Poll: Did You Have An Allergic Reaction to Invisalign?

[bbsadmin]

Please take the poll and post comments if you wish.

[whiteswan]

I am getting sinus problems three days into treatment.

[hotsteve]

It has been 3 weeks, and so far no problems at all!

Only minor thing I have had was two ulcers where the attachments ("buttons") rubbed against my gums on the first day. With a bit of bongela that cleared up after couple of days, and not come back since.

[BlaqueCat]

I've been using Invisalign for about 6 weeks now, and haven't had any allergic reactions. Got my attachments on last week, as aside from my gum bleeding slightly under one of them, it's been fine since.

[lilone]

I'm guessing it is coincidence, but I got a sore throat two days after starting Invisalign and then lost my voice for 4 days. No other symptoms.

[Youdiedz]

Yeah sore throat

[sherah28]

I recently had Invisalign retainer put in on the top teeth. I have a permanent retainer on the lower teeth (which is great!).

I had to go back to the orthodontist to get impressions for a metal retainer because the plastic in the Invisalign was making me sick. It was a nauseous feeling. The lady at the front desk at the ortho office said other patients have had similiar symptoms. Not sure if
it is an allergic reaction or not. I cannot drink out of plastic water bottles because it makes my stomach sick.

[Butterfingers]

Hello, all. I'm glad that this site is here. I've been searching for a forum about adverse reactions/side effects to Invisalign because I think that the plastic/composition of the aligners can be hazardous. I believe it has caused a big problem for a pre-existing condition that I have.

I started my Invisalign treatment on March 1, 2012. In mid-April, I began to experience breast pain. I made an emergency appointment with my doctor (a surgeon), and he performed an ultrasound. He located multiple cysts in my breasts and performed needle aspirations on both (OUCH!!!!!!!!!!). The cysts were benign (THANKFULLY). Some days later, I had a mammogram done. I was unsure of the outcome, and much to my dismay, I received a letter from the radiology center stating that something was abnormal or suspicious. So, I had to return to the radiology center and have a radiologist review my mammogram results. The outcome was the following: there was a change in a cyst that caused suspicion. He suggested that I get a biopsy of it to rule out malignancy. On June 11, 2012, I had a breast biopsy performed (again OUCH!!!!!!!!!). I haven't received the results, but my doctor assured me that it's 99% benign (just by the way it looked on the ultrasound).

Some time ago, I read about studies regarding the composition of plastics (BPAs, phthalates, etc.) and breast cancer. I saw that Invisalign doesn't use BPAs, but its composition is polyurethane from methylene diphenyl diisocyanate... So, I have to wonder, could this Invisalign be the driving force behind this health issue?

[Butterfingers]

I just received today the results from the biopsy...they were NEGATIVE!!!!! Hallelujah!
I still think there is a correlation between the plastic and the sudden change in my health. There is a website associated with the FDA, MAUDE - Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience, that lists adverse incidents involving medical devices. I typed in Invisalign and selected ALL YEARS. There were 76 events reported. I wonder if there is an event similar to mine... I plan to find out. If there isn't, I believe my story should be included.

In the meantime, I have one month left to go with the Invisalign. After the treatment is over, I hope to receive a fixed retainer versus a plastic one.

[bbsadmin]

If you have fibrocystic breast disease, you should avoid all caffeine. Caffeine can actually cause the cysts. A doctor a Stanford Univ Hospital told me that years ago, and she was right.

[Butterfingers]

Hi, bbsadmin. You're right about the caffeine. I've been avoiding it (via coffee, tea, and chocolate) before I started Invisalign because my doctor advised me to. I even changed my diet to include organic milk, meat, fruits and vegetables due to additives in foods that mimic estrogen (I've done a lot of research). So, it's difficult to pinpoint what could have caused the sudden surge of cysts. However, I still think there is a correlation...

[DivineAngel]

I have had my Invisalign for about 1.5 years. In the beginning I was never very compliant about wearing it all of the time but lately I have been which I was I may have noticed a sudden increase in symptoms. From Day 1 I have noticed that I was little ‘chesty’ and looking back now have definitely seen a gradual but noticeable decrease in energy. Initially I did not link these to my Invisalign. Recently though, I have developed a persistent sore throat, tender neck glands, sore areas in mouth, chest pains and tiredness. I went to see my Dr. and he ran various blood work which all came back normal. Last week I ended up in the ER with Anaphylaxic type symptoms. Still have symptoms but we couldn't figure out what is causing it.

Then, for an unrelated reason, last week I went 4 days without wearing my trays, worried that my teeth would move I put them in as soon as possible and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning I had the worse sore throat I’ve had so far, cold shivers, blurry vision, shooting chest pains and stomach pains/upset. I thought about it and noticed that my symptoms had been getting better in those four days. I immediately put two and two together and googled the subject. I was surprised by how many people, on this forum and others, that have similar, or in some cases, worse symptoms. Add in people who haven’t made the correlation yet or those who haven’t thought to go online about it, I think this is a big problem.

I learned that Invisalign is made of Polyurethane which contains Cyanide that can be released in certain conditions causing possible Cyanide poisoning. Cyanide poisoning has a number of side effect and has potential to cause cancer.

Wikipedia: “The aligners are constructed of implantable-grade polyurethane, and the Align company has acknowledged that, though extremely rare, there may be cases of allergic and toxic sensitivity reactions to Invisalign (2006 10-K). Minor symptoms such as sore throat, cough, and nausea have been reported. In more serious cases, the FDA has received reports of systemic swelling or throat pain that has extended to the upper chest and wind passages requiring emergency medical treatment and discontinuation of the Invisalign treatment.[citation needed] While the Invisalign company provides no information except the MSDS (material safety data sheet) directly to patients or orthodontists, working through the patient's orthodontist Invisalign will make the aligners with several different materials to attempt to reduce toxic or allergic sensitivity.”

The FDA warned Invisalign back in November 2010 for not properly disclosing reports of allergies and toxic sensitivity that they had received. I would strongly urge anyone with any symptoms they think are related to self-report to the FDA. I am not able to post the link but just Google "FDA and self reporting" for an online self reporting form.

Also, if possible, I would suggest a couple of additional questions to this poll:

What do you use to clean your trays with? (Chemicals used to clean trays have been known to cause allergies)

Did you ever use a teeth whitening gel in your trays? (Chemicals in the bleaching agent could react with tray composite)

Did you drink hot liquids while the tray was in? (Cyanide is released when burned)

[sweetcynic]

I got symptoms if I didn't clean all the denture cleaner off, but once I stopped using that denture cleaner all was fine....

[JillianElizabeth]

ok this is weird. I had reactions to rubber bands when I had braces..I got Flu like symptoms and we eliminated latex as the culprit..I got better when i removed them and got sick again with them back in so now I'm about to start invisalign do you think I'll have the same thing???

[lshart]

Today, I got my second set of aligners after having a reaction to the first set. I was nauseated, achy, had really dry mouth and cracking, itchy lips, sore throat, and started getting itchy skin and a rash after two days. My ortho agreed that I should stop wearing the aligners and he called the company. He also had the patient before me who got Invisalign report a reaction starting to have a reaction in the car on the way home.
When he called Invisalign, they told him that they have had people have a reaction to the disinfectant they use as they are finishing the product. They told him they would remake them for me. So here we are...hoping for the best.