Visibility of attachments with aligners off?!

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#1 Post by **PAH9** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 5:36 am

Hey everyone,

I am currently on my second set of aligners and am happy with the experience so far and being able to pop them off occasionally for parties/intimate social situations.

However, I get my attachments with my next set and am worried about how visible or prominent they will be even with the attachments off.
I am getting 6 on my upper (canines and two sets of teeth back) and 4 on my lower. I am especially concerned about the canine ones.

I can't even find any pictures on the net of what they look like on bare teeth. Can anyone please help set my mind at ease, describe what they look like or even link any pictures if they know of any to help prepare me for them?

Thanks a lot!

#2 Post by **Phantom Muse** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:37 pm

I happened to be waiting at a doctor's office the other day with nothing to read. There sat a recent issue of People magazine with Tiger Wood's ex-wife pictured on the cover. If you take a look at a photo of her within that story, you will see teeth with attachments! She must be using Invisalign because she clearly has an attachment on an upper side tooth. There also appear to be attachments on two more front teeth, but they are less prominent (probably due to photo retouching). Anyway, I don't know if that will give you what you are looking for, but...

By the way, I had 7 attachments total (from the first tray to the last) and they are certainly more noticeable than not having attachments, but most people did not seem to notice them. They are less noticeable, in my opinion, while wearing the aligners.

Hope this helps!

#3 Post by **DrJasonKTam** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:47 pm

The visibility of attachments is going to depend on the size/shape of the attachment, its location, the material used, and the colour of your tooth.

Attachments are less visible when the aligners are on, and that shouldn't be a problem since they should be on about 22 hours a day :).

If you're interested in seeing the process of getting attachments and what they look like, you can see a video of one of my team members getting them here. Hope it helps! http://www.torontoinvisalign.com/gettingstarted/#4

Tue Sep 07, 2010 1:18 am

I have 13 attachments, all around the front of my mouth. No one has noticed them, when my aligners are off or on. I notice them in the mirror, but then I know they are there. The worst thing about attachments for me is that at first my teeth just felt so strange with all these extra bits sticking out, and eating was unpleasant. That feeling took about 7-10 days to go away and for my new bumpy teeth to feel like they belonged.

Attachments are just another part of Invisalign that you'll get used to, and you will notice far more than anyone else does.

#5 Post by **kt2010** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:11 am

I think if you're getting invisalign and want straight teeth then having attachments are a small price to pay. I have them on my canines, I notice them but nobody else has. I have been wearing now for 10 weeks and overall its been very easy. I can see the changes are happening and can't believe I will have better teeth without needing train tracks. Whilst I agree it would be better without attachments, its really no big deal. Stop thinking about it and it won't be a problem any longer. As Dr Tam points out, they are less noticably with the trays in and thats 22hrs a day!
Good luck and stay relaxed about the whole invisalign thing - it'll be over before you know it.

#6 Post by **PAH9** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:15 am

Tbh I'm mainly just a bit concerned/paranoid about what my girlfriend will make of them. We've only been going out for a few months and she hasn't even seen me with my aligners on at all yet as I've been away...

#7 Post by **SimoSorriso** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 9:49 am

Unfortunately my experience is different

I have 11 attachments on my front teeth and they are all visible! The one on my left canine has a shape like a little pyramid so is the one more noticeable, the others are like little rectangles.
My friends said that the invisalign is generally not noticeable at all but this little things on my teeth make people wondering if is food or something else so they grab the attention!!

#8 Post by **ptblogger** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 5:03 pm

Mine are pretty visible, as in they're much whiter than my actual teeth. That said, I've had them for about 3 months and everyone I've told that I have invisalign has been surprised and had no idea. Most people just don't look at your teeth closely enough to notice things like that, and IMO, the attachements are still much less noticeable than brackets would be.

I agree with KT2010 - it's a small price to pay.

I have some pictures of my teeth with the attachments....with aligners and without if you'd like to see.

http://orthoadventures.blogspot.com/

#9 Post by **ohioinvisguy** » Wed Sep 08, 2010 2:15 pm

I just got my attachments yesterday. I think mine are more visible with the aligners in than when they are out. I know that is opposite of what most people are posting. I think its because mine are pretty much the exact color of my teeth and blend in very well. With the aligners on, I can see more sheen because of light hitting the plastic. It might be the angle of the attachments and where they are positioned on my teeth picking up more light.

As for people noticing them, I would say they probably can if you have a close conversation with someone. My advice is to not worry if people can or can't see them. I know this is easier said than done, but honestly even if someone does notice, they aren't going give it a second thought two minutes after you finish the conversation. I actually welcome people noticing my aligners, and don't mind talking about the treatment when/if people ask. Just look at it as proof you're putting forth an effort to have a healthier and more attractive smile. Hope this helps!

#10 Post by **SimoSorriso** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 9:18 am

Mine are more visible with the aligners too but I don't care at all!
Most of the times is me saying to everyone: "look! I have invisible braces!!"
I'm so happy just to know that in few months my teeth will be straight

#11 Post by **bluetooth6** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 8:37 am

I have 7 attachments, 3 of which are around the fronth....they are noticeable if I smile super wide, but at a quick glance, no one can tell unless they are looking for it. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

#12 Post by **jb23** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:27 am

Think this question would be good in this thread...

My ortho has told me that he doesn't think i'll need any of the front teeth. Is it possible for the ortho to know this before any treatment begins (more importantly before I pay over a big wedge of money). I haven't definitely agreed to invisalign yet so wanted to make sure I wouldn't need any on my front teeth.

#13 Post by **ohioinvisguy** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 9:23 am

jb23...

I think the position of the attachements is probably determined after your ortho has sent the impressions to invisalign. Depending on the experience your ortho has using the invisalign method, he/she may have the knowledge from past/current cases to make a sound estimate of attachment placement. I can't answer this for certain since abviously I am not an orthodontist, that is just my thinking.

However as a patient undergoing the invisalign treatment, I would urge you not to make your decision of deciding to go with this method based on attachment placement! Even if you end up wth some on your front teeth, they are not going to be all that noticable. In fact, attachments placed on side teeth (sorry I dont know all the technical dental terms LOL) may acutally be more visable because you are seeing the side of the attachment rather than looking at it head on. The attachment makes a bubble in the aligner that would be more visable in profile than from looking straignt on, or atleast that is the case with mine.

I hope this has helped!

#14 Post by **SimoSorriso** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 9:43 am

As far as I understood attachments are needed where there is a difficult tooth to be moved or very crooked teeth spot. So maybe your ortho has seen your teeth and realized that they are not so bad in front.

Good luck! You'll see that when you'll wear invisalign you'll not care anymore about attachments

Thu Nov 04, 2010 3:28 am

The attachments are needed either for teeth that are a difficult shape or position for the aligners to properly 'grasp' - like those that need a lot of rotation, or for teeth that need pulling up or down.