Invisalign Allergy Side effects upper respiratory symptoms?

[KUMonkeyMomma]

After my first trays I noticed a sore throat and such but figured it was from getting used to them and swallowing more (I had excess saliva issues early on - still do but not nearly like the first couple weeks). It turned to a cold the next week and I hadn't had a cold in quite a while. My son being in daycare stuff is always going around so I attributed it to that.

Since I found with my first aligner that there were some sharp edges I always inspected the next aligners and used the smoother side of a nail file to get rid of any sharper or rough spots. I would then brush/rinse them before putting them in so didn't have any issues with those. The ones my dentist put in I'd get funny feeling that first day but when I took them out to eat dinner I'd do the light filing and rinse/brush so I think i had less time exposed to whatever it is that makes people react to them.

Mine has never mentioned rinsing before putting them in and he doesn't before he puts in new ones when I'm there for an appointment/check and new trays.

[DrJasonKTam]

In our office, we ask all patients to rinse the aligners before insertion. This isn't because we want to rinse any chemicals off, but because patients in the past had commented on some taste from the aligners. The water also lubricates the aligners, helping with insertion. We haven't had any patients in our office mention respiratory issues to us. I've worn aligners myself, and didn't experience these problems either.

I copied my territory manager on this thread. The response I received is that there is no chemical that should be causing this type of problem. The symptoms being experienced are likely due to having dry mouth, which is common in the new insertion of any appliance. Decreased salivary flow allows bacteria to settle rather than being naturally cleansed. Subsequent aligners are still new appliances, causing tooth movement, so some transient problems may appear at that time. The best advice is to continually hydrate to avoid these problems.

If I come up with anything else I'll make sure to post. Hope this helps!

[jasbdoug]

I am finishing my 3rd week of aligners and definitely noticed the dry mouth issue. I also have developed a chronic cough and feel as though I need to clear my throat often. Has anyone with respiratory problems tried going a few days without their aligners? If so did their problems subside? I will discuss this issue with my dentist at the next appointment...

[myhollywoodsmile]

I think another factor to consider is that your hands are near your mouth and nose far more than they were before. This probably means that you would be more likely to pick up viruses more whilst in treatment. I try to use hand gel before and after inserting or removing them if I am somewhere I can't easily wash my hands.
The other thing is wash those red and blue cases. At first I put my aligners in there wet and after a couple of days the cases whiffed, badly. These days I am far more careful and touch wood, don't get so many bugs. I would like to know what the white residue on new aligners is though, and why it couldn't be causing sore throats. .

[myhollywoodsmile]

Also, if it were caused by having a foreign object in your mouth wouldn't the same issue arise with other kinds of braces? Particularly removable plate ones.

[Corklass]

I have been wearing Invisalign for about 18 months-just about done I believe and its not soon enough. I did have some nausea here and there but have attributed that to perhaps not enough cleaning/ hygiene. Since I started to put much more effort into a lot more on cleaning and soaking in Efferdent those issues have gone away pretty much.
However in the year and a half that I have been wearing them my health had deteriorated drastically. My vitamin D levels dropped to zero, my glands were constantly swollen although thyroid tests did not indicate hyper or hypothyroid condition. My diet had not changed as I have always been a healthy eater and don't eat fast food, junk food, frozen or canned food.
Now I am seeing a neurologist because of brain function impairment and I question the biocompatability testing that has been done on invisalign. I am assuming that as they are not "implants" they have passed biocompatability testing for devices only with contact up to 24 hrs. However that test is intended for temporary contact up to 24 hrs. If these devices are in contact for 20 hrs a day for 18 months what test has been conducted to determine that they are safe. The material that they are made of is not well published- I noted a mention to polyeurethane somewhere. That what we laquer our furniture with!!
Regardless, all plastics are scary materials as the material manufacturers are not required to divulge their formulation even to the OEM manufacturer. (I work in the medical device field) While they may be polyeurethane or similar we will never know what additives are in the materials. Has the material supplier to Invisalign filed the material formulation with the FDA? I have a ton of questions but doubt I will ever get all the answers even from my orthodontist.
If I had to do it again I would look for alternative treatments even regular metal braces.

[Robin8]

From Invisalign.com FAQs ...

Do Invisalign aligners contain Bisphenol-A (BPA)?
No. Invisalign aligners and Vivera Retainers do not contain Bisphenol-A or phthalate plasticizers. These aligners and retainers are made with USP Class VI medical grade, high molecular weight, polyurethane resins. Tests have been conducted to determine the biocompatibility of these materials, and show that they are biocompatible and pass all applicable regulatory requirements and thresholds for human wear in the mouth. Of course, as with any medical device, you should consult with your health professional about your aligner or retainer treatment and any applicable risks of use.

Has the FDA cleared Invisalign?
Invisalign aligners are classified as Class II medical devices by the FDA, and Align Technology, Inc.has held the necessary 510K clearance from the FDA since 1998 to be able to sell and market the Invisalign system.

[NWhello]

I had Invisalign put in a few days ago on Wednesday September 22, 2010. That night I was in a lot of pain and then I started feeling sick and have been sick since then. My tongue is cut up and sore from the trays cutting it. I have a severe sore throat and a sore right ear,the pain radiates from my throat and tongue up to my ear. I feel like I have a flu and Chronic Fatigue-type feeling. I feel worn down. It has affected me physically and mentally. Last night it seemed to have affected my vision and my reaction time is not the same. Its harder to focus. Everyone notices that I am different. I have no energy to carry on conversations in my normal bubbly way that i would. The attachments that the orthodontist put on cut up the inside of my mouth when I take the trays off to eat. I am upset that my orthodontist buffed my teeth to put the attachments on and in the process of that was wearing down my teeth and made the teeth more sensitive.I am also upset that she said I had to have my teeth filed to leave some room so the teeth can shift. If I stop Invisalign now I am left with spaces between my teeth and I cannot handle the metal in regular braces,so I am left sick and with spaces in between my teeth. Also my orthodontist told me I really had no choice to stop the process of the Invisalign because she shaved my teeth down for spaces. I would like to talk to others about this.

[bbsadmin]

If you feel that the Invisalign is making you physically sick, you should seriously consider stopping wearing them.

You could get ceramic brackets, instead.

[Olivia]

I came upon this thread while googling " allergy" and " invisalign" ..I started invisalign last monday and by wednesday I was really ill...very sore throat, coughing and fatigue...This ofcourse, could be a coincidence, but I'm never this ill...sofar I've kept wearing the aligners, hoping this is a flu and I had bad luck catching it while starting on invisalign...

I'm a bit worried to be honest.....

[Whwaldo]

This is a posting from my blog on December 5, 2010:

The recent activity between the FDA and Align Technology is concerning. Seems the makers of Invisalign have been neglecting to report side effects reported to them by patients and dental professionals. This is an FDA requirement for makers of medical devices.

This was a concern of mine going in...I have sensitivities to many chemicals, and Invisalign aligners are essentially plastic gadgets you leave in your mouth nearly full time for a year or more. I also read that the aligners are sprayed with a disinfectant before leaving the factory; the disinfectant could also cause reactions (when I have dental x-rays, I have to ask the dentist to rinse off the film holders with fresh water because my tongue goes numb from the disinfectant).

What should we all be doing about it? First, keep an eye out for side effects like swelling, sore throats, itching lips or gums. Keep you orthodontist in the loop, and don't be afraid to report to the company or FDA. I also take the precaution of thoroughly cleaning fresh aligners before inserting them. This means soaking in Dentasoak (which I love [unpaid endorsement]) for 15 minutes, then brushing with a toothbrush and a little low abrasive toothpaste, then a good rinsing in warm water. Seems to take away the "plasticy" taste and odor of new aligners.
------------------------------------------

Anyway, despite the denials of the company (and I dare say quite a few orthodontists who have found a huge new source of income with Invisalign and are essentially paid spokesmen for Invisalign), there are legitimate health and safety concerns. It seems that the vast majority of patients are unaffected, but for the small number of sensitive individuals, Invisalign may be the culprit causing numerous respiratory or allergic symptoms. Use common sense; take the aligners out and see if there is a difference, and stop wearing them if they are making you sick.

http://waldomouth.blogspot.com/

[chorusline]

I am a male wearing clear Essix retainers and I am also experiencing some health problems which I believe it is caused by the plastic.

I have been doing some research and have determined that retainers (whether it is a hawley or essix) usually contain phthalates. Several studies have revealed the health concerns of phthalates. Phthalates is a hormone disrupter and could cause males to be less masculine.

I am wearing retainers now and I have been mistaken for a girl. And I have compared the photos of myself before and after braces and I do notice a change in my masculinity.

If you look at youtube videos of males who have completed braces and are wearing retainers, you can notice a subtle difference in their faces. The male faces seemed to be more feminine.

Can any males who are currently wearing retainers post to this topic and compare their faces before and after braces? Do your faces look more feminine?

The CBS news show 60 minutes have also done a segment on phthalates and their effects on human health.

I wish Harvard or another organization do a study of males who wore braces and are currently wearing retainers. Maybe that study will finally reveal the harmful effects of plastic in dentistry.

[Advocate]

That sounds appalling. Are phthalates used in Invisalign? A quick Google search suggests that Invisalign does NOT contain that chemical.

[bbsadmin]

Essix retainers are made by a different company than Invisalign aligners. I don't know if the two products use the same chemical components. They are both plastic, but they may not be exactly the same type of plastic. I have read many more "allergy" complaints about Invisalign aligner trays than Essix retainers.

If you have an Essix retainer and you think it's giving you problems, tell your orthodontist that you want to switch to a wire and acrylic Hawley retainer instead. So far, I haven't heard anyone having problems with Hawleys, aside from getting them to fit correctly at first (it can take a little tweaking sometimes).

[curlew]

I will add to my earlier post in this thread (24/01/2010), relating to experience of a sore throat and congestion followed by a deep cough, with my initial aligner trays. When this happened twice, I concluded that prior cleaning of the trays was important, and had no further problem with my course of 9 months’ aligners.

That was until September last year, when I had a final retainer tray supplied by the orthodontist. This one I didn’t wash first, nor was it rinsed before fitting in the clinic, so far as I know - I forgot to ask - and precisely the same symptoms recurred within a few days: a sore throat, congestion and then a deep cough.

It was very recognisably the same problem, and I didn’t hesitate this time, as it had been so unpleasant before - I went to the GP (doctors’ surgery) quite fast. On the previous occasion I had been given a short course of ampicillin, which I realise, as an antibiotic, does not treat/cure a cold virus nor an allergic reaction, but for whatever reason it had worked to stop two weeks of deep coughing. This time I mentioned briefly to the doctor that I’d just had dental treatment, and she responded at once to say that probably explained the cold-like symptoms, as a known possibility with dental work ... but at this point, I hadn’t explained to her it was only the fitting of a retainer tray, nothing intrusive. I didn’t explain further, I was simply relieved to be taken seriously, as it felt foolish to expect a short course of ampicillin for what looked like a cold. But this was what she suggested without hesitation, and again it worked fast to stop the coughing.

This retainer tray was actually made in the orthodontic clinic, from a mould taken after fitting a bonded retainer - they have the kit there to make one-off aligner-type trays. I once had another tray made there, to replace a broken one, this one I had washed thoroughly first and it had been no problem. My full course of aligners was designed and supplied by Clearstep (a UK supplier), and not by Invasalign. My retainer tray is almost identical to the Clearstep trays, in shape and feel.

The reason I did not post about this third experience of a problem with a new tray, back in September, is because I really don’t have an explanation, and I don’t want to mislead anyone with what is just anecdotal experience. I’m still wearing this retainer (nights only) and had no further problems since I saw the GP to stop the coughing. For me, the problem seems related to new trays not thoroughly washed before first use, though none of mine were Invasalign ones.