Invisalign is a treatment for realigning teeth. It uses aligners which are molded to your mouth, then affixed to your teeth and are worn over a period of 6 to18 months . The aligners gradually encourage your teeth to shift position within your mouth in much the same way as a brace does.
You have to wear Invisalign for 22 hours a day, change them every two weeks and complete the treatment to benefit from the full results, but it is well worth the effort.
As you can imagine, anything that shifts teeth around is going to be somewhat uncomfortable, at least to begin with. One of the benefits of the Invisalign treatment is that it is more comfortable than braces and of course, less visible. Patients who have tried both treatments tell us that Invisalign is much more comfortable and much less painful than traditionasl braces.
No Pain No Gain?
Patients we have treated here at Aesthetic Family Dentistry mention a tightness, or of being uncomfortable for a day after fitting a new Invisalign aligner. This seems typical, but we have had very few people complain of real pain.
The other pinch point can be the first few times you take the aligner out to eat, drink or clean them. Until you’re used to them, it can be a little uncomfortable at first. Again, some people have no problems here. We discuss removing and replacing the aligners before treatment, so can help by showing you how to properly insert and remove Invisalign with the least amount of discomfort.
Pain is very subjective with some individuals having a much higher pain threshold than others. It isn’t until you try them that you’ll know for sure, but the overwhelming response we get is one of mild discomfort and only in the beginning. Nothing an Advil or Tylenol or two won’t cure.
If you’re interested in Invisalign, or would like to discuss it further, contact us at Aesthetic Family Dentistry. We’re here to help.
