My Invisalign Journey - Week 14

Hooray! -- I am now on week 14 with Invisalign! You receive a new Invisalign tray every 2 weeks, which means I am on my 7th tray now. I always get excited when it's time for a new tray because it means I am one step closer to being DONE! My case has 20 trays total, which means I am already over 1/3 of the way there! The number of trays you will have depends on your teeth and needs. Some people will have more than 20, some less than 20. The average treatment time with Invisalign is about a year for most people, though.

I have already learned a few things on my Invisalign journey. The first thing I learned is that it is not easy to take the Invisalign OFF after they are put on for the first time. Luckily, it gets much easier after the first few times! I hardly have to think about taking the Invisalign off now. Also, after the first few days, I was able to forget that I was even wearing the Invisalign!

I have experienced some tenderness after putting in new trays for a day or two. I usually feel tenderness when I remove the Invisalign to eat, not while I am wearing them. Overall, I have been surprised by how comfortable Invisalign has been.

The thing I personally like least about Invisalign is that you cannot eat anything with them in. This makes me want to wear a name tag that says "Please do not offer me any candy!"  I do not drink anything but water with the Invisalign in my mouth. This has been challenging for me since I like to snack! The good news is that, once the Invisalign trays are removed, you can continue to eat your favorite foods, which is sometimes not an option with traditional braces.

After I eat, I have to brush my teeth and the Invisalign trays before I put the trays back on. Because of this, I feel like I have the cleanest mouth in town right now! At a minimum, I brush my teeth and my Invisalign trays 5 times a day and often more. I am now one of those people that carry my toothbrush, paste, and floss in my purse wherever I go (Sorry if you've had to watch me brushing my teeth in the public bathroom)!

With all this being said, the downside is really not that terrible and it is DEFINITELY outweighed by the positives of having aligned teeth and a healthier mouth in the long-run! I really love that most people do not notice that I am wearing Invisalign. I am wearing them in photographs and cannot notice them at all. I also love that I can already tell my teeth are moving and look more aligned.  I am very happy with Invisalign so far!

Feel free to schedule an appointment for a free Invisalign consultation with Dr. Shock. Also feel free to ask me any questions while you are at Hamilton Town Dentistry.


top - 1st Invisalign trays
bottom - 7th Invisalign trays