Having just got my new Invisalign attachments (or Invisalign buttons as some people prefer to call them) I think my love affair with Invisalign braces may already be starting to wane.
I’m not sure what possessed me, but I scheduled my appointment to get my Invisalign attachments an hour after I was due to drop my 5 year old daughter off for her first ever day at school. By the time I had realised, it was too late to reschedule, unless I wanted to wait another 2 weeks for my next set, which I certainly didn’t.
So, I arrived at my appointment red eyed and sorry for myself after a morning of blubbing and was perhaps feeling a little more fragile than I might otherwise have been. You should probably bear that in mind when reading this account!
My teeth though, were in great shape. I had a quick chat with the ortho about the bleaching which we agreed had been reasonably successful. I mentioned that after 3 consecutive nights of use it had made my gums crack and bleed, which he said noone else had told him before, so maybe that is just me?
He had a quick look at tray 2 in my mouth, and examined the crack (read about that here). He could immediately see the problem, and upon examining the other aligners he had waiting for me we could see that some of them cover my stray lower tooth completely, and some just cover the top of it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to give me any explanation other than the that the Invisalign robot was having an off day but he decided it was unnecessary to cover that tooth, and took all the future sets away and filed them down. There was also a small area that irritates part of my gum that I have had to file on my last two sets, and he filed that on all the future sets too which was a great relief.
By the time I got to this appointment, 4 weeks into my Invisalign treatment I could get my trays in and out almost without thinking about it. It wasn’t quite at the point where I could pop them out with my tongue as I have read some other people discuss, but it was certainly easy. I told my ortho this, and he chuckled and said “wait until we get these attachments on” with an evil glint in his eye, and what I thought might be a cackle under his breath…
The Invisalign attachments or buttons are small clear ‘blobs” that are fixed to your teeth to give your aligners better grip on the tooth that they are attached to. They are, in my case, all oblong shaped, although apparently there are other possible shapes. Depending on the movement they are designed to help with, they can be put on either vertically or horizontally, and can go on different positions on each tooth to help create different movements. I have 5 attachments in total as you can see on my clincheck.
The process of putting them on began with my ortho showing me 2 sets of my third aligner. One of them was a template set, made of a much finer and softer plastic than the normal aligners, the other was the standard aligner for use after the attachments were fixed. The template aligner was fitted to my teeth to check for fit and was then removed again. The ortho then used some kind of powered drill to ‘rough up’ the surface of my tooth. It was a sensation not unlike sandpapering and not altogether pleasant. He then filled the attachment gaps in the template with some gel and reinserted it on to my teeth. The gel would be what ultimately would form the attachments, and was hardened by him shining a blue light on each one in turn in a way very similar to when you get a white filling.
The next bit was slightly fiddly as he then had to remove the template, which involved lots of pulling and the use of his dentists pick, but eventually it came out without the attachments or any of my teeth!
He then took what sounded like a drill and filed off any excess bits that had become attached to my teeth, and also smoothed around the attachments so that they would not irritate my mouth. This was the part that I REALLY didn’t enjoy. It was very similar to having your tooth drilled in preparation for a filling, and although I knew that they weren’t actually drilling into my tooth, it felt as if they were, and was almost bordering on painful. The only positive was that it was over relatively quickly. If you have a dentist or filling phobia it may be worthwhile having a stiff drink or a valium for this bit, it is the bit I have enjoyed least of the whole process thus far.
I was then ready to go! The orthodontist reinserted the softer template tray and told me to wear that one until the end of the day. His reasoning for this was that it can be extremely difficult to remove the trays the first day after attachments are put on. The template would therefore help to move the teeth a bit whilst still being flexible enough to allow it to be more easily removed. This would give me a chance to practice before inserting the normal one that evening. I’m not sure whether this is standard procedure from Invisalign, if not, all hail my ortho, as it seemed like a great idea!
Of course, when he said that the template would be easier to remove than the normal tray, he meant easier, not easy. It still took me about ten nail-breaking minutes to remove each aligner, and I began to seriously doubt whether I would actually ever be able eat again.
There is a moment when you reach a certain point of frustration trying to remove these things, when your fingers seem too big and clumsy to fit in your mouth, and you just want to scream. I spent most of the day like that with one of the aligners stuck half on and half off my teeth and my fingers down my throat. I was so panicky that I wondered whether I can do this or whether I will need an aligner hook. Apparently a lot of Invisalign patients swear by them although they are hard to get hold of in Australia.
I switched to the standard aligners that evening, and noticed two things. Firstly, that the Invisalign buttons make them WAY firmer- they certainly do increase the grip- and also that my ortho wasn’t kidding about how much more difficult they are to remove. Even a week on I am still struggling- not as much, but there is no sense of just ‘popping’ them in and out, it really is something of an ordeal. They are also so much tighter than set two, almost to the point of pain. The old cliche of be careful what you wish for certainly applies in this case.
Aesthetically, I am also not a great fan of Invisalign buttons. I was prepared to concede that Invisalign braces are fairly invisible when you don’t have attachments, but, I think the Invisalign attachments effectively double their visibility. The strange bumps on your teeth are way more noticeable than the extra glossiness that you get from the aligner. Of course, that being said, they are still a substantial improvement on even clear standard braces, just not truly invisible.
The only other thing I dislike is that when your aligners are out of your mouth the Invisalign attachments feel very rough inside your cheeks- it gives you sympathy for how people with standard braces must struggle. They also feel like food becomes easily caught on them.
Of course, having said all this, I still on balance feel that they will be worth it- if I do end up with great teeth at the end!
For those of you who might be interested there is a great video on youtube showing the attachment process. I think it was helpful to me to know what to expect.
I’ll let you be the judge of how visible my Invisalign attachments look:
Just turned 65 and was told I needed Invisalign for overcrowding which is affecting bite and gums. It hasn’t been too bad. Tough to get in and out but IT DOES GET EASIER, believe me! Dental wax and or silicone will be your friend. I am using the Excelledent vibrating system to hasten results. Stick with it. Talk to your doctor if you have problems. You are paying alot for these. Do what they tell you, don’t cheat. The more you follow instructions the better and quicker your results will be. Good luck!
Did you ever notice that your attachments/buttons ever turned slight yellow. I am brushing my teeth constantly and not eating/drinking with my retainers in, but it appears the teeth with attachments/buttons look like they are turning a slight yellowish color and I had very white teeth before I started this process. I am trying to figure out if anyone else has experienced this
Hi there,
I didn’t notice that to be honest, but maybe other readers did?
I’m not someone who eats a lot of brightly coloured food though- I was a bit worried they’d get stained with red wine though!
I’m doing invisalign also. I’m at tray 4.
You’re so luck that you only have 5? Attatchments. I have EIGHTEEN!
4 on each side, upper and lower, then 1 on both left upper and lower FRONT TEETH!
It definitely makes the whole process a lot more visable, especially when you don’t have the aligners in, but I would rather this to traditional braces any day.
I’m just annoyed at 18 freakin attachments plus 2 silver buttons on the lower back teeth.
I wish you lick on your dental journey.
At least your orthodontist smoothed the buttons. Mine forgot after the first two sets came off with the template (surprisingly left my teeth behind). When I reminded the technician that they hadn’t been smoothed she siad don’t worry, you’ll be able to get the aligners off at home when you’re more relaxed. I had to use a metal nail file to get the aligners off at home and think I cracked a tooth. I have only eaten once in two days. Now is office is closed for the next two weeks.
I wish my ortho gave me the template aligners! This is day 2 of my first set of aligners and it is absolute agony to get them on and off (especially since I have 19 attachments on my teeth!). My tongue and the inside of my mouth are so sore because I can’t help but feel the attachments and the edges of the aligners. The edges feel so rough and I don’t know if that’s normal. Plus I am yet to receive the ‘gummies’ that you’re supposed to chew on. What did I get myself into!
I ordered extra chewies from Amazon. They are reasonably priced.
For the rough edges, use a fingernail file and lightly file the irritating parts. My dentist suggested it. I thought he was crazy until I tried it. Definitely, worth a go.
That’s awesome that your Invisalign Attachments aren’t that noticeable. You only have them on your side teeth too! I have to have mine on my front teeth which isn’t very fun at all. I’m kind of scared to have them take them off to tell you the truth. I heard it feels like a ton of pressure and its way worse than puttin them on. Thanks for the post!
Hi,
I got my invisalign about 3 days ago. I have a total of 10 attachments… 6 on top. At the office, they had me putting the trays in and taking them out once. Since my appointment went til lunchtime, they suggested I leave them out til I ate. The top tray was sooooooo hard to take out in the office. The assistant just kept saying “keep trying, it’ll get easier” blah blah blah. Well I finally popped the thing out but the left side on the top tray gave me serious trouble. I just couldn’t get it to budge for the longest time. She directed me to pull at each side equally but this side was not moving. It finally flipped out. Now that I’m wearing them (and now that the office is closed for the weekend…grrr) I’ve noticed that the left upper side does not fit as snug. I realized this on my first full day of wearing them. Upon looking closer, I see a tiny crack at the back on the left side at the gum line. I seriously think it’s from that first time trying to remove it in the office. I will call my ortho tomorrow but I’m starting a new school year as a teacher and it’s going to be really hard to get in right away with their limited hours. They actually set me up with invisalign teen even though I’m 24 and assured me there was no difference, just that I would get free aligners should something happen to them. Well, now that it has cracked so easily, I do see the value in that. Does anyone know if there are any other differences between teen and regular? He never did mention to me that I’d be getting teen instead. Also, any ideas on what the crack is doing? I’m wondering if my top aligner is even effective at all with that little tiny crack? So far, I’ve only felt a little bit of pressure on my lower right side of my mouth. My top is what is so messed up though. Last question…has anyone had to get a replacement? Do you know how long it takes to order? I’m just upset it happened right off the bat and that I could be wearing for these for no reason right now if it’s not effective with the crack. Thanks!
I am not a dentist, but I have had regular wire (old school type) retainers. Mine had cracks in them and were fine for years. You should be fine until your next set and probably shouldn’t have to order a replacement. Check with your dentist though. Good luck.
Just got my first tray today and was floored when i saw where the attachments were supposed to be…I actually was in tears so I downright refused the top attachments and my dentist was cool with that. so we’ll see how it goes..so far it feels ok with the pulling and tugging but uncomfortable to remove.I think I am getting the hang of it though.
I am starting my 3rd week and tray 2 of my aligners. Today I had the attachments put on; 7 buttons on top and 9 on the bottom. My teeth hurt. They did feel much tighter than plain aligners. About an hour ago, I went to take of the top aligners, I had some trouble, but I got them off okay. I tried to take off the bottom ones twice and couldn’t do it. I was in so much pain I began to cry. It seems around two teeth the aligners wouldn’t come off. It felt as if I was pulling out my teeth. I just can’t take it. I am going back to the orthodontist tomorrow to see why I can’t take it off. My bottom teeth hurt so much. I really regret getting Invisalign. They are too much trouble.
I wish I’d read this before my orthodontist set up my course of treatment… I have fourteen(!) attachments, judging by a quick count with my tongue. They’re *all* sharp edged, and they’re on the front of my teeth. My teeth don’t even look that bad to start with, I just wanted to get them back to where I could close my jaw and have them all fit together like they did before my wisdom teeth came in and were impacted.
They also didn’t remove the excess compound after molding the attachments, so the whole tooth feels rough surfaced on every tooth that has an attachment.
I wish I’d known I could have had them on the insides, and other such options. I got mine on yesterday and one came off that very evening when I put my trays back in after eating.
Just like many of you folks, removing the trays was and has been the most difficult part of the treatment for me. I made a big crack in the morning of day 6 AND another crack on the other side in the afternoon! That freaked me out, I had never been so fearful before meals. I had 2 nightmares within a week of breaking the trays in half.
For those of you who tried the outie tool, any tip on how to use it? The instruction says to slide it in between the teeth and the aligner and pull straight down / push straight up, but I found it the aligner will be bent outward in order to fit the tool in. I was not sure if that might damage the structure of the trays. I didn’t want to mess with it because there are already 5 cracks on my bottom tray. I tried to do it gently but couldn’t get the trays off so I decided to leave it and try again right before switching to tray 2.
I’m on tray 1, 2 attachments on the top, 6 on the bottom.
Has anyone damaged the trays with the outie tool?
Where do you insert the tool from? I tried between 2 teeth but it hurt my gum. If I don’t insert it between 2 teeth then the tool couldn’t really slide under.
I really hope that I could just pull / push from one single point (somewhere has most attachments?) while the trays are all in, then they will pop right out. I hope it works this way.
Thanks
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I am having intense pain in several of my teeth and am wondering if anyone else experiences pain which does not respond to over the counter pain meds?
Yes, not sure what I’m going to do about this yet.
I finished my first 7 months of Invisaling and am on my first full set refinement, which will take another 7 months. The first set of attachments were drilled off. No pain and no big deal. Now I have new attachments in new places. Hate that this is taking so long, but my teeth are moving and look so much better.
Hi!
I’m Danish, and I’m half way though my Invisalign treatment.
I have a great tip to share with all of you, who struggle to get the aligners out. I use a plastic tool, that actually is designed for manicures. Mine is from “Manicare”, and I bought it in Harrisons, at Manly Beach in Australia, but I think you can buy such a tool from most drug stores. With this tool the aligners pop out really easy, when I loosen them at the back molars. It’s rounded and more gentle (I can imagine) than the removal tools I’ve seen sold online.
It’s nice to hear all of your experiences, many of which I’ve had myself. I was also very disapointed, when I found out about the attachments, they are not at all invisible! But I didn’t get this information, until after I had started the treatment. This is not something that sells the product, and I find it dishonest, that they keep it from you until it’s almost too late to change your mind…
But I very much look forward to be done with it in 4 months. I’m also a bit worried, if the teeth become damaged, when they remove the attachments. Have any of you tried that yet?
Hi there! This blog is really helpful. It’s nice to be able to hear what others are experience and know that I’m not alone on this one. I just got my aligners this week and they put 4 attachments on my teeth. They didn’t tell me they were going to do this. I just went in to get fitted for my aligners and all of a sudden I have these attachments on. Once a week I meet with a very important high profile client at work in which I have to take my aligners off. I thought it’d be perfect because for the meeting I could take the invisaligns off but now with these attachments I feel uncomfortable smiling. So I’ve left a message for my dentist to have them removed even if that prolongs the treatment. Does any one know if it’s as painful to remove as it is to get them?
I have had Invisalign for several months now. I hate the button attachments and wish my orthodontist had explained them. (He did not or not well if he did). They are toward the front of my teeth and I get the weirdest looks from people if I don’t have my trays in during meals. He also filed some of my teeth down (didn’t explain that well or at all either.) and I worry they will make my teeth more susceptible to cavities. I think a part of one tooth he filed may have broken off also since it seems to be rougher and shorther than it was before the filing.
I had the same experience. I went to the dentist and told me: we have to do something to your teeth for the treatment. And when I look myself in the mirror I had those bumps! There was not explanation of what was going to be done whatsoever. Then in another appointment, that I thought it was just a check up to see how I was doing, they wanted to file my teeth! They hadn’t told me anything about it before. I had to quit Invisalign. It was such a waste of money.
Hi there! I’m 16, I just got my aligners today. And I got no template to work with. They put on attachments for me for the first day, and I got a total of 20 attachments. 10 top, 10 bottom. It’s extremely painful to take out. So painful, that I don’t even want to eat…
It’s really tight against my teeth, so when I do even try to take the off, they come back down in an instant, rendering it impossible to take out. I’m having so much trouble right now. Any suggestions to taking them off?
Other then, paper towels, going from one side to another, using nails, or that hook, since the hook doesn’t help… Thanks for the blog (:
I am on my 3rd tray and just had the attachments put on a few days ago. They are sharp and are irritating the inside of my cheek when the aligners are out and I am eating or talking. Can my ortho file the attachments a bit to make them more smooth? Should I take a nail file and try to smooth them down myself? I’m at the point that I hate to take the aligners out and I am much more comfortable when they are in. Any suggestion? I’m so glad I found this blog!!!
I could care less about the attachments. What absolutely drives me insane is that when the Invisalign are in, my lips feel so dry. I am constantly trying to relieve the dryness with chapstick. When I take them out, everything is ok. I don’t get it. I’m almost halfway through and everyday is a battle. Then I found out that after the final tray I have to wear a retainer full-time for 3-6 months. The process is working, but I had no idea it was going to affect me this way.
what exactly is a “stray tooth,” hollywood?
Just started Invisalign, this is day 2. Two questions: do the attachments stay on the same teeth the whole time? My top two attachments are so noticeable, I was hoping they would go away soon! I wish I had know to ask if they could be on the inside. I wonder if they would move them? Question #2: Someone earlier said they refused the tooth filing. Is that an option? I refused it at my first vsit, but the ortho says it will delay my results and wants me to have it next time. My teeth are pretty good, just have one front tooth that need to be straightened out. They say there is bottom crowing, doesn’t bother me at all.
I’ve been wearing aligners for six days now. No real problems except those darned attachments. They are so visible–little white rectangle things that show up so badly. I wish the dentist would have warned me. I though they would be more clear and not so noticeable. Really don’t like them and they show up much worse without the aligners on.
Hi there,
“Refinements” are extra series of aligners. What he means by three are included in the cost is that three more runs of aligners are allowed. That means that if your teeth don’t look exactly as you hope the first time you can have three new series of aligners to “tweak” them. Each new series or run can have as many aligners in it as needed.
Hope this helps, and thanks for reading…
Hi Sarah,
The pressure on your teeth will become less and less as the days go by. I’ve just started my 6th week and have finally gotten the knack for getting these things out. Don’t really see that my teeth are moving, but they must be because each new set of trays is tight for a few days. This is going really well for me. My doc did tell me that I would need some ‘refinements’. He said up to three are included in the initial cost. I have to clue as to what this is. Anyone out there know about these? After reading the above, I think I’d go for the retainers rather than a wire in my mouth.
I just got my first aligners in today. I can feel the pressure on my teeth. Does this eventually go away?
Hi Elaine,
I really doubt that the buttons would show up in the photos. If they did, a little PhotoShop would remove them. You will have straighter teeth in six months, so I would say to start now! They have been virtually stress free for me. A little discomfort for a day or so with every new aligner, and the lower, inside cheek area is sore from the elastic hooks, but they have only been in 10 days, so I’m sure I will get used to it. The buttons don’t really bother me…I even ate corn-on-the-cob and it wasn’t as ugly as I expected. I must have subconsciously changed my bite when chewing, because I no longer have my bottom teeth hitting the buttons on the inside of my top teeth when eating. Although I feel like more than what I actually swallow gets caught in the buttons and the elastic hooks! …not really… 🙂
I’ve just found this blog it’s great! I’m due to start invisalign in 3 weeks and I’m starting to get nervous about the pain/stress, although reading about other people going through it has helped a lot.
My main concern though is that I am getting married in 6 months and, although I can take the aligners out for the day, I’m concerned the buttons are going to spoil the photos. I know that sounds really vain but I’m considering holding off the treatment until after my wedding if it means having to smile without showing my teeth. Has anyone got any advice on how visible the buttons are in photos without aligners over them?
Hi Diane,
My attachments are on the inside not the outside, so I’m not sure about that- maybe other readers could respond on this one. I certainly have had my lower teeth hit my attachments, and that is not pleasant but I don’t really get the biting on glass sensation…
Thanks for reading!
hi there, just wondering if anyone else experienced the feeling of biting on glass when my bottom teeth hit the attachments on the inside of my upper teeth? help!
Thank you so much for this blog. I’ve just had my first set of invisalign put in and I have 4 attachments on my teeth. I couldn’t believe how visible they were when I looked in the mirror – and it feels like I’m pulling my teeth out when I take them out!
So thank you, you’ve reassured me that they’ve put mine in properly!
Hi there,
Yes, My ortho told me that I will wear retainers for life. There is an alternative of a fixed wire behind the teeth, but to be honest I don’t think that is for me. Of course, if I find I don’t wear them enough I may change my mind.
I think I will opt for either vivera or a similar clear retainer. They look very similar to Invisalign and you wear them only at night. I don’t see this being a problem for me. I think after several years you can sometimes reduce to less nights, but I’m not completely sure.
Anyway, good luck with your Invisalign. I’m glad the pain has gone.
Hi,
Reading this, I am just so happy that I turned down the course of treatment that included teeth reductions… I have crowding in the bottom (but Invisalign did not suggest reductions) and gaps and overbite on the top (there were several suggested reductions)… I flat out said “no”. I did not know that saying “no” to attachments was an option (or having them on the inside). Still, it seems I am a lucky case with just three on top and two in the bottom…
At to chewing on my chick, the pain was excruciating, but as I am on my third set now, my chick has healed. Yippee…
I am getting treatment in Norway, so in the true Viking fashion, my ortho did not even suggest using the flexible tray for anything other than fixing the attachments in the office. He gave me the first three sets and told me that I will get used to it…
I am missing one tooth in the bottom. I guess the robot assumed I am missing the gum too. I had to discontinue the bottom aligner (the wound was getting deeper and the pain was getting worse) until my ortho got a chance to file it down…
The question I have to you guys: did your ortho tell you that you will need to ware maintenance trays (retainer trays, or whatever they are) every night for the rest of your life? As the preferred alternative, my ortho is actually pushing for “gluing” some attachments to the back of my teeth with a wire going through them… Something I am definitely not up for… According to him, without maintenance treatment, my teeth will slide back into their original positions in a few years…
Yes, most people need to wear a retainer FOREVER. I had regular braces 15 years ago, and now my teeth are back to almost where they were because I didn’t wear my retainer for the last 5 years. So I realize I made a mistake not wearing them!
Hi Carmen,
My teeth used to hit the buttons too. Funnily enough they don’t any more. I think my mouth got used to it and I adjusted the way that I eat. So hopefully that means that you won’t have these problems for too long. Have you tried an aligner removal tool for getting your aligners out. Good luck with your Invisalign!
I’m on day one of my trays today. Like most of you, I’m having a terrible time getting these trays out. Have 9 buttons and sometimes when I’m taking the lower tray out I feel like I’m going to pull my teeth out too! I think the main problem is going to be eating with these buttons. My teeth hit the buttons when I chew and it hurts. Have filed my trays down but still am going to get some wax to put on them. This is a great blog.
Just got my invisalign today and I had no idea it would be so difficult to take them off. It’s those darn buttons! I’m hoping it will get easier to remove them like previous comments have stated. It’s super frustrating and I’m only on day 1 of my treatment..oh well, it should be worth it!
I have been reading all of these comments and they have really helped me. I just got my invisalign 4 days ago. I have not had any pain or discomfort from the alligners, but getting them off is another story. I have learned to put them on finally and that is not a problem. Getting them off is another story. When I get the backs pulled off my teeth, they get caught on the buttons and then my cheeks get caught inside the edges of the trays and they pinch, and I can’t get them off.. OUCH !! It happens every time, and now my cheek feels like raw meat. On top of that, the button placement is such that when I chew, my tooth catches the inside of my lip and I bite it. I just need to learn to eat more slowly and deliberately. I just ordered an outie tool and plan to try the latex gloves next time I eat. I am at a point that I am afraid to eat, because I HATE taking these things off. I sure hope this gets better over time.
I’d like to stress the point that the invisalign was not the cause of my gums bleeding. The problem was the procedure which I’ve researched and is officially called “interproximal reduction”. Think of it as flossing with a diamond-coated metal strip. Apparently, this is not an uncommon procedure, especially with invisalign patients who are correcting crowding. The attachments made it difficult to take out the trays, of course, but this was exasperated by my super sensitive gums. I am happy to report that I was able to get my trays out this morning with only a little difficulty, although I’m kind of dreading switching to my next and tighter set of trays. I think I may put it off for another day until I get the hang of getting them in an out. Anyway, thank for the pep talk! After having had traditional braces as a kid, I still think this is a way better option.
Hi Rebecca, poor you, that sounds horrible. I must say that I have never had bleeding gums with my Invisalign- have you asked your orthodontist or dentist why this might be?
The only consolation I can offer you is that it really does get much, much easier once you are used to them. Even with Attachments I can now remove my aligners in about 2 seconds.
I really hope things improve for you soon. Let me know how you get on…
Some people find that a paper towel really helps them to remove the aligners, or an “outie”- a little aligner hook. Anyway, hope this gets better for you soon.
I just got my attachments today. My ortho also filed several of my teeth during my appointment. I was told to wear my existing tray (3) for another day and then switch to my next tray. I was able to get my trays out during my appointment, but this was before the teeth “slenderizing” with the file. I had no discomfort until I got home and tried to take out my trays to eat. The filing has caused my teeth to be so sensitive that my gums bleed when I try to take out the trays. After several agonizing minutes with a lot of blood and some tears, I’ve decided that I am going skip eating for the rest of the day and try again tomorrow…
Like everyone else, I hate my attachments. 6 top and 6 lower. My ortho insists on putting on the sharp square ones too. Ive been wearing mine for a year now- with great resultst- but couldnt take having my top attachments on any longer. Im a very self conscious person to begin with and having those attachments made me alot less social. I asked my ortho if I could do the rest of the treatment without the top attachments and he agreed but warned me it might take longer. So maybe at a later time in your treatment it could be possible to get your attachments off!
This is a great blog, thank you! My fiancee is already getting tired of me complaining about the attachments, I love Invisalign except for these darned little buggers. I have 8 attachments which has proved very frustrating – lost 3 in the first 2 days and have already lost another one… I’ve gotten the hang of the bottom tray, but the top tray is hard since my teeth are tiny, with 2 attachments right next to each other and no place to get a good grip with my clumsy fingers. Thanks for the great tips on the outie tool and latex gloves… the old “pull out then up” tip that they give you does not really work that well, at least for me!!!
Great tip, thank you! I will try and add that to a future post.
My dental assistant gave me some of the latex gloves that they use in the office, and that is the best thing for removal I use them for the first day or two of each new set of aligners. I tried the Outie tool, and that helped but is better for those who have only one attachment, or one trouble spot. The gloves allow you to grip and apply push/pull pressure over a larger area. Really great for those with many attachments, like me, or with no nails.
They should give a pair to all new “aligners.”
>My husband refused the attachments, and had to extend the length of his treatment time. He still had very good results. He finished about a year ago. Talk to your dentist about your options on that.
I just started my Invisalign (now at day 3) and am having a bear of a time getting the lowers off. Nail breaking is certainly a good descriptor. Guess it'll help me lose those last few pounds!
>Does anyone know if its possible to refuse attachments?? I am just finishing with invisalign and will be going into my ortho tomorrow to discuss refinements. I really wouldn't mind continuing with it except for those darn buttons!! Totally agree about the funny looks during conversations… ugh.
>HI there,
Please don't worry, they are doing something. The attachments are for teeth that need certain movements and often are only really needed for a few trays but they put them on for most of the course. They will definitely be doing some movement just not the kind that needs attachments.
>Hi..i just wanted to know what the first set of aligners do..as i have them on right now and they don't have the attachments on…are they just so that i get used to having the aligners on or is it helping towards straigtning my teeth?
>I'm due to get buttons on august 11th and I'm really concerned – they want to put a total of 12 on me – and my teeth aren't that bad; most people would look at them and say they're already straight. Thanks for putting up this blog it really helps me think about the right questions to ask when I go in to my ortho.
>I just got invisalign a week ago and have 3 buttons on top and 4 on bottom. The first 2 days I barely ate because I would get so frusterated trying to take them out and braking nails that I just gave up. Now the top one I can get out fairly quickly. However the bottom one still gives me a really hard time and I'm sure it's just because of the buttons since the aligners feel quite loose compared to the first few days.
Has anyone tried the removal tool that's sold online?
I was surprised to read one of the early posts that the ortho put the buttons on the inside so they wouldn't be visable. It seems like if that is an option then who wouldnt want to do that.
>My Ortho was great in that they had to call me during the “making of the tray” process to tell me how many buttons I needed and where they would be. When he told me they would be on 3 of my front 4 – I was really skeptical. They compromised and had them put on the inside. It is great because they are doing the same thing but not visible.
The thing that is killer is the tooth filing. The first fitting they put on my attachments and filed 5 teeth! It hurt my gums sooooo much and I think it made my teeth really sensitive. I didn’t have any template tray – just the regular one, so it was pretty tight and hard to snap off. The 2nd visit I had to have 5 more filed – but now I think I only have two or three more simple filings. There do seem to be some big gaps now however – hopefully they will all fill in soon!
>What I’d like to know is what has happened with people when they take the buttons off and the extra etching gel (not just the button material) and what kind of damage it does to the surface of the tooth. Thanks, JW
i’d also like to know that. Will my teeth be smooth again?
>I wasn’t thrilled when I got my attachements on since I had just started to feel comfortable with my Invisalign being “invisible”. I definitely feel self-concious sometimes in professional or social settings where I’m talking very close to someone. I often see this sort of puzzled look on peoples’ faces, like they’re trying to figure out what’s going on with my teeth! I’m getting over that (keep telling myself it’s worth it!) and I think as Invisalign gets more popular, it’ll be like children with traditional braces; people will start to recognize “Oh, they have invisalign” and not think anything of it.
>Love the blog can totally relate to the attachments. I got my first trays and got attachments the same day (bottom only).. I was told to wear the template tray for two days which I did, then I put in the first tray – well tried to.. Had to go to the dentist to have them help me.. They got it in after a few tries.. I had to take it out and put it back before I left.. Keep the tray in for 3 hours then took out for lunch.. when I put the tray back in after lunch one side won’t go down, it’s like the tray is twisted. (there is an airpocket on two of the back teeth). It’s super tight fighting but after 15 in and outs w/it I noticed one of my teeth is loose to the point that I’m afraid it will come out. I’ve decided to not put my bottom tray back in until I can make it back to the dentist on Monday.. Did you have any issue like this?
>It’s so weird how people’s experiences are so different. I didn’t have any pain when they drilled off the excess cement off the attachments.
My dentist told me to wear the soft template tray for a week before moving on to my first “real tray.” I totally ignored that order (I know, I’m bad). I just wore it for a few hours that day and then went to my real first tray (the setting tray for me was actually called Tray Zero, by Invisalign).
I only felt the slightest bit of pressure on the two, front bottom teeth with the soft template tray. And the first tray didn’t hurt so bad (except when trying to pull it out/putting it back in).
My dentist said the template tray prepares your teeth for for the real trays with attachments. But, I definitely didn’t feel like wasting a week on the flimsy, template tray. And considering that my sister’s ortho once gave her a tray four weeks too early and her teeth came out perfectly, I think I’ll be okay. 😉
I’m definitely not going to violate any more tray orders (but Tray 1 IS my first tray, so I might as well be using it).
>I didn’t mind my attachments but they did look weird. Also, Invisalign with buttons should be called Not-So-Invisalign. The buttons and teeth filing made me wonder if I should have gone with traditional braces to begin with.
http://www.invisalignresults.com/Getting-Teeth-Filed-for-Invisalign.html
The upper buttons didn’t look so bad but I had buttons all over my bottom teeth.
>Oh, wow that truly sucks. It’s horrible that the attachments put you through all of this. I had to go through that too, and I wanted to scream. It’s still a little hard to remove, but not nearly as hard as when it first started. Don’t worry it will get better! Honestly your attachments don’t look that visible to me.What beautiful white teeth you have. 🙂