My Invisalign Experience: First Aligners Delivered

I recently began the process of Invisalign to straighten my teeth and I wanted to document my experiences step-by-step.  Hopefully, this will help future patients feel comforted and become informed as to what they can expect.

First Aligners Delivered

Today, I had my aligner delivery appointment.  My Invisalign upper and lower aligners arrived in my Invisalign Starter Kit (which includes a red and blue case for storage of the aligners), and an instruction pamplet for how to clean and properly care for the aligners.

Before the aligners could be put in, I needed to have small spaces placed by Dr. Anenberg between my lower teeth called Interproximal Reduction.  The reason for this is, since my lower teeth were extremely overcrowded, the spaces allow for the teeth to shift into the proper place.  This procedure took about 40-50 minutes.  I was very nervous before having this done because not everyone who gets Invisalign will need this, however, it did not hurt at all.  Dr. Anenberg explained everything as he went through the process one step at a time, and before I knew it we were finished.

One of my teeth also needed rotate slightly to allow for the rest of the teeth to align properly.  To correct this Dr. Anenberg bonded a small attachment to my lower right canine tooth to facilitate this movement.  I was surprised at how small and barely visible this attachement was (see photo below) and how painless the entire procedure turned out to be.

I was very excited to get my new aligners placed in.  Over the first few days the aligners were a little tight and my teeth were a bit sore.  This is normal because they need to fit tightly so they can move the teeth.  One enormous advantage over traditional braces is that they are easily removable to eat and brush your teeth.  Also, since the aligners are changed every two weeks it allows the teeth to shift faster than metal braces and the overall work to be completed in a shorter duration.  For example, if I was to opt for traditional orthodontics, I would be in metal braces for approximately 1-2 years.  With Invisalign, however, I will wear them for around 8 months total.

Candidates for Invisalign can be determined at a complimentary consultation in our office with Dr. Anenberg.  Patients must be of at least 16 years of age (parental consent required if under 18).  To find out if you are a candidate call our office or email us today!