Attachments - falling off?

[oceanscape]

I just got my attachments (4 upper/4 lower) and I am paranoid about them falling off!

I am quite a vigorous brusher and I'm worried my electric toothbrush might dislodge them. Should I switch to a manual toothbrush and try and be extra gentle, or are the attachments more strongly bonded than I am imagining? I also worry I will rip them off when I go through the trauma of removing the trays!!

My ortho is 2 hours away so I'm really hoping I don't have to go back again just to get an attachment put back on!

Thanks for any advice.

PS - My ortho has scheduled for me to wear my trays for 2 weeks at a time. Is this normal, because most people seem to wear them for one week? Perhaps it's because I said I struggle to wear them for 20-22 hours per day (guess I average 16-18 most days, although I am trying to wear them for longer).

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

If placed properly, the attachments should not come off with proper care. An electric toothbrush will work quite well. There is a greater chance of you slipping with a manual brush and breaking an attachment with the hard part of a manual brush. Remove the aligners slowly from the inside at the back and pull gently out and around.

2 weeks is a standard... not one. FWIW I would be more concerned about having to see your orthodontist when your treatment does not track properly. You are likely to run into issues mid-treatment by wearing the aligners for only 16-18 hours a day. Aim for the 20-22 hours .

[myhollywoodsmile]

Hi there,
I have had my attachments for 19 months and haven't lost one yet despite vigorous brushing and pulling some very tight aligners off.
I think if they do come off it will be right at the beginning. Once they are properly stuck on I think they generally stay in place. Don't worry about brushing them though- not brushing them properly could mean that they get discoloured and would need changing anyway.

Good Luck!

[ChicagoJohn]

I think the attachments are pretty sturdy. I lost one in the very beginning because I was in a rush to catch a train so I forced my bottom tray on really fast from the wrong angle or something and I heard a "crack". It didn't come completely off but a corner of the attachment sort of chipped off. Luckily I was able to see my dentist the next day and he quickly put a new one on. I haven't had anymore problems and they've been on for 11 trays now. Just be careful putting the trays on and don't force them if you don't have the right angle to start with.

[<3christina<3]

I wouldn't worry about the attachments. I have to snap my tray over my bottom teeth and mine have never chipped or fallen out. My top tray pops in and out easily, but I have more attachments on the bottom and it requires more force to get the tray over them. I definitely would worry more about how long you're wearing the trays each day. I had one day that I only wore mine for 19 hours (because of a formal dinner) and when I put them back in it was really snug. In just those few hours my teeth started to shift back out of place. That was a lesson learned for me and now I religiously wear mine for 22 hours a day.

[oceanscape]

Thanks for the advice everyone

2 weeks is a standard... not one. FWIW I would be more concerned about having to see your orthodontist when your treatment does not track properly. You are likely to run into issues mid-treatment by wearing the aligners for only 16-18 hours a day. Aim for the 20-22 hours .

Sorry, my mistake. For some reason I thought one week was the norm but I realise it is actually two.

I know I need to try to wear them longer. I am often in work situations where I am unable to brush immediately after eating/drinking, so I leave my trays out until I am able to brush. Time goes by and I realise it's been a few hours!

When I am unable to brush immediately do you think it's best to rinse my mouth with water and put the trays back in, and then brush when I can? I guess it's a balance between making sure I wear the trays for long enough and not wearing them when my teeth are not completely clean. I'm paranoid about wearing them without having brushed first, but given my current situation it's often not possible.

[racheybabe_2000]

Hi, My orth said if you can't brush then its best to rinse your mouth with water and get them back in and then brush as soon as you can. I've had to do this a couple of times with no problems.

[Nuzents]

I had the same concern about the attachments when I first got them. I had one fall off the first day I got them off, but on my next visit, she reapplied them. I live a bit away from my provider as well and she told me to just wait till next time. So far I'm on track and she gave me 4 sets this time since everything seems fine and she didn't want me traveling if not needed. The set I have for the end of August looks awesome, can't wait to put those suckers in.

[angel9165]

I had a few attachments on crowns and had some problems with snapping them off with new trays. I could always wait until my next appointment to get them put back on though so I didn't have any real issues. On the occasion that I can't brush, I chew sugarless gum and then rinse before putting the trays back in and obviously brush as soon as I can. Good luck with your treatment!

[satsuki]

I am scheduled to wear each tray 3 weeks. When I read the comments, this makes me a bit concerned. I have been extremely compliant (22-23 hours per day). I have just moderate crowding as I had traditional braces I was a teen. Is there anything I can do about this?

[satsuki]

I just started Invisalign and am on tray 2. I have a related issue on attachments. I am pretty sure the attachment on my right side incisor was placed too low on the tooth. When I look at the trays, the attachments on the right/left incisors should be positioned the same, but they are not. This is already causing an issue because there is a space between the tooth and the tray which should not be there. And, when I went in for my appointment this week, I was told I would need to wear tray 2 for three additional weeks because this tooth was not tracking. This really annoyed me because I have been extremely compliant (22-23 hours per day). What can I do? How do I bring up this issue? Is it a big deal to remove an attachment and place a new one? I am concerned that if the attachment is too low, I will have problems throughout.

[Sunny]

Hi and welcome Satsuki!

If your ortho has said you need to wear your aligners for 3 weeks, then that must be the length of time they're designed to achieve the best movement. They're not all designed the same and a good ortho will have input into this process.

Talk to your ortho about the what you see as the difference in these attachments. It may be due to the movement that your ortho is trying to achieve with those teeth, and therefore the attachments need to be different.

Some people have teeth that don't move according to plan and some of us have teeth that are stubborn! It's great you're being compliant, because if you weren't, that tooth may take even longer to get on track. It's great you have such a good ortho, who's making sure the health of your teeth is paramount. If a tooth is forced to move too quickly or too much, there's a risk of root reabsorption, which may result in the tooth falling out. Here's to that tooth getting on with the movement needed and it being achieved by the end the additional three weeks.

[oceanscape]

My attachments have survived so far! But one of them feels like it has "worn down" if that makes sense? It might be me over-analyzing things, but is it possible for the attachment bump to wear away over time?