Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi..I have been a very happy invisalign patient for about 9 months. Lowers are done (need minor refinement when uppers are done). Started liner #14 of 21 total on uppers, and developed severe headaches. I very rarely have ever had headaches and these were migraine-type, one or two every day for 3 weeks. (Did switch to liner #15 on time). Headaches stopped 3 days ago. When I went in today for my regular appt, the dentist said the headaches were very likely caused by the invisalign...movement in the uppers causing pressure on the TMJ. We tried putting in the new one, and within about 30 minutes my ears started roaring and a headache came on. We took it out, put the old one in and he wants to wait a few days to make sure the headaches don't come back. Well...12 hours later no headache but my ears are still roaring. It's like a sudden attack of tinnitus caused by that upper liner being in for 30 minutes?? Has anyone experienced anything like this? Let me stress, it's been a great experience overall...I am just sort of freaking about this noise in my ears and hope someone can reassure me. Thanks!

I am only on aligner # 3 & I get terrible headaches for the first 3 days they are in. Over the counter meds have helped. They subside after about the first week - then in another week it times to put in a new set. It is not a migraine though - I can handle it the pain - it tells me my teeth are moving!!

No tinnitus however.

Linda

Linda, thanks for responding. I'm all better now! Oddly enough, I haven't had any headaches the whole time, until the last two aligners. Just mouth discomfort that I didn't mind like you because I knew my teeth were moving! The tinnitus started as soon as he put the new upper aligner in and stayed until I went to bed that night, then it was gone in the morning. I'm still staying on the previous aligner (#16 of 21) until Monday, then if no migraine or tinnitus or anything, we're going to try 17 again...but he said there's a chance it just wasn't fitting properly and we may have to get a new one if it was putting pressure on my TMJ and causing all the problems. Best of luck with your invisalign, I really have loved it until this minor setback!

Good for you!! Let me know how it goes.

Linda

I'm still doing fine, no more headaches or tinnitus. So we will try the new aligner again in the morning. I will confess I am nervous...I do NOT want another day of tinnitus...it was awful. I am thankful my dentist is very concerned and understanding, not patronizing at all. When I described my symptoms he immediately said he was quite sure it was something to do with the aligners, and he would figure it out so we can proceed free of pain. I can't wait to get the straightening done because they are looking great...but I have a chipped front tooth that he will repair at the very end AND whiten my teeth for no additional cost. So I'm going to feel like a new woman then! Thank you again for the support!

Funnily enough I had a migraine for the first two days of my first set, but didn't suspect it was related. However, on thinking about it it might well have been.

One thing I have noticed is that my aligners need a good wash before I put them in for the first time. I wonder what it is that makes them look a bit cloudy, and whether that might be related to your headaches, or is that a little far fetched?

I think that the most likely explanation is the pressure though, you can get terrible headaches from holding your neck in a tense way, so it seems reasonable that you could get something similar from your jaw.