The Invisalign or invisible braces are the alternatives to the traditional braces. Invisalign uses plastic aligners instead of metal and wires. While Invisalign is more comfortable and often advertised as painless treatment, people are more likely to think that it doesn’t hurt at all. Here’s what you need to know about the pain of Invisalign and the methods to relieve the pain.
Pain
Does Invisalign hurt? Yes, it does hurt in general, although the pain fades once the patient grew accustomed to the dental aligners. Any pain or discomfort was only for the first week. Most of the patients we treated in GDDC have experienced mild pain. The severity of the pain is on one’s tolerance to pain, sensitive teeth, sensitive gums, and gingivitis.
According to the patients who did teeth straightening said the pain lasted 2.3 days following new aligners installation. The pain and discomfort are mainly from the aligners that press against the teeth.
With traditional braces, the pain you experience comes from the bracket rubbing against the mouth and the placement of the wire inside your mouth. However, over the first couple of weeks mouth will develop the necessary callous to adjust the irritation and soreness from wearing the braces. Same way mouth gets familiar with the Invisalign aligner. The edges of the aligner, not very sharp though, cause discomfort for your lips and tongue. And always remember the pain you experience from Invisalign treatments is usually mild. In case if you experience extreme pain, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact your dental clinic.
As your mouth get used to wearing the Invisalign Braces the pain gradually fades away. With a new set of aligners, you won’t experience any peripheral pain. It doesn’t mean, you don’t experience any pain. It won’t be completely pain-free, the objective of the Invisalign is to shift the teeth for better aligned and healthier teeth. Pressuring the teeth to be aligned means soreness. This soreness is pronounced in the first couple of days since you instil the aligners, but it eventually wanes in.
Measures to deal with teeth straightening pain with Invisalign
How to avoid the pain during the teeth straightening treatment is the question for most of our patients. Unfortunately, there is no escape from the pain but following the guideline below would help you to reduce its impact.
Try Pain relievers :
Pain relievers such as Ibuprofen and aspirin can help alleviate the pain or discomfort you experience from the new aligners. But ensure you seek medical advice from your Orthodontist on taking the pain killers and Don’t take more than prescribed by the Orthodontist. If the pain persists you should visit your Orthodontist.
Wear your new aligners at night :
switching to new aligners at night helps you sleep through the pain. By wearing braces at night, your mouth gets more time to adjust with a new retainer.
An Invisalign Chewie:
Not only Invisalign chewie helps you to adjust the fit of your aligner but also it releases pressure on the teeth.
Hot or cold beverages:
Hot or cold beverages is a good catalyst in providing relief from the pain. Ensure you remove the aligner before you drink anything hot. Any beverages apart from water can stain the clear braces resulting in the braces becoming more visible.
Make your aligners more comfortable
While it’s a fact that you can’t escape from the mild pain, you can certainly reduce it by following the steps
1) Don’t eat anything crunchy during the first days of wearing new aligners
2) put your aligners on just before your bed
3) you shouldn’t clench your teeth, that may cause more pain in your jaws
Comparison of pain between Braces and Invisible aligners:
A study conducted by Kuwait university on ” Short-term oral impacts experienced by patients treated with Invisalign or conventional Orthodontics treatment” found that the patients with Invisalign reported significantly more difficulty in speech. Compared to braces Invisalign patients reported better chewing ability. people who participated in the survey reported Invisalign gave more pressure-like pain while patients with fixed braces gave dull pain. Invisalign is not necessarily more pleasant but could be more tolerable as it satisfies the patient’s needs of food consumption.
The Duration of the treatment:
Always keep in mind the pain and discomfort you have to go through will give you a confident desired smile. The success of the treatment is depended on the time you wear the aligners. You are supposed to wear the aligners at least 22 hours a day. Failing to do so will result in prolonged treatment duration, increased cost, and more visits to the dentist.
Conclusion :
The Invisalign treatment has mild pain. It’s not pain-free treatment as shown in the advertisement. However, the pain associated with the treatment gradually fades with the mouth getting used to the Invisalign aligner. Over a couple of days, it develops the necessary callout to adjust with soreness and pressure. Overall the Invisalign treatment is not necessarily pleasant.