just shrug it off ;-) I'm focused on the end result.

DLM, yes, that's what she has -- the attachments.

Ok, long story short, I did not have the attachments, and thought they had stopped using them. So yes, that would be it. Sorry about that.

And wow, sorry you guys are getting such high charges! But, I would say if it makes you feel better it is worth it.

I think my treatment cost was $4900; I live in Miami and this is a high end orthodontist, who holds the top certification from Invisalign and had already done a fabulous job with my daughter's teeth so I didn't hesitate. He also offered a payment plan which was helpful; I placed an initial deposit then monthly payments so the cost was spread over the several years I did the treatment.

I am done now and just wear retainers at night. I'll reiterate it was one of the best decisions I've ever made for my health and self esteem.