Adaptation

[Teefers]

I see so many responses where people glom onto their InvisiAlign treatment within days. That's not happened in my case. I've been declared a complex case so I have lots of attachments, even on the front teeth. Several people have commented or stared at my teeth. I also have to wear elastics alot. I've got some clashing of teeth with the trays in so I have an open bite in front when they're in, which feels uncomfortable and affects my speech - I'm getting better but I still misfire in loud setting where projecting is necessary. I'm low energy due to reducing food and sugar intake.

I'm still wondering if I made the right choice in going for this rather than traditional braces. I'm on tray 3 now and have a long haul of aligners ahead of me. I already been warned about the potential for at least one refinement round thereafter.

Is it going to get better? Have any of you felt kind of bummed, dare I say depressed, about InvisiAlign within the first months?

Trying to stay strong, but having alot of down moments...
Teefers

[invisimunki]

Hi Teefers, I'm really sorry to hear you're having such a tough time. It sounds like you have a challenging treatment.

I know with the first aligner I felt so much tension, not necessarily from the aligners, but from having caps over my teeth. I ended up clenching my teeth a lot which caused tightness in my neck/shoulders, and made me really anxious. Each aligner got a bit easier, but it did take some time.

The only advice I can offer is to try and inject a bit of humor into the process.
I too have an open bite right now, which does cause some speech errors. For example, earlier today I made a very distinct error and said something like "wath" instead of "wash". Before anyone else in the group could call me out on it, I said "wow did that just happen?" (Getting past the lisp is possible it just requires a bit more of an effort to enunciate properly.) I'm also now known as the girl who knows where all the bathrooms are thanks to having to deal with my aligners. Now I just say I have to go remove/put on my dentures, which makes my friends chuckle and eases the inconvenience I feel at having to excuse myself.

I know all that is easier said than done when you're feeling pretty crummy (and hungry!)
You're still very early in the process so I know looking out it seems like you have forever to go, but hang in there it will get easier to deal with. Another trick is to remember each aligner is making small differences, so what is bothering you right now won't be the case in a few weeks. Personally, I find it best to focus on the small changes each aligner is making rather than thinking about the entire length of the treatment.

Oh, and get some food in you! If you read across the board you'll find all sorts of ways people are dealing with the food issue. If you're not functioning at optimal levels because you're not eating enough then you need to make some adjustments. Having straight teeth is all well and good, but not if it costs you your overall health. Hang in there, you can do this!

[Teefers]

Thanks so much for responding, invisimunki!!! You nailed alot of what I'm feeling right now, e.g. anxiety, embarassment...hunger...and looking ahead to how much more time I may have like this (alot!). I like how you handle the lisp and good to know I'm not the only one still having a lisp beyond a few weeks. So far, I've gotten flustered when I lisp, because I'm so used to speaking clearly and being understood readily before InvisiAlign. I'm not accustomed to being told to repeat myself. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier to talk if I effected some accent, ha!

It's been kind of a rollercoaster this weekend. High and lows with the wear, and I actually went out a few times (I've spent previous weekends hiding as I came to grips with the InvisiAlign). My tongue and mouth get so tired when talking due to the inability to close and the discomfort from clashing teeth on one side only...I'm fundamentally scared I won't be able to last because I'm told that since the clashing teeth are in front that they won't rectify for months - gah!! I realize now that the teeth are aligned from back to front, but I can't keep from wishing it was the other way around.

[invisimunki]

Now you've totally got me thinking of incorporating an accent into my speech. LOL
When my trays are out, I'll speak as I normally do... but when they're in! - Invisalign accent!
It's brilliant!!

I'm glad to hear you are finally venturing out. Baby steps! I know the clashing teeth are aggravating. When you're feeling like you just want to give up tell yourself 'Ok I'm going to give it one more week' and then at the end of that week say it again.

And you know what, if you really want out then you can do that too! Part of the anxiety comes from feeling "trapped" but really it's your decision. No one is going to get angry, or judge you, or prevent you from stopping treatment. Your teeth won't fall out either. lol Ultimately, your happiness is more important than anything else. Life is short and you should spend as much of it as you can enjoying it. But if the discomfort of the aligners is something you handle "for just one more week", then do so. I'm sure you'll be proud of yourself once it's all said and done.

[Teefers]

Thanks again for your encouragement, invisimunki! Really appreciate the support!!

I weathered another week, but it's still trying as you realize. The one side of my neck and throat have been sore since it's working overly to allow me to speak. I actually recorded myself to discover my speech isn't as bad as it seems to me when I talk. I just have to work my tongue and mouth rather hard to make it happen so I still have trouble speaking loudly, sigh. Yeah, it's refreshing to take them out and talk like I used too - I appreciate that alot more now, and at least I still can a few hours a day

I am taking it step by step. Some days are worse than others. The onset of the weekend kind of gets me down because I know I have to factor the aligners into outings...and I'm changing them then too. I'm still doing only about half of what I used to do socially, but I did better this week, went out and socialized more.

I think you're right about feeling a bit trapped. I'm kind of kicking myself for not having found these forums prior to committing to InvisiAlign. I didn't search on the right terms until I was having trouble with the aligners in my mouth. So, that wasn't the best preparation I did, and sometimes I wonder if I should have gone with regular braces, even though I recognize there are down sides to those. I like your idea of taking it one week at a time, and if it becomes too overwhelming, then understanding I will do what's necessary.

[Teefers]

Thought I'd dust off my "old" thread from three weeks ago and give an update. I know I have crawled all over the threads in this forum looking for information so maybe it will help someone else.

I still am wrestling with mixed emotions about InvisAlign, and overall, I still feel like I should have chosen traditional braces instead. Because I wear InvisAlign with the full complement of attachments, I now go to far fewer functions, parties, and restaurants. Getting the aligners out of my mouth is still a royal pain in the ass that requires wrestling them out with two hands, especially when they are new.

I also am almost paranoid about cleaning my teeth. I'm concerned about doing it too much and stripping away my enamel. I'm worried about not doing enough and leaving trapped bacteria on my teeth. I don't want to foster new cavities. On the whole, I just try to take the aligners out as little as possible, so places with food and drink are not where I want to gravitate too. Honestly, I don't know if I'm going to be able to go the distance. InvisAlign has adversely impacted my social and professional life, but I'm not sure what I can do about it. I'm only at the beginning of a significant investment.

On the flip side, my teeth seem to be starting to get a more comfortable resting bite with the latest tray, which is taking some of the strain off my jaw and neck. I am finally able to talk better. It took, oh, just 6 weeks to get there.

So far, I see no visible aesthetic changes. I can floss better and that's about it so far. I still can't openly smile due to the positioning of my teeth - it looks rather odd. Maybe that's why I feel bummed out still...can't smile freely.

I'm still doing the 'one more week' trick suggested by invisimunki. Right now I'm anticipating a shipment of goodies from Dentakit which I hope will make InvisAlign life a tad easier. If anyone has more words of advice, I'd greatly appreciate them. My mood feels like it's on a roller coaster sometimes, and to be honest, I greatly miss my carefree days when I didn't think about my teeth.

[invisimunki]

Hi Teefers I'm glad you're still hanging in there a bit at a time. It's excellent that your teeth are settling a bit with your last tray. I think we actually traded places because this last tray I've had made me feel like I'm ALL teeth all over again. lol

I feel ya on the brushing/cavities/enamel worries. My dentist recommended I use a really soft toothbrush and brush gently since I'm brushing much more often now. I also got some ACT fluoride mouthwash, but I pretty much buy any rinse that claims to help my enamel. :P

What goodies are you expecting from Dentakit?

[Teefers]

Hi Invisimunki,
Nice to hear from you and hope you are faring decently despite the teeth movement!

I just realized I was a bit sour writing last night considering new trays had been put in that day and I felt them. This morning I'm feeling better about the bite support with the trays in so these new ones are doing something right hopefully.

I'm getting some things from Dentakit which I hope will expedite care during outings. I found a better-looking case with a mirror so I hope to be able to spot my tray removal without hightailing it each time to the bathroom. Getting some Dentasoak - I like that the stuff is good for a week once mixed. Oh this one I'm excited about - toothbrush with toothpaste already to go in the handle so I can crank and brush (ooooh la la!): Fresh & Go Toothbrush - 6 Pack

I too began using the ACT on the advice of my dentist. This should help!

[bluegray]

Hi Teefers -
While my dental issues don't seem to be as great as yours, I just wanted to say hang in there! You've already gone through 6 weeks, which is 6 weeks further than you were when you started, so that is definitely something. I'm sure as your treatment progresses, you'll become more comfortable with going out in public. After the last few months, I have found that you really just have to own the fact that you have Invisalign and do what you have always done with a little bit of tweaking. There's no shame in wanting straighter teeth and no need to be embarrassed about it. I usually take my aligners out in the car before I go into a restaurant. If it's a busy place, I usually brush pretty quickly in the restroom and then do a more thorough job when I get home. It is what it is and in a few months, all of this will be behind you. You can do it!!

[smileyleanna]

I can totally empathise with you Teefers... I felt really low in the first week and was convinced I'd made a mistake choosing invisalign but with each day I feel a little bit more positive about it all. I'm getting into such a routine with eating/rinsing/brushing/flossing etc. it's now becomnig the norm, rather than the burden it was before. I do still struggle with hunger but I have started drinking meal replacement shakes between meals and they're quite tasty! I'm sure that when you start to see a dramatic improvement/difference in your teeth you will have a huge encouragement boost and it'll drive you to the end. I wish you all the best with it, hope things start to improve for you soon!

[Teefers]

Thank you bluegray and smileyleanna, I really appreciate the words of encouragement. I think the positive uptick is taking a bit longer for me due to being a difficult InvisAlign case - it's not been clear-cut and I guess I wasn't expecting that. I'm just trying to hang in there a bit longer and hoping that I go over the hump so that things get easier.

I am so grateful for this forum. I don't think I would have survived without it!