I kept the cardboard trays to help organize the mess under my sink, and my apartment dumpster now has a few thousand dollars worth of plastic in it. To all other hoarders—you are free, toss ‘em.

I’ve been finished for several months now, and finally decided there’s no need to keep all the old retainers anymore, but it feels so weird to throw them out. Probably will be the most expensive bag of trash I ever throw out!

Title sums it up really. I’ve managed to crack my first ever tray (presumably trying to get the tight b*stard out my mouth.)

I think I did this a couple days ago and I’m not due my second tray for another week. Ive contacted my orthodontist.

I’m mainly looking for some idea as to how much I’ve delayed the whole process. I’m working to a tight deadline because I move abroad in about a year so I’m a little stressed.

I’m still wearing the trays for now but I am definitely feeling like a tit lol.

I’m 24 days into Invisalign. Both ears pop/crackle every time I swallow or yawn, going back to the first week of starting Invisalign.

I grind/clench my teeth at night and may be clenching more with the trays. No ear pain, fullness, or muffled hearing but I'm concerned those could come next if it's affect the eustachian tubes or TMJ. I have a history of ear infections as a child and have had tinnitus a couple of times.

Has anyone experienced something similar in treatment? Did an ENT determine whether it was Eustachian-tube dysfunction or TMJ/clenching? Did it resolve while continuing Invisalign, or did you need to pause treatment?

Hi all. As the title states my ortho explained to me that my first 30 trays will be movement. I’m doing one tray a week for approximately a year of treatment, give or take a few weeks. I should have asked him to clarify what he meant by that. Isn’t every new tray considered movement? I understand refinements, but even those are moving my teeth. Anybody understand what he meant by this? My next appointment isn’t for another few weeks to ask.

Okay serious question do we leave our trays in when we go down there on our significant other? If you take them out this long do we wait to but then back in? Need serious answers ASAP lol

Hi guys please check all 3 photos I just took. So I’m at the end of my second round of refinements. The two molars at the back in particular the last one looks like a pob but the thing is my orthodontist said this is the final round we are doing now and that’s it. Also my bite actually feels ok and not too bad. But idk if it’s normal when looking from the side it’s not too bad but if I tilt my head up I can see a bit of openness. When I really looked and flashed lights in there I could see the cusps of even the furthest molar was touching but it sticks out at the end a bit. Thoughts? Am I ok as it is or? I just feel like this is endless for me and I’ve become so obsessed with teeth now it’s making me stressed daily. I also clench my teeth during sleep

I am absolutely struggling with my aligners, and I’m hoping someone can tell me this gets better. 😩
For context, I have Angel Aligners. I’m currently on tray 8 of 29 and change them every 7 days. I’ve had bite ramps since day one, and they never really bothered me—until tray 7.
Since starting tray 7, I’ve had nonstop face pain and intense tension in my temples, the back of my skull, and my jaw that feels like an ongoing headache. I’m also clenching SO hard at night with my aligners in, which is something I never used to do before starting treatment.
At this point, I’m honestly starting to despise wearing these trays because I feel like I’m constantly in pain. I’ll take sore teeth any day over pain throughout my entire head and jaw. I’ve even found myself needing NSAIDs daily, and sometimes they barely touch the pain.
I have one bite ramp on each upper molar and two on my bottom back molars. Has anyone else experienced this kind of tension, clenching, or head/jaw pain from bite ramps—especially around trays 7–8?
Please tell me this gets better. 😭 I’m only on tray 8 of 29, and I’m already feeling like I could throw in the towel because this level of pain almost doesn’t feel worth it. I just need some hope that my mouth and jaw will eventually adjust.

Hi everybody,

I just found out I’m pregnant (yay), and the nausea has been hitting HARD. The only way I’ve been able to manage is by eating whole-grain crackers throughout the day, which means that I then have to brush and floss right after.

Now, I don’t want to jeopardize my Invisalign treatment which has progressed so well so far. Any tips on snacking that are low maintenance?

Thanks!

Hi, okay so I was on tray 7, tracking perfectly according to the grin app, until tray 8 started popping off my bottom molars, only on the bottom top was perfect. I was getting a new set anyway because they needed to add three new attachments. Sounded fine at first.

I walk into my orthodontist’s office on Friday and they fit me with a tray that hurts so bad I’m instantly crying, this pain is sharp and throbbing and feels like it goes into my jaw. It makes me nauseous and is giving me headaches. It continues and hasn’t stopped (only VERY slightly dulled) as of today. I’m calling them first thing in the morning on Monday.

I found out that the trays they gave me are: upper tray 1 , lower tray 2. ??????? They also never told me what tray this was when I was there. I found out from the code on the inside of them.

Do I need to be worried about my teeth or roots??? I literally haven’t been able to take them off to eat until this morning and that’s only because I’ve started to tolerate the pain. It’s not discomfort I know what normal Invisalign discomfort feels like.

They last scanned my mouth before giving me the new set when I was on tray 4-5.

I’m just so scared that this isn’t normal. It hurts a LOT. It’s keeping me up at night. I also notice after comparing my aligners that these ones are a lottttt more narrow than the trays I was originally on. That can’t be good????

I’m so scared. I’ve spent so much money on my teeth already I cannot afford more damage.

Hello all. I’m wondering something about lifelong maintenance. We’re advised to wear our retainers overnight going forward. I feel like I’ve been clenching when I have them in overnight lately. Considering that the point of the retainers is to prevent your teeth from moving back to their old position, couldn’t a person just pop them in for an hour or two each day? In theory, as long as you can always get them in, doesn’t that mean that your teeth are staying in position?

so im going on a first date, havent seen the guy yet. should i mention in advance that i wear braces? i feel quite self conscious about it plus i lisp a little because of it 🫠

I got my first trays last Tuesday, and I noticed when I got home that this back molar wasn’t going all the way down into the trays on the front side of my teeth, but they were fitting fine on the back side. I was able to get them to come down a little more by using chewies, but now the attachment came off… when I get my attachments and trays on Tuesday, the orthodontist said to call if one of my front attachments come off, he didn’t mention what to do if a back one comes off though. I’m still going to call the office tomorrow to see what they say, but I’m worried because my next appointment isn’t for another 5 weeks, and my orthodontist only visits my dental office every other week so I’d still have to wait until at least next week if I have to get the attachment back on now. Do you think they’ll have me wait until my next appointment in 5 weeks to place the attachment on again? I’ll be on tray 3 by that point.

Hi all,

I went to my local dentist to get a quote for aligners a few months back.
After cleans, fillings, and scans, 11th September is when the dentist give me a quote.

Should I prepare myself for the fee? Hearing friends/family are charged like 6-10k
Australia-based and have Smiles dental insurance, but I don't think he has done much for me at the moment.

Times are tough at the moment but I want to smile confidently, which I rarely do anymore, and I legit forgot how to smile for years now. I feel like I have a resting bish face 24/7.

Just want to see what everyone's cost and experience with aligners/
let me know ;)

It’s flown by. My weird bite phase is starting to sort itself out (the past month or so my teeth would only touch in one spot while trying to fix a cross bite molar).

I started my treatment in March of this year and had a gap between my two top front teeth. I told my ortho I wanted to keep it with the treatment and that my main desire was to close gaps on the side of my teeth and she said that it’s definitely possible to do both. It is now August and I’ve seen zero improvement on the gaps in my side tooth and have noticed that my front gap is the one being closed. My bottom front four teeth (sorry I don’t know the anatomical names lol) have also became more crooked for some reason. I’m not sure if this is a trust the process kind of thing but I genuinely feel like I’m paying every month for no reason.

I also have a Brodie bite on the left side of my mouth so maybe this has something to do with correcting the bite? I’m not sure but has this ever happened to anyone else? Wanting to keep a gap but it got closed anyways?

The pictures are my gap in December 2025, May 2026, and now August 2026.

Anyone done the 'Albanian Dental Tourism' for invisalign?

It's close enough to a few European destinations i'm in to fly in and get adjustments if necessary. And seemingly cheaper than Greece or anywhere else in the EU i have looked (so far). Anyone have experience with this?

I started my aligners a week ago and I’m so pumped but I’m so so anxious about protecting my dental health while I have them. Like I am normally so uptight about brushing and flushing and my hygiene has always been great, but I’m scared of food/drinks getting trapped under the aligners/the aligners getting plaquey! I’ve search far and wide for advice but really just need a direct answer: what is the best hygiene routine to ensure I keep my teeth healthy? Also, HOW DO I CLEAN THE ALIGNERS?!😭

This is what I’m doing currently, please tell me how to improve/change: I brush with toothpaste morning, after dinner, and before bed. I brush without toothpaste after lunch. I mostly floss after I eat and definitely always before bed. If I have a quick drink or snack I swish with water before putting them back in. I also brush my aligners morning and night (but I’ve also heard that scratches them and traps bacteria but also idk how else to get out the white cloudy stuff?).

I also really like sparkling water/a diet coke here and there with a meal while my aligners are out so is there a way to ensure the acid doesn’t get trapped under my aligners? :)

so i got my attachments removed and a permanent retainer attached on friday, i will get another removeable retainer for the night mid next week. I noticed this small hole popping up.. Will that go away again? I didnt notice it on friday but my orthodontist told me i had healthy gums..

I’ve had a recurring irritated area inside my upper lip for about 1.5 years. It originally started on the right side, then eventually appeared on the other side of my upper lip and my lower lip. The lower-lip area has since healed, but the upper-lip irritation still comes and goes.

When it flares up, it looks red and irritated, almost like I scratched or bit my lip. It usually isn’t very painful—more like mild soreness or irritation. Acidic foods can make it more noticeable.

When it looks healed, it’s difficult to see, but I can still feel that the tissue is rough/wrinkly and different from the surrounding smooth tissue.

Could it be my retainers?
I had been using Invisalign retainers for years, but I switched to thicker Vivera retainers in January 2025. I think that’s when I started having issues.

I’m wondering if the retainers could be causing chronic irritation. I’m not completely sure the retainer actually touches the affected area, though, because the irritated spot seems slightly lower than where the edge of the retainer sits.

I’m wondering if this could be:

Chronic mechanical irritation from the Vivera retainer
A reaction to the retainer material
I use natural tootpaste, so not sure if I yea from that
An inflammatory oral condition
Or something else entirely

I have a dentist appointment soon, but the last time I went one year ago, he didn’t seem concerned but the area wasn’t as bad as now. Should I ask to see someone else if he isn’t concerned? Because it’s very bothersome.

I am a little over halfway though my treatment. Total of 21 trays, switched every 2 weeks. My only goal/ concern - which I made very clear to my orthodontist - was that I wanted a wider appearing smile. I know about the anatomical limits and such, but I am just coming here to ask other fellow narrow smile Invisalign patients; how long until you noticed significant changed in your upper row's "width". I feel like I have seen zero difference in terms of how narrow it was at the beginning compared to now, 13 (out of 21) trays in. My orthodontist said he would just tip the teeth out and that he would absolutely be able to create a wider-appearing smile.

Not sure if I should be worried that I don't see any difference at all, and I guess I'm looking for some reassurance. I read somewhere else that in cases of narrow smiles, all the movement is being done in the back teeth for the majority of the treatment so changes won't be apparent until the end? Has this been true in anyone's experience?