Metal Mouth Message Board

I went for my consult, did the xrays, impressions, photos, etc and I go tomorrow to see my clincheck video and give the final ok.

I've lurked on here quite a few times sucking up information on invisalign. It took almost 3 months from the time of my consult/impressions to get the video back (well they got it back a week or so ago but I had an appt for a cleaning tomorrow so decided to just wait the week or so and do it all at once). Is this normal time length - I would have thought it wouldn't have taken so long - every time I called they just said they hadn't received my case back and would call and check. Will it take just as long to get my trays? How long did you guys have to wait for yours? Once I committed to finally doing something about my teeth/smile I have been anxious to get going!

A little about me - I'm 40 years old, married and we have a 2 year old son and we're trying for another one - it took us 5 years to get pg with our first (infertility issues) so it's been a while trying for a second. I'm doing weight watchers while we try since I could stand to lose 30 or so lbs. I'm hoping the "invisalign diet" will help with that - I can't imagine wanting to take them out and have to brush/floss and clean the aligners just for a quick snack!

I had traditional braces as a kid - buck teeth, overbite/crooked. Obviously the overbite will always be there but they did pull them back some and they were at least straight, etc. But over the years they have gone back to fairly close the original positions. After I had my son and so many pictures are always being taken, I decided it was time to lose the weight and get my smile back. So I decided to go with invisalign to get them straight again. Had I known back then the key to keeping them in place was wearing the retainer every night indefinitely I wouldn't have ditched it after the 3 years the ortho told me I had to wear it! Now I know better!

Anyhow - here are my questions.

I keep my nails pretty short (they're easily bendable/breakable when longer) and wondering if I'll have a problem getting the trays out or if I should get a little tool of some sort beforehand to help with that - and if so which one is recommended or does the aligners come with one?

For cleaning - I've seen a few people say they put them in mouthwash while they eat to kill germs and help keep fresh - is that ok to do? And I've also seen some that put them in denture cleaner a couple times a week to help with extra cleaning - again, safe and something that I should/could do?

What can I drink with them in - just plain water or could I drink my coffee (I don't drink it hot - usually just warm) or diet soda as long as I take the trays out and rinse with mouthwash and rinse the tray?

And lastly - what are the chewies things I keep seeing about?

Sorry for all the questions at once - I had them all in my head to ask a few times before and then never got around to joining and asking!

I look forward to getting to know you all and I hope my journey to straight teeth is a good one (I know there will be pain and aggravation, but heck if I can deal with it taking 5 years to get pg I think I can handle a couple years of tooth stuff).

Thanks everyone!

Hey, few of your questions I can answer.

Sounds like a long time. I'm in the UK and if I remember correctly I went in late May for my first consultation. Went back two weeks later to have the x-rays etc done. I had my video by the end of June and then my first set put in middle of August.

In terms of cleaning the trays, I've just been using a small amount of Toothpaste (with mouthwash built in) and scrubbing them before putting them back in every time. They will always smell when you take them out after waking up in the morning, there's not much you can do about it. Just make sure you give them a good scrub every time.

I'm a guy with no nails whatsoever, and I can get mine in and out easy. I've just had two attachments put on today with my second set (the small things they attach to your teeth) and I can still get them in and out. Apparently the more attachments you have the more difficult it is, but some orthodontists will give you a hook to help you apparently.

Don't drink coffee with them in. Some people have reported staining, and plus you have to let the coffee cool down first so it doesn't warp the aligners (they are plastic!) and who wants lukewarm coffee?

I've drunk beer etc with them in and it seems fine. I'd suggest just avoid anything sticky, red wine and sugary drinks. If you drink juice/cola that contains sugar it will get under the aligners and stay there until you brush your teeth. I honestly can't see a problem with Diet drinks.

But look at it this way, if you are trying to also lose weight, drinking only water for the next 9 months surely will help!

Hi there,
I think that does sound like a long time, did they give you any reasons? I waited about 6 weeks from impressions to fitting I think.

Chewies are things that some orthodontists recommend when wearing Invisalign. They are chewable soft tube like things that help to seat the aligners on the teeth. My ortho uses them only for people whose aligners aren't fitting well, but some ortho's use them for everyone.

All of your other questions are covered in my blog, feel free to have a read.

Good luck with it all. I have heard that teeth move better during pregnancy because of the hormones so good luck with your attempts!
I wish that I had know that when I was pregnant, I would have got my braces then.

Your experience with retainers earlier is similar to many folks - I had braces as a teen in the '60s when dentists thought teeth didn't move in adulthood. I had retainers full time for a year or so, then at night only until I was about 21. I had dental problems that returned by the time I was 30, which were corrected again in my late 30's by a family dentist who thought teeth would stay in place if properly aligned and didn't recommend long term retention either. I'm back now too!!

To answer your questions -

My aligners came 7 weeks after my moulds were taken. This was during the Thanksgiving to Christmas season.

I'm a guy with short - but not too short - fingernails. If I trim them too close, I can't get them under the edge of my aligners to pry them over my attachments. If I want to force myself not to snack - this is probably the best way to do it. I've tried appliance hooks, but in my case haven't figured out how to use them - for me, fingernails work better. You'll find it takes a few days to figure out the best way to get your aligners out.

For cleaning, I generally use a little toothpaste and brush them. Sometimes it helps to have something like the soft rubber tip on some toothbrushes to clean where normal brushing doesn't work well. The only time I have done different is when I had to wear the same aligners for 8 weeks for a mid-course correction. I used denture cleaner a couple of times and some extra brushing.

As for what I drink, I stay with water most of the time. There are times where I drink other things if I'm where I can't easily get my aligners out. I have drank beer, white wine, clear sodas, and iced tea with them in, but I usually try to rinse my mouth with water afterwards and then clean my aligners as soon as possible afterwards when I can get to a rest room. I've had to give up my second cup of coffee in the AM and limit my time with the first (I'm planning a big pot of coffee for liesure consumption the day I finish my day appliances!!)

In my case, I haven't had the chewies.

Good luck with the "Invisalign Diet". There are some snacks that are simply "worth it" - in my case chocolate - where I don't mind pulling my aligners out and brushing afterwards. I also manage to combine meals and snacks so I won't get hungry. Needless to say, I haven't lost an ounce!!

I hope all goes well with your treatment!!

I've been drinking lukewarm coffee like a fiend for a week and no staining yet.

Hi,
I finally decided to go ahead with the invisalign after MONTHS of indecision. I went three weeks ago today to get my impressions done and just called yesterday to check on their status with no phone call back yet. I was told a few weeks but like you after all the waiting I am just ready to get started. I'm in the Chicago area, and I am hoping it doesn't take 3 months to get going with this. I have also been a lurker but your question about how long has me a little worried.

As for the "invisalign diet" I have read about I am also minimally concerned. I am a smaller meals throughout the day kind of girl so three bigger meals is going to be an adjustment (but not as big as no diet coke on my desk!) it'll be worth it and maybe I'll lose those crazy 5-10 pounds every woman wants to drop!

Keep me updated with how it goes because I am trying hard to be patient but it is not a particular skill of mine.

by the way... I am 26 and glad to hear that beer seems to be ok on occasion!

This might hurt some people who read this... but, have you ever jabbed anything between your finger and finger nail? Well... if you like to use your finger nails to help get the aligners off, then DO NOT cut your nails too short or you run the risk of doing so. And we all know how painful that can be!