Invisalign 101: The Consultation, Installation, and First-Day Experience

I decided to straighten my teeth as an adult, and I chose Invisalign. Read more about this here.

When I went into my initial consultation, my mind had pretty much been made up that this was something I was going to do. Still, I needed to get a cost and hear the plan. The orthodontist I went to did a very thorough consultation including pictures that they then went over with me. This was all complimentary so I wouldn’t have been out anything had I decided to not move forward.

What I really appreciated was that they didn’t seem like they were selling me on it. They were complimentary about my smile just as it was. If you don’t have a good feeling about the Orthodontist you get a consultation from, I’d suggest going to another. There are many to chose from and you want to be confident.

The cost obviously varies and variables include whether you are doing both top or bottom or just one or the other. It will likely be somewhere between $2,200 and $6,000. I know that is a huge range but, again, it varies. Mine is called “Invisalign Light”. Tip if you are looking into this; be sure to have them run your insurance for orthodontia benefits and also keep in mind you can use your health savings/flexible spending account. That saved me money. You do not have to pay all up front and there is likely an interest free plan if you pay it back within a certain time frame. Typically, you’ll get a discount if you pay it up front in cash but honestly the discount isn’t that huge so making payments is a fantastic option too.

My particular plan includes scans throughout to ensure the teeth are shifting and I receive new set of aligners every 7-10 days. I change them at home on my own. If a new one feels incredibly tight it might just mean I need to continue wearing the current one for a couple of days.

Here is the hard part. The guidance is to wear them for 22 hours a day. Twenty-two! I don’t know about you but I love to sip on my morning coffee and snack throughout the day. Luckily my Orthodontist lives in reality and said that is the ultimate goal but recognizes how challenging it is. Instead of every seven days, it might mean I get to change aligners every ten days if I don’t wear them for quite as long. While it does speed down the process, I am ok with that as long as I means not giving up my slow morning coffee.

From the time of me signing the paperwork to actually getting the aligners, it was about three weeks.

Day one. This appointment took about 30 minutes. The quirkiest part about my experience is that they put “buttons” on my teeth that act as anchors for the aligners. They are made out of clear dental bonding material and are affixed to two of my teeth. This will vary also and some might have no buttons while others may have more.

The buttons are sort of noticeable. I am aware of them but they are clear so they probably are not super apparent. I will say in transparency though, they are kind of weird and give me a vampire type feeling because they are a tiny bit sharp.

During the day one appointment, your Orthodontist should file the buttons so they are not hurting your mouth. While they are weird to get used to, I will honestly say they don’t seem to hurt the inside of my mouth.

The day one appointment, I received 12 aligners since I will be changing mine at home every 7-10 days. They are labeled so I know which one is next. The Orthodontist made sure I felt comfortable getting the aligners on and off before I left my day one appointment. At first, it is really hard to get on and off. I quickly got the hang of it after a few tries including a couple very frustrating first tries.

This is one reason I went with an actual Orthodontist and not one of those “do your scan at home” places. I wanted reassurance and a professional eye to ensure everything is fitting and looking exactly as it should.

After my first 12, I will get another scan to ensure things are progressing. I will then be given my next and hopefully last set of around 12 aligners. This is approximately six months total.

The number one question; does it hurt? It does not hurt. It was slightly uncomfortable which they said to take ibuprofen for if needed. I never needed to. I do wonder if as I progress with aligners if each will become a bit tighter and uncomfortable. Stay tuned.

My biggest takeaways as a brand new Invisalign wearer:

The button attachments do feel weird and might cause some self-conscious moments as they do stay on your teeth.
They do not hurt but did cause a slight soreness. They are certainly something to get used to which could take a while.
Eating and drinking is going to have to shift as constantly taking them on and off is not going to be feasible. You can drink water with them so ideally it will up my water intake.
You have to mentally remind yourself of the end game. I am doing this because I am sick of being self-conscious about my smile. In the long run, six months is nothing.
I don’t talk differently. However, I think this might be because I am only doing top versus top and bottom. I was thinking people would be able to hear a lisp or something but so far nobody has admitted they can.
Yes, it is noticeable. Not super noticeable. But don’t go into it thinking nobody will be able to tell. In my opinion, people are easily able to see you have aligners in. They are clear but it is still somewhat obvious. However, in pictures it is really hard if not impossible to tell unless you are really close up!