I used to have beautiful fingernails. They weren’t long and glamorous exactly, but they were long enough, healthy enough and manicured enough to look feminine and as if I at least took a little care of myself. (When the sad truth is that with two children the time I get to spend taking care of myself is minimal at best)
No more. Since I transferred back to full time wear of Invisalign removing my aligners has transformed my previously healthy looking nails into broken, torn, ragged shadows of their former selves. It ain’t pretty.
I must confess that over the last week things have got easier, but my first week back in full time aligners reminded me just how difficult it can be to remove aligners at the beginning of Invisalign. I remember the claustrophobic feeling of terror as I clawed at my mouth in a restaurant bathroom the very first week I ever wore them. Fortunately, having been through all of this before I know that in a couple of weeks removing these things will be as easy as taking off a t shirt, so there isn’t quite the same level of fear this time around. However, being reminded just how hard it can be I thought it might be helpful to new users to compile a list of tips for removing aligners. These are my top ten tips. Please, please feel free to add more via the comments form- you can see it below or reach it by clicking on the little black comments flag at the top of this posting. Alternatively, if you think I’ve got them wrong, please set me straight!
- Make sure your mouth is warm. Trying to remove Invisalign after a very cold drink is harder. Don’t ask me why, but it’s true! Somehow the plastic feels less pliable. It also helps if your fingers and the inside of your mouth are drier. If possible, open your mouth for a few seconds before attempting to remove them. Yes you’ll look odd, but it’s worth it.
- Start at the back. Lift the aligners off the molars on each side first, then gradually work towards the front. Alternatively some people find that it is easier to work from one side of the mouth to the other.The wonkier the tooth, the harder that section of Invisalign are to remove. Start by lifting off the easier bits and get to those bits last. The same is true of areas with a lot of attachments. Tackle those bits last. In those areas hook your fingernails under the edge of the aligner and lift it up and over the attachment or difficult area.
- Try a paper towel. Lots of people find that thick paper towels increase the grip on the aligner. Taking either a paper towel or a piece of kitchen paper in your hand place it over the tooth, grasp the aligner firmly and pull off the molars. Do this also for the opposite side and finally the front section. The increase in grip can sometimes make a huge difference.
- Try surgical gloves. Many Invisalign patients report that surgical gloves
work the same way as paper towels to increase grip on aligners. Many dental assistants also swear by them apparently. In this case the thick rubber gloves that you use for cleaning your house won’t do the trick (urgh!) what you need is the very fine type that you buy in boxes of 50 or 100. These allow you to feel what you are doing, but still increase grip.
- Use an aligner hook. Some lucky patients get these given to them by their Invisalign provider. However they are also available on Amazon and are known as an outie
. Looking similar to a crochet hook but designed specifically for removing clear braces they hook under the edge of the aligner and lift it away from the tooth. They are especially helpful for people with attachments.
- Another implement: Before I even get started in this one I would like to point out that it is certainly not Invisalign approved and might well result in damage to your aligners. Other Invisalign users have however reported success with other implements such as crochet hooks and even the edge of a pair of tweezers. Bearing in mind that your Invisalign are expensive I would personally probably skip this method, but each to their own.
- Give it time: One thing that people tell you constantly when you first get Invisalign is that removing them gets easier with time. Of course, when people told me this I used to secretly believe that I would be the one exception to this and my aligners would be difficult to remove forever. Of course, what I soon realised is that quite literally every hour counts. If you try to remove your new aligners very soon after they are inserted for the first time it will be very difficult. Waiting even an additional hour could make it much easier. If you are ravenous and desperate to eat I can understand that you may be cursing me on reading this tip, but if there is any way that you can, stopping and waiting a while could make your aligners much easier to remove.
- Change aligners in the evening: similar to tip 7, inserting your new aligners at night has two benefits. Firstly it means that you get to sleep through the stage when they feel tightest and most uncomfortable. Secondly, by morning your teeth will already have shifted and the aligners will therefore be easier to move. Popping them in last thing at night, accompanied by a mild painkiller is probably the way to go if you think they will cause you trouble.
- Speak to your orthodontist: Some orthodontists don’t put on the attachments until the third aligner. This allows you four weeks of perfecting your removal technique before the attachments are fitted. Once they go on it does become a lot harder, so this period of practice can be really helpful. Also, when your attachments go on ask whether you can wear the template for a day or two to get used to removing it before changing to the proper aligners. The template is softer and much, much easier to remove than a normal aligner. Also, I thought that it shifted the teeth a tiny bit too, so that also helps to make it easier when it comes to time to remove the actual aligners.
- Relax: Remembering my first day in Invisalign I know that relaxing was a long way down a very long list of things that I wanted to do; a list that started with ‘Get these aligners out of my mouth and never, ever put them in again’. The truth is though that the feelings of panic and claustrophobia make the aligners much, much harder to remove. Taking a deep breath and trying to relax, even giving up and taking ten minutes before starting again can be the difference between success and failure.
Hopefully these tips will be helpful to someone. As I said above if you have any others please feel free to share them via the comments section and I’ll update this page as and when necessary- thanks.
My orthodontist is 
Hi,
Can you explain what templates are? You refer to them in the “Speak to your orthodontist” point, but I have never heard of them. I am on my 3rd set of trays. The first two sets were much easier to get off, and caused much less pain, than this third set. I’ll be going in for the fourth set this Friday.
Thanks for your blog — I love all your tips — they have been spot on and it is so nice to feel like there is somebody else out there who can relate to what I’m going through!
Hi Ellen,
The template is similar to an aligner but softer and more pliable. It is used by the Invisalign dentist as a guide to exactly where to place the attachments. As far as I remember they fill the gaps in the template with some kind of gel substance, place it on the teeth and then shine a very bright light on them to set it… When they remove it the attachments are left on the teeth.
As the template is softer than the aligner it is easier to remove so it can be a good transition to getting attachments. My doctor allowed me to wear mine for a little while before switching to my first aligner with attchment spaces.
I hope this helps. Thanks so much for reading and good luck with your treatment.
Thanks for the explanation! You’re very observant and knowledgeable about the process. I wasn’t offered my templates. They put my attachments (five of them) on the same day I got my very first trays and sent me home with only the actual trays, for sets 1 and 2. They don’t really explain much about what they’re doing and stand mostly behind my head, so I don’t get to see most of what’s going on — so I didn’t even realize that they had used templates instead of the actual trays while they placed the attachments. In fact I was wondering how they knew exactly where to place the attachments, so thanks to you now I know! Reading about other’s experiences on the web has been super helpful, as I was provided very little information about to what expect once I got home and had these things stuck in my mouth that I had no choice but to get used to. I suppose if they told you too much, you’d chicken out and never get them, LOL.
The transition to set 2, at home on my own, was relatively easy. When I went in for my next appt. to pick up what I had expected to be three more sets, of sets 3 through 5, they did the lovely tooth shaving process on my upper teeth (well, half of the total shaving process — I guess I still have the other half of the process to look forward to at a future date) and sent me home with only one new set of trays. He wanted me to come again after only one tray to make sure I’m staying on track. Boy was that new upper tray tight over my wonkiest tooth! It made it super sore for several days, and it was torture trying to get that upper tray off with the soreness. It’s still tough to get that tray off now, but at least the soreness has subsided. No doubt only to begin again this coming Friday when I go in for set 4. But at least the subsiding pain tells me that my teeth must indeed be moving. I had braces as a kid for 4 years with a total of 8 extractions, and now at 48 I am a poster child for what happens to you when you don’t wear your retainer, cough cough. Interestingly, the lower tray of set 3 hasn’t given me any grief at all — hardly any soreness or tightness. And those teeth are still crooked, so I guess they will be focusing on them more during other upcoming trays. I guess they can’t move all your teeth at the same time.
I think I’ll start asking more questions, now that I’m more aware of the process and know what to ask. I’ll ask if I get a copy of or at least see my clinchecks too — I didn’t even realize that was an option.
Thanks again — I look forward to reading more of your posts!
Just checking in to say that yesterday’s transition from trays 3 to 4 was ever so much easier than the transition from trays 2 to 3 last time. I am very glad to be done with that set 3 and hope no other future sets give me such grief.
The next phase of the tooth shaving process that they did yesterday was sheer misery though. They further widened the same seven spaces on the top that they had begun two weeks prior. But this time I kept cringing because I kept feeling them working into my gums as they shaved away first with the discs and then the final strips — which were the worst. I kept seeing blood spots here and there, though they rinse and you don’t see much of what’s going on, especially since I had my eyes closed because of that bright flood light they use. Then last night when I was flossing after dinner, the floss made my gums bleed in several places, and rather profusely around that wonky tooth on the top. But the bleeding did stop pretty quickly, and I went on with my routine and put the trays back in but not without rinsing well with salt water first to try to avoid any infection. I am prone to gum infections — in fact I’ve already had three of them since I started with Invisalign only 6 weeks and 1 day ago now. That’s the reason I’m doing this Invisalign thing — I couldn’t care less that my teeth are crooked — but the crookedness has increased over the years to the point that they my teeth are difficult for me to clean properly and also for the dental hygienists to clean each time I go in for a cleaning. It’s hard for them to remove the plaque that builds up in those hard-to-reach places. So hopefully straightening my teeth will ultimately result in fewer gum infections — though I seem to be having more of them during the Invisalign process. I fastidiously floss, brush, and rinse with mouthwash as well as salt water, but I still get the infections anyway. The salt water seems to be the biggest help though — so if anybody else suffers from infections like me you might try rinsing with salt water to get some relief.
Now when I look in the mirror without my trays in it looks strange to see gaps between my top teeth. I do hope they will be filled in as they continue to move my teeth around. I’ve never had gaps between my teeth before, so this a new look for me — hopefully a temporary one! The gaps they made are .4 millimeter. Hopefully they are done widening but there may be more to come at a future appt.
Oh and I asked if I would need refinements, and he said probably not, but that they would be included in the cost if I did (I am on tray 4 of 14 on the top and 4 of 20 on the bottom). I also asked to see my clinchecks and have them emailed to me and he said he could show them to me on his own computer but never did — they always seem really busy in there and I’m sure there is pressure to keep the patients on schedule. He said to leave my email addy with the receptionist and that he’d try to email me the clinchecks later but wasn’t sure he could since he’d never tried emailing any before, but I haven’t received anything at all yet. And with the holiday weekend now in progress, I rather doubt I will. But I will ask again on my next visit, which was set for four weeks away on July 30.
Hi Ellen,
So glad they are getting easier to remove…
You poor thing the IPR (tooth shaving) sounds horrible. I had a little done during my first run of Invisalign, but fortunately only a little and it didn’t really affect my gums thankfully.
When I was pregnant I had constant and horrendous gum infections…rinsing with hot salt water also helped for me. I also tried something called Savacol which is a gingivitis mouthwash. It was great but pretty strong.
Glad to hear refinements are included. Hopefully you won’t need them but good to know they are if you need them.
If they can’t email your clinchecks ask for a copy of them on cd. That should be reasonably easy for them to come up with even if emailing is a little tricky. I think the problem with emailing tends to be that you have to compress the file and not all orthos are comfortable with that level of computer skill!
Anyway, glad to hear that your aligners are getting easier to remove. Hopefully that will continue to be the case.
Thanks for the update, let us know how you go.
Hi
I first wanted to say that I absolutely love your blog.
I’ve tried most of the different ways to take out my aligners and I’d agree that the best way is to relax and just keep at it. At first you feel like they’re stuck in there forever but eventually you realise that as long as you persevere then they’ll come out eventually.
Please keep writing as I love to read about your invisalign story. I found your blog really helpful when deciding whether to go with Invisalign
I received an email on Saturday with one of the clinchecks! I’m sure there must be more than this one because it only shows the view from the front left, but at least it is a start and I can forward it on to my mom so she can have a better idea of what they’re doing to my teeth. It’s neat to watch each tooth get it’s moment in the sun and move into place. Each set of trays does definitely seem to “pick on” some teeth more than others, but in the end I guess each one will get its turn.
Thanks for the tip on the Savacol. I looked it up and it doesn’t seem to be marketed in the US, but in looking up the ingredients they looked vaguely familiar and it turns out I already have some in the house, in — get this — doggie toothpaste and rawhide chews! I’m sure Piper, my Border collie, wouldn’t mind sharing some of her liver flavored toothpaste with me, LOL. If I don’t care for the liver (which I can guarantee you I won’t) it is also available in chicken and seafood flavors, yum yum. And the rawhide chews are basted with a 10% solution of the Chlorhexidine Gluconate. I give her about one a week. They’re stinky (to me) but apparently not to me because she loves them. They must work because her teeth are still in great shape and she’s 9 or 10 now, though I she does go in for a cleaning once every year. Anyway, I will ask about a human form at my next appointment. Thanks!
Today is my first day of Invisalign (hour 5 to be exact). BUT I feel much much much better after reading this blog!!!! I am still panicky about removing my aligners. I DO feel like they are stuck and never coming out! I think that the attachments are really what get me panicked….that is where I get stuck……
I will take all of the advice and just stay calm and keep practicing. Thanks for the support.
I definitely broke both thumbnails by the second day. T_T On the first day I had 12 attachments put on my teeth so I never got the chance to get used to taking the aligners on & off without attachments first. My bottom aligners were horrible to take out because of the crowding + 6 attachments and on top of that I have really chubby cheeks so my cheeks kept getting caught between my teeth and the aligners.. was already bleeding at the ortho ’cause my cheeks kept getting caught while I was practicing taking them on and off. But now on the 4th day I’m a pro! We’ll see how things go when the next set starts..
Thanks so much for the tips! Glad to hear that it’s not just me who’s finding it difficult. I started on Invisalign today and taking the first tray off so I could eat was agony. My fingers are raw. But I feel like I’ll be able to do it quicker next time and hopefully with much less hassle. Seems like a long way off till I can just pop them in and out whenever I fancy a hot drink but I’m sure I’ll get there!
Thanks again
I started mine tray 1 yesterday.. I have 7 attachments on the bottom and 6 on top.. I have a cross bite andan open bite and a little bit of crookedness on the bottom.. teeth are trying to crowd.. well. dr made my take them in and out a couple times before I left.. I must have take then in and out 4 times yesterday../ my main issue is the lip cutting.. I have had to file them on the tops..
I found that popping them in the inside for the tops works for me
on the bottoms, I just use my thumbnails and go under each canine tooth.. doesnt take a lot of pressure and it pops right off…
I feel a lot less space between each tooth as I floss and its only been ONE full day.. suppose to be 12-18 months.. I think it will be a shorter time..
Ill keep ya posted!
I’ve had my aligners for about 5 weeks (all the first set of aligners) and a couple days ago I went in to get the buttons put on and the IPR done. The buttons are in the front of the teeth and rub up against my cheeks when I eat. They are pretty rough and are actually making little sores on my cheeks where they are rubbing. Did this happen to you? Or did your orthodontist buff them down so they were smooth? A friend told me she used wax on her braces when that happened but I’m pretty sure that will interfere with the aligners. Any suggestions?
Thank you SO MUCH! I just started my aligners yesterday – it took me two hours of intermittent attempts before I could finally eat – and I was so hungry!
These are great tips and so helpful. Without them, I would certainly be seriously panicking but it is comforting to hear I am not alone and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Seriously, THANK YOU, for doing this blog!!!!!
I’m on tray 8 of 27 for both uppers and lowers. I’ve just realized that my lower tray has a split on the inside just back of my lower 2nd premolar. Its day 9 of this set. This is the second tray in a row to break like this. I’ve got attachments on 6 of my lower teeth and 4 on top but don’t really experience a lot of difficulty removing the trays (except the first day of a new set). Any idea why they are splitting?
I’m also glad to read this and know I’m not alone! I got my Invisalign yesterday and almost cried trying to take them out for the first time last night – it took forever! I also have the attachments and hadn’t realized how difficult it would be – I had just assumed they would slip on / off very easily. I’ve now taken them out four times and it’s getting a bit easier, although I still feel like I’m going to crack my tray – or my teeth – every time I take them out. I really hope this gets easier, because I’m having serious buyers remorse right now! In the meantime, I see myself losing some serious weight over the next year, just because taking these things out to eat may not be worth the hassle!
Hi All,
Hope you are all finding it a LOT easier by now. I have thankfully gone back to finding it quick and easy to get mine out- Hope it is the same for all of you…
Hi,
I am so relieved it’s not just me finding this process difficult. I got my first set or aligners last night, putting them in and wearing them is not an issue, it’s taking them out! The top aligner actually leaves me in tears trying to remove it, feels like it’s pulling 2 of my teeth out where it is so tight. Thank goodness that wont be happening for the whole 10 months I have the aligners for.
Thank you for the helpful tips and the peace of my mind!
I’m very nervous about getting my invisalign. I’m just getting them on the bottom. I’ve heard a lot about “attachments”. I’m quite confused about what they are…and the removal sounds painful. I’m going to try and relax, but I’m feeling kind of overwhelmed. Can someone tell me what “attachments are? Thanks
Thanks for the tip on the glove, I used my fake tan gloves and sucked in some air to dry my mouth and i pinched the sligned at the back and it popped out of place, then i kind of yanked it out. It wasnt easy and it is a little scary, but its only day 1 and my teeth havent fallen out and my aligned hasnt cracked so I must be doing something right. Im guessing it iwll only get easier from now onwards
Ps – they really dont hurt, im so surprised?!
I started with my trays a few weeks ago and at first I could only bear a few hours at a time. This may sound a little crazy, but I made a list of the in and out times each day. I gradually built up from 6 hours at the beginning to currently 22 hours a day at the minute.
I couldn’t sleep with the tray in at first, but slowly got used to it. I think that the main issue was that I felt the whole claustrophobia thing going on. I was constantly thinking that there may be food trapped between the tray and the teeth, etc.
The only problem is that I need to move onto tray 2 now. I can’t even tell I have a tray in half the time at present, and in a weird way don’t want to say goodbye to tray 1, lol.
The main issue for me is being able to get out the tray. It’s kind of like ‘if I can remove it at any time, then I don’t feel claustrophobic’. I think that has brought on the fear of tray change.
One thing I will do just before I change to no 2 is keep it in my mouth for a few minutes before clipping it on. My idea is that it won’t feel too much like a ‘foreign body’, and may warm up a little bit so it becomes more pliable.
Wish me luck, lol.
just got my first attachments today. i’m on trays #2. I couldn’t get my top tray out so I could not eat dinner. I tried again later at night before sleeping and I finally was able to get my top tray out.Yeah! I was able to eat something. I really feel like I am going to break a tooth by the time I finish my invisalign. I swear I feel my two front teeth bending as I pull the tray off. I also fear of getting bad gums as well by the end of this process. This website helps me feel a lot better when I read other people are feeling the same as I.
Nina, the attachments are what allow certain teeth to move more than others. The dentist uses them to be able to move certain teeth in specific ways (shift to the side, turn, etc.). As a result, they make the aligner tighter which increases the discomfort level in those particular areas.
. I’m definitely not looking forward to going through this with each new tray though … man oh man. No pain, no gain I suppose!
I am on my first set of trays and I’ve had them for two days now. Days one and two were awful. I considered skipping several meals to not have to take them off. I could not imagine the discomfort getting any better or the removal process getting any easier. Today is day 3 and I already feel kind of better about it. The most awkward thing now is removing them at work before lunch
It’s been great reading all of these posts–and it makes me feel better about the whole process. I switched to tray #2 the other day, but had to spend nearly 30 minutes getting the top tray out at mealtime. For the third meal — at lunchtime — after 20 minutes I decided lunch wasn’t worth the agony and called the orthodontist. He told me to keep tray 1 for another week (thank goodness, as I’m going out of town for a few days!) and try again next week. The bottom tray, so far as been fine, but I’m expecting difficulty at some point. Fingers crossed…I think knowing that most people seem to have a similar experience at some point during the process definitely helps. And I’m certainly going to go buy some rubber gloves, and ask about outie tool!!!
Happy to find your blog on the crazyness of removing the Invisalign. This morning my daughter was in a bit of a panic at not being able to remove in order to eat! This was after yesterday’s difficulty during school lunch in the bathroom desparately trying to remove in time to eat before the next class. This morning we used the two person technique:) She has already lost any edge she had on her fingernails after yesterdays madness, so between me hooking my short-ish nails onto the side, she got enough grip on the front and we got it out! Two people…she didn’t put it back in for school today and hopefully after the weekend of wearing, things will ease up. This is her second round, second tray, with attachments. Thanks again for your info, I’m going to get some gloves for her to try next! ~ Pam Ps: It is a comfort for me reading your blog…we’re not alone:)
Wow, what a great blog site. Im new to Invisalign and was pretty nervous about having the procedure. Im now on tray 3 of 39!! long way to go as yet. To have the aligners work correctly i needed to have 3 teeth removed to make space for the correction… not pretty when i have to take the aligners out to eat… pretty self concious, especially when out to dinner with work colleagues (my work requires alot of this). This side there is no easy way out, i just eat as quick as i can, dont say a word and then pop them back in again… easier said than done. All those encounters in public washrooms (some of which are not the most hygenic of places)! haha But hey im guessing it will be worth it once i have a beautiful smile… why oh why did i just not do it when i was a child… 36 now!
I too have had one of my aligners crack, which has made me feel quite aprehensive about putting them in and out, i guess i must have incorrectly removed it and exerted undue pressure to cause it to crack… Had my attachments put in yesterday, 11 in total, wow thats a wierd feeling… not so bad when the aligners are but eating with these rough bits of fake tooth stuck in your mouth feels weird! anyway just like everyone else, im terrified of taking them out, placing them in isnt as bad at all, front to back but takingthem out is really hard.
So glad that this blog exists, as its pretty scary when you have you and your otho to discuss matters… thanks peeps for being so informative… keep it going
Ontario, Canada
Ps: forgot to mention, i know it says in the literature to remove the aligners when ever you drink…. im not doing that as its a pain in the behind (also i dont drink fizzy pop or hot drinks)… am i being naughty?
cant exactly see myslef out on a friday or saturday night drinking – with out my aligners! lol lol
hope my ortho isnt reading this!
Hi,
I see from this that everyone struggles removing their alligners at first but Im really finding it so painful that Im cant remove them.
I havnt got invisalign, I just have clear allingners from a cosmetic dentist which are apparently the same. I got my alligners on Tuesday night, were now on Thursday morning and although its disgusting Ive only managed to remove the top alligner twice so Ive not been able to eat and brush my teeth! When I try to remove the top alligner im in so much agony that I cant physically make myself do it. I can pull the back off each side but as soon as they are loose the front feels like its going to rip my teeth out and I am hanging off the front off the alligner with my nails pulling it down and it just wont loosen off. I end up in tears and just push it back on at the back because its so tight. I tried to remove it this morning and the front teeth started bleeding just from the pressure of the brace pushing on them when I pull off the back
(
I really dont know what to do, the dentist have said that thats just the way they are and I have to persevere but I cant help thinking that the top allinger is just too tight! Ive tried using a crochering needle to pull at the front but that didnt work either. I will try the gloves aswell
Anyone had any experience of so much agony and actually not being able to remove them rather than just pain and difficulty? I am so so fed up with it that I feel like cutting it out!
Hi Jo,
That sounds terrible! I must say mine were tight, but not so bad that I couldn’t remove them to eat and clean my teeth. I think perhaps you need to go back and see your dentist so that they can show you other techniques for removing them. It does feel like you are ripping your teeth out when you first remove Invisalign, but it usually eases somewhat after a couple of days, this sounds quite extreme.
Do know what system you have if it isn’t Invisalign.
Good Luck, I hope it gets easier soon.
THANK YOU! I had my first aligner fitted today, with quite a few attachments. When I took it out a few hours later to eat, it hurt so much, I cried! It felt like the teeth with the attachments were going to snap in half! Off to try again now, using your tips! Thanks again!
Part of the reason why your aligners aren’t coming out easily is because either a. Your dentist didn’t take a very good impression or b. your teeth need more than minimal treatment. If your teeth are just crooked to a minimal amount, then they won’t be as hard to get off, but they won’t slip off. if you try to make your mouth warm, the you might end up stretching the aligners out and they won’t do the work as well, so before you go telling people to do things with their EXPENSIVE aligners, that could possibly ruin them, make sure your a professional.
I’m on week three of my Invisalign treatment and just got my second set in today. The first two weeks I just had the aligners, no attachments and the first two days were the most difficult with the aligners being very tight but I managed to get them in and out with little to no problems after that and thought the treatment would be as simple as that going forward. Then this morning, I got attachments put on my teeth and aligners number two… and what a rude awakening when I tried to take them off to eat lunch! I struggled for 20 mins in the bathroom in work, broke the nails on my index and middle fingers on both hands and didn’t succeed in more than budging the aligners slightly!! I tried putting tissue over my fingers which only succeeded in sticking bits of soggy tissue to them! I actually felt like crying with frustration!! I waited til I got home to attempt to remove them again. By now my fingertips were so raw it reminded me of when I first tried to learn guitar and the pain from the pressure of trying to form chords!!…not to mention I was practically delirious with hunger having not been able to eat anything all day. Against your advice here I used a tweezers to try and jimmy them off…lo and behold after 10 mins of this approach I had a result. I started at the back next to the molars where there is the most give and worked my way towards the front teeth, loosening a little on each side as I went. Where there was an attachment on the teeth I tried to pull the aligner AWAY and down, not just straight down, this seemed to do the trick. It was slow going and awkward and I was terrified of breaking them but I think if you go slowly and carefully, moving each section a little bit at at a time, you’ll get there eventually.
I’ve noticed on a lot of forums people talking about the pain of Invisalgn and how bad it can be etc. but as a person who wore the train-track style braces for three years in my teens I can tell you that the pain of Invisalign is nothing compared to the pain of tracks. When I had my tracks put on and then each month afterwards when I got them tightened I had to eat nothing but biscuits mashed up with hot milk for days because I couldn’t eat any solid food. The othodontist would often leave the wire too long at the back molar which would then stab me in my inside cheek. I had pieces of wax to put over this until I could get back to him to clip the wire. With tracks not just your teeth hurt but your gums, your inner cheeks and at times it felt like your whole head would just explode! Yes, Invisalign can be painful for the first couple of days with a new aligner but it settles down very quickly and I find I have gotten used to them quite quicky. They can be a bit of an irritation but it is a foreign body in your mouth after all, how could they not cause some type of sensation? I can honestly say having experienced both I would take Invisalign any day and to me it is worth going through all this to have straight teeth once and for all!!
Thanks for the tips. I just got my 1st 2 trays today and when I took them out, it hurt so bad, I cried. It felt like someone was trying to pull all of my teeth out at once. My dentist told me that some people lost weight because they hated to have to remove their aligners. I’m looking forward to when it starts to get easier to take them out. For this week, though, I think I’ll be eating a lot of milkshakes!
Check out http://www.easyoutaligners.com for a great aligner removal tool and kit. It saved me from hours of frustration removing my aligners.
Hi there,
After reading all the tales of Invisalign trauma I actually feel more positive, the blog has had a positive effect. I have already got through 23 sets of upper aligners, I just started on the lowers and have had very similar problems in getting the things out. It seems harder getting the lower ones out than the upper ones. Your finger nails are in the correct direction when pulling the upper aligners in a downward direction but you just can’t get your fingers in the correct position to get the lower ones off. I spent 15 minutes hiding in the store room at work trying to get them out, anyone seeing me must have thought I was having some kind of fit. I was worried about knocking the retaining bumps off. I gave up for a while then tried again 30 minutes later and managed to do it in around 5 minutes. I’m sure it will get better with practice.
I’m just embarking on the Invisalign path and will be getting my moulds done in a few weeks, after which time there’s not really any turning back! I’m nervous about not being able to get the aligners out to eat as everyone here seems to have found it incredibly difficult. I’ve already bought some Outies from Amazon (US) so I’m hoping these help a bit (and save my nails too!). I also had metal train track braces as a teenager and every tightening session was horrid with wires cutting up the inside of my mouth and elastic bands all over the place. Surely Invisalign can’t be worse than that?! Anyway, I’ll report back in a month or so when hopefully I’ll be on set 1. Great blog though and very helpful advice, thanks everyone!
Thanks for your sage advice. The panicky feeling at the beginning was unexpected and so led to more anxiety. Shaky fingers don’t help — hopefully the paper towel strategy will. My nails are taking a beating.
So glad I stumbled upon this post and these comments! I just got my attachments yesterday, after wearing Invisalign without attachments for one month. I was not prepared for the difficulty in yanking off the trays! Yikes! I, too, felt desperate, and I was on the verge of tears when I decided to turn to the internet. Thank goodness others have felt despair as I have! I was thinking I should have done the metal braces when others commented above that they are way worse. I’m thankful for these tips. I did try the paper towel method this morning. I did have trouble, but the trays did come off, not as quick as I’d like, but I only got the attachments yesterday. I suppose I need more practice. I’m glad for forums like this where I can see that I’m not alone!
I have never laughed so hard reading the comments. I am on day 4 and haven’t gotten the attachments. After reading everything, I admit I am pretty nervious about trying to get them out. But at least I now what to expect after reading all the comments. It has been very helpful to know that I am not alone in this quest for perfect teeth. I am going to Europe on vacation in a month and wondering if I could just not wear them for 20 hours and day and wear them for 10 hours and then just add on another week before I change to the next tray?
Wow, so nice to find a support group. So I just started, or tried to start, my 2nd tray yesterday. (I just have lower trays). I have about 8 of the monster attachments (after 10 days I took a nail file to them and at least the inside lip bleeding stopped). I still eat mostly soft food and lose weight. I had a lower front tooth pulled the day they put on attachments and put in the first trays. It was horrible. Like most everyone’s experience. Hard to get out, put in, pain, raw, Wahhh! But also as reported, it got better gradually. By the end of week 2 I could pop it right out. It cracked a little at some point. Since I had a tooth pulled and cannot have a big hole in my front teeth (I talk for a living) the doctor made a little fake tooth and glued it into the tray. Ok at first. But for 2nd tray in my 4th week, I think/hope the tooth is be too big. When I went in yesterday he FORCED the tray onto my teeth, I clenched, cried out. Then getting it out caused me to curse outloud. I have alot of dental work, and have old gums (I’m 57) and so am very concerned about tearing/pulling out teeth or filling or crowns. He put the new fake tooth in the tray and I put the old tray back in my mouth to let the other set. Last night couldn’t get the lower tray in. Tried, tried. Actually went to sleep with it about 2/3 in on front teeth. Got it set on back teeth. I think/hope the fake tooth is a little too big and tray won’t go in for that reason. I’ll go back to ortho tomorrow, but will not let him slam it into my mouth again. This part is just brutal. I expect it to be difficult, especially with the little attachments. But this is just too much. Ya’ll help me keep my eye on the prize. Thanks.
Thanks for the tips. On day 2 of Invisalign with attachments from the start. I have a pretty high pain threshold, I’ve run some tough marathons, and given birth to two children without pain relief, however what I am experiencing now is up there with those experiences. The panic, claustraphobia, and pain trying to get the aligner over the little blocks. I am getting nostaligic about my crooked teeth.
Thank you so much for all the info. & advice. 7 hrs in. Day 1 of express 10 tray option with 14 attachments!!!! Holy smokes they hurt can’t get them out etc. actually feel light headed & really sore. They now have been out for 2 hrs. Dreading to put them back on!!