Metal Mouth Message Board

This post is a combination of questions. Please feel free to comment on any single part, or all of them.

Question 1: I am on day eight of 14 on tray set #1. My teeth no longer feel much if any pressure when I put them back on after eating. When I do feel pressure, it goes away within a minute or so. This is mostly even true after dinner (I normally have them off for an hour for this meal). Maybe its because I am getting more accustomed to them, or that my teeth are becoming stable in the new positions. Does anyone else get a little paranoid when they don't feel the trays working mid way through a two week cycle?

Question 2: During the week when I am at work, I have to brush my teeth in the men's room. Although I try to give them a good cleaning, I always feel like I dont spend as much time as I do when at home. Is anyone else self-conscious about brushing/flossing in public? If so, do you find that you eventually get accustomed to having people watch you?

Question 3: This kind of relates to question 2. Have people who have had their invisalign for a while - say longer than six months, had an increase with cavities at their routine cleanings? My thinking is that if give my teeth a really good cleaning at home in the am and pm, I might be ok if I tend to rush during the public cleanings while at work. Plus at home I use my sonic toothbursh, and at work I use disposable toothbrushes (which is maybe why mentally I dont feel like I am doing as good of a job).

Sorry this is a long post! Thanks in advance for any and all replies!!

Hi!... to answer your questions from my personal experience (I'm on tray 6 of 16)

1. I do sometimes worry, when I don't feel pressure anymore, that my aligners are comforming to my teeth rather than the other way around. I know it can't be though because of all of the changes in my bite. I'm under the impression that the first week of wear is for movement, and the second is for stablilization. I just view that second week as a bit of a break, when I don't have to be quite as quick about getting them back in.

2. I have not gotten accustomed to cleaning my teeth in public. To me, I think I'm most self-conscious about removing/inserting them in front of people, as opposed to brushing and flossing my teeth. At work, I use a private restroom, but when I go out to eat, I wait until I get home to clean them. If I'm on a trip, however, I just bite the bullet and clean up in the public ones....I hate that though, to be honest. I've read lots of blogs and posts from people who got used to it really quick...don't go by me, I'm not crazy about using public restrooms at all in the first place..lol

3. I've been in invisalign for about 3 months now, and had a cleaning and check up about 3 weeks ago.....no cavities and actually an improvement in my gums. Hopefully it stays that way![/quote]

1. During my first couple of weeks, on day 9 or 10 my trays would get really loose. I could almost take them off with just my tongue. But it all worked out in the end so i wouldnt worry.

2. When i first started my treatment i used to brush my teeth before i put them in when out in public. But then i just stopped worrying. I would always just carry gum with me and pop a piece in before my aligners, and then rinse them in the bathroom when i had the chance.

3. How often did you brush your teeth when you werent on invisalign? If you just brushed them in the am/pm when you had work and not on invisalign, maybe the extra cleaning is doing something special.

1. Yes, I felt the same paranoia also. I kept checking the trays for cracks just in case! This seems fairly normal and as long as I can get each next set of trays on I am assuming my teeth are moving in the right direction (if they weren't, the next aligner wouldn't fit).

2. I've so far avoided brushing my teeth in a 'public' place. I brush them at work, but I am one of only 5 females who work at a site of 50ish men, so we get a decent bathroom to ourselves - I rarely see anyone else in there while I'm brushing. If someone does come in, they are usually curious rather than grossed out.
When I've been out for meals I've rinsed my mouth with water and used my tongue or chewing gum to remove any stuck bits of food, then put my aligners back in until I get home. Then I've taken them out again and done my usual routine of floss/brush. No doubt eventually I'll have to do them in a restaurant bathroom, but I'm avoiding that as long as possible!

3. Not really had them long enough to know (just over 4 weeks). I used to brush my teeth maybe once a day before I got invisalign, and I never flossed, so I figure my teeth are probably in better shape than they've been in years, even if I occasionally bend the rules.