Invisalign newbie - looking for a bit of info

[Neil]

Hi all,

Mid thirties guy, finally taken the plunge to get teeth fixed after they "drifted" following a year of ineffectual orthodontics as a kid.

Getting my Invisalign fitted on Wednesday. Can't wait!



Just wondered if anyone had any thoughts on whether it's a good idea to run with the braces in? I'm training for a marathon so will definitely be spending many hours each week out on the road!

Anyway, am sure I'll keep you up to date with my progress and be visiting back here a lot for the next 9 or 10 months.

[Wireless]

I routinely bicycle 20 to 30 miles with mine in. If I were to remove my aligners the length of time I spend on the bike, I would have trouble meeting the 21+ hrs / day wear time.

Unlike retainers, my aligners do not come out easily, so there is no risk of one coming out unexpectedly when I'm riding. The biggest problem is store stops and sports drinks. This summer I will be sticking with light blue colored Gatorade and skip anything solid until I finish riding.

[amber10101]

Hey there,

I just got my aligners this past week. I don't think running with aligners in would be a problem. Like the last person mentioned, sports drinks could be a problem. Maybe just cut them with water?

If you take things like gu or power gel, I'd just do it with aligners in, not worry a ton and wash it down with a bunch of water. Brush, floss and clean your aligners when you get done with your workout.

If you end up being one of those ultra runners doing 100 mile races or 24 hour runs, I'd talk to your dentist. Maybe leave them out for ultra races and just wear 'em for an extra week?

All the best to you!

[Wireless]

I didn't mention that I do carry a water bottle and always rinse my mouth with water after I drink anything else. I also pull my aligners out and rinse everything after I finish a ride. I haven't tried gu or the other goodies yet. I'll probably experiment on short rides to see what happens.

[Neil]

Thanks folks. Useful info.

Am definitely keen to get started. Fitted tomorrow. Might celebrate by trying them out on a 10 mile run!

[myhollywoodsmile]

According to my orthodontist all sports are fine to do with them in, except for swimming. The reason swimming is out is simply that the bacteria can get trapped between the teeth and aligners and breed in your mouth.

Running should be fine.

[Neil]

According to my orthodontist all sports are fine to do with them in, except for swimming. The reason swimming is out is simply that the bacteria can get trapped between the teeth and aligners and breed in your mouth.

Running should be fine.

That's really useful advice. Thanks!

[PaulInc]

If you're running a marathon the last thing you want is to be distracted by your aligners. Drink whatever will keep you running and forget about everything else. Your teeth arent going to all get a carries and fall out because you drank a sugary pop doing a marathon, it's what you do the other 364 days a year that count. People get a little obsessive about oral hygiene around here

I dont run marathons, but i do have a run on the mill for 30 minutes 4 times a week and i dont have any problems. Pushing yourself to extremes, you'll probably find a problem with everything tho.

[Neil]

Well, I'm about 18 hours into my Invisalign experience. Apart from them being tough to get out (I have had attachments fitted straight away), and the attachments rubbing on the inside of my lips when I've eaten, it's been pretty pain free. I actually have no major pressure or discomfort. In fact, they're more uncomfortable when they're out because of the attachments rubbing.

I'm not expecting it to be plain sailing forever, but it's a good start. I have to go and talk for 2 hours at a research forum tonight which should be interesting, especially as I have very slight lisp. But otherwise I can't complain at all!

Although it appears my dentist forgot to give me a "care and maintenance" booklet with my starter kit. Does anyone know where I can download one from?

p.s. Thanks Paul - but I have zero intention of running the actual marathon with them in. I was thinking more of the hundreds of hours of training I have to put in before the big day!



Myhollywoodsmile - had a really good read through all your blog over the last 48 hours. Really useful.

[amber10101]

Hi Neil,

Glad things are going well for you so far. My dentist decided to have me wait a month before getting attachments, so I'm still left wondering how those will work.

The care and maintenance booklet was not incredibly insightful, but you can find almost the exact same information here: http://www.invisalign.com/WillFit/Pages/FAQ.aspx

It's probably stuff you already know anyway!

[bint3gra]

I run all the time with mine on and workout and drink all kinds of gatorade. I rinse my mouth off with water after a swig of gatorade. Welcome aboard, I took the plunge at 35 also

[Neil]

Thanks folks.

Things are going well. A few days in and it's no longer a ten minute struggle to get my braces out (just a 30 second struggle!). I don't know whether that's improved technique, or whether a sign that my teeth have moved ever so slightly.

I've spoken at length with them in, and my slight lisp has all but disappeared. But I must admit that today, having been sat here all day at my laptop I've noticed them quite a lot and a few times have wished I could take them out. But I'm also starting to see how people lose weight while wearing them. It's only since having them in that I've realised how much i snack and pick at food! No more of that for me....

[RenaissanceGurl]

One more thought about running or any other kinds of physical activity/ sports:

Seriously, why should it be a problem? When you wear your aligners at night (which we all do) and sometimes clench/ grind your teeth (which most of us do, at least occasionally e.g. under stress etc.) you actually apply A LOT more pressure on the aligner and your teeth in general. I once read something about a study that measured the amount of pressure that is being created when clenching, and I can't remember the exact figure, but it was huge! (I never even thought I could be that strong! )

[Neil]

Very true. No reason why there should be a problem at all.

I'm about 5 days in, and all going ok. Getting them in and out is a relatively simple process now, but I still find they feel a little "intrusive" after a while. I'm sure that will pass within a week or two. I'm no longer lisping, but my speech is slightly different. It's too subtle for anyone apart from my girlfriend and I to notice. It's also affected by the fact that I seem to be producing more saliva.

[jbrooky]

I realise this gets posted every other week probrably...

Im 21 (on Sunday) and ive got wonky teeth (duh!).
Image is a big thing for me, im just going into my first jobs and meeting alot of new people and with it being such a social time in my life i want to fix my teeth without the silver. How I look is quite important to me.

Invisalign seems too good to be true, I dont really wanna believe the adverts and explanations on the web because obviously their gonna blank out the nasty bits, so i wanna tackle the big questions before i waste my time going to a consultation for them.

On average, how much do they cost? i mean it says 3-6000 USD but im in England, and 3 grand sounds like a big difference. And also how is it paid? Do I have to show up at every consultation with a grand or what?

Also what are these attachment things?

If Invisalign is so good, why do braces still exist? I mean the way the adverts are lookin, it makes u wonder which idiot chooses braces, and they do... why?

The checkups, how often? how long do they take? what does it involve? And does every consultation cost money on top of the price? Or are the consultations "free" once youve paid for the package?

Sorry for whining, and all the help is MUCH appreciated!!

Joe