Glad I did (less) research!

[Fragile]

Hey guys, started my invisalign treatment over a month ago. Onto the 2nd week of tray #3. Got attachmennts last week as well. A nice set of attachments on the front 4 teeth at the top (11 in total). I'm also 20 years old. Never really needed braces but in the last year my wisdom teeth started to come in and my teeth were becoming more crooked. I became more self-conscious about them.

So what, right?

Well, as soon as I got invisalign I decided to look for forums talking about it. Found this one and it seems to be the most active. Began reading some of the topics and feedback and oh my did I start to second doubt myself! I stopped reading and went about my business. A few weeks passed and I have had little issue with my invisalign process.

Personally, I think people who are researching (My dentist had shown me what invisalign looks like and the attachments so no big surprise other than the refinement phase which was not mentioned) should take caution with some of the negative feedback and I guess the positive feedback.

In my situation:
The lisp - First day, maybe a small one. Otherwise, no lisp at all. I don't feel any difference.
General feeling - Great! I don't mind putting these suckers in at all. Got used to them really quick.
Attachments - Alittle unfortunate, you can tell that there's something on your teeth but it's still alot less noticeable than metal braces and less unsightly. Still, let's be honest, when you see people with braces you don't judge them based on that. It's not a big deal guys.
Lifestyle - Truth be told, I've drank alcohol with my invisalign in. Thats the only thing I've drank with them in besides water. No issues so far (I am 20 so y'know I gotta drink haha). The eating out with friends at a pub or sushi can be a bit of a pain but again, it's 2 minutes of me excusing myself to go brush my teeth. Not a big deal again.
Adaptability - I was a HUGE gum chewer. I am a self-confessed gum addict and have had no withdrawals since going with invisalign haha. Don't even use mints either (I was worried about bad breath).
Teeth health - I brush way more and actually floss my teeth now... Crazy.

Finally, I remember I was debating whether I should get braces or not and there would be days where I was waay to self-conscious about my teeth and would hate them on certain days. I couldn't wait to get started. I finally have and on the road to have awesome teeth like all of you. For me, it's 23 on both U and L. So about a year (possibly a few extra months with refinements) and I'll have a damn nice smile. I can't wait. 1 year of being adaptable is worth the next 10+ years of having a pretty sweet smile. I've had friends who've done metal braces and a few have had their process drastically lengthened. They originall said 1 year, or 2 years and some went up to 3-4 years of having metal braces. Yikes! There's positives and negative to both processes and I like this one.

Anyways, just wanted to add my 2 cents in here. Don't be turned off by all the negative stories newbies!

[GoofyGG]

It's nice to read positive threads. My invisalign journey has been very positive too, I have no complaints whatsoever!

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

Thanks for sharing. It's important to remember that many people arrive at the forum due to negative experiences, but there are hundreds of thousands of happy patients out there too :).

Choosing the right doctor for your Invisalign treatment generally leads to positive experiences!

[Christina Marie]

Agreed! I'm on my 4th set of trays now and I wouldn't change anything! Let's hope it stays that way :)

[miss_berly]

Do you find that 2 hours a day to eat is enough? I'm having a hard time with this..
I used to snack 5-6 times a day, not a lot each time but just a little. (couple of vegetables here and there)
Now I'm having a very hard time adjusting to eating only 3 times a day and even then I always go over the 2 hours that I'm allowed...
And I'm starrrrrrrving! so when I take them out.. I go CRAZY!! and eat as much as I can because I know it will be a long time before I can eat again.
I'm a slow eater too, so I tried bringing meal replacement shakes to work so that it only takes me 10minutes and then I get more time to snack between lunch and diner or diner and bed... but OMG! I'm starrrrrving!
Does this happen to you?

1 of 28 - U\L

[Fragile]

I admit, the snacking is a bit of an issue. It sucks not being able to snack on a cookie or grab a bag of chips here and there BUT it's not too bad. I never have mine out for more than 2 hours.
I usually eat: Breakfast, Dinner and than a night meal (I wake up around 11 am daily so no need for lunch). I take about 20-25mins for each meal. That equals just over an hour. I may take a protein shake in between meals after the gym or I will have a small snack in between these meals at times. That equals about 10-15mins at most for me.

I mostly just eat larger meals now. I used to eat 2 eggs for breakfast now I eat 3. For dinner, I add a side dish. At night, I'll add some ice cream. If I go out for wings or sushi with friends, that usually makes my time go up - 30-40 mins. I try to avoid taking them out during that day for long periods of time.

Haven't had an issue. I may eat alittle less the 1st day or 2 that I put my new trays on mainly due to the teeth pain but it's not a drastic change. Haven't starved yet haha.

[Greenman]

Another thing to remember is that this forum operates as a bit of a support group. People here are going through the same experiences and it is only natural that they would share their concerns on here. We are all here for each other.

[Fragile]

Yes, thats very true. People come to the forums when things aren't going their way. This results in a skewed view of invisalign (and braces). There are thousands of people who are satisfied with invisalign and don't bother posting on forums. I don't want those people who are trying to make their smile more beautiful to come here read some comments and decide they will stick with bad teeth because they got scared away.

[turtle363]

I am one of the happy crowd also. My experience has been nothing but wonderful to this point. I liek to post on here to provide that postive balance. I had read a lot before committing to the Invisalign experience. I feel that you must be informed and cannot rely soley on what is posted on-line as it can be skewed.

As for snacking, I agree that you just can't grav a cookie when you want it or a bag of chips but for the most part you can eat a snack and still have your meals. The ideal wear time is 22 hours a day but a lot of people have had succes with 20 hours a day. Most days I get my 22 hours in but there are some where it is less. When I know that I have a day like that coming up, I just make sure that for several days before and after, I really behave myself. Seems to work for me. I did have my Invisalign off for about three hours in a row this weekend and have to say that when I put the tray back in, they were tight so I learned something from that experience....don't leave them out so long. I do have to admit that my teeth often feel better with the trays in than they do out.

So I guess my two cents is....Invisalign is far better and much more worth it than having traditional braces...at least for me.