Straight Teeth: The First Month With Invisalign

by Jill Greenlaw on June 17th, 2013 | 2 Comments »

Is invisalign treatment recommended for teens? Yes! I’m a member of the Teen invisalign Mom Advisory Board, and my son is receiving complimentary treatment. I was surprised to hear that many teens don't get invisalign because they think braces are better for them. Some people think invisalign is more expensive or that their child will not be responsible enough to wear them correctly. I have to admit, I had concerns with my 14 year old son. Was he responsible enough to take this treatment seriously? Would he be diligent in wearing his aligners? Here is our experience with Invisalign and how we are on the road to straight teeth.

My son was scanned for Invisalign treatment a few weeks ago, and when our orthodontist, Dr. Jensen called and said we were candidates, we were both thrilled. It only took a few days for Dr. Jensen to map out a treatment plan for us, and a week later to get my son's aligners.

My son will be wearing Invisalign for 9 months. He has overcrowding and a slight overbite on one side. Invisalign will correct all of this in less than a year. Invisalign can do the same thing that braces can do.

The first step to getting my son's Invisalign aligners, was to get attachments on his teeth. Attachments are tooth-colored buttons that are attached to the teeth. They are put in different locations on the teeth so that the aligners can grab onto the teeth to move and strengthen them. Aligners need something to hold on to, and the attachments are the perfect solution. My son had 9 attachments added to his teeth. Most of them are on the back of his teeth so they are not visible unless you are really looking for them. He also has one right in the front to move a tooth that is coming in on top of another tooth.

Our orthodontist office taught my son how to take his aligners in and out carefully so that the aligners would not get caught on the attachments. We were given three sets of aligners; each aligner will be worn for two weeks to move my son's teeth to a desired location. Once he is done with the two weeks, he moves on to the next aligner. During the third week of treatment, my son's aligner got caught on his attachment, and ripped it a little. Because he was so close to putting in the next set of aligners, Dr. Jensen told us to move on to the next tray. He is now more careful when he takes his aligners in and out. He carefully loosens them in the areas that have attachments so that he doesn't tear them.

We were told that the first week is the hardest part of getting aligners. They are tight around the teeth and immediately start moving them to a desired position. I have heard that some people get headaches, and their teeth are sore in the beginning. My son has not complained once. I actually forgot we were at the beginning of his treatment because it was so easy.

My daughter is currently wearing traditional braces, and when she gets her braces tightened she is sore for weeks. She also gets canker sores in her mouth where her wires rub on her checks. My son doesn't have these issues, and he is also quick to tell his older sister that he can eat anything he wants. He simply takes them out, eats, and then brushes his aligners and teeth before putting them back in. Nothing is off limits when you wear Invisalign. It is actually one of the best benefits of his treatment.

As a mother to a teenage boy, my biggest worry was whether he would lose his aligners at school or on the go. I am happy to report that he has done really well with keeping track of them. When he eats he keeps them in a small container. After he is done eating, he uses a small tooth brush so he can clean his teeth. So far, using Invisalign has been amazing convenient and simple to use.

Dr. Jensen really stressed the importance of hygiene to my son. If any of his patients at Smile Ranch don't take proper care of their teeth and gums during treatment, Dr. Jensen will stop treatment until the patient demonstrates improvement in these areas. This was enough to scare my son into brushing his teeth and gums two times a day. Score!

Here's my son with his Invisalign aligner in and ready to go. Can you tell he is wearing them? Me neither.

Have you worn braces or Invisalign? What was the best part of your treatment?

I am a member of the Invisalign Moms Advisory Board. I am receiving complimentary Invisalign treatment as part of this program. All opinions are my own and based on my own treatment experience. Full disclosure can be found here.