One of the popular questions that patients regularly ask about Invisalign is if it’s painful or not. If you’ve ever used traditional braces, then you know that there’s usually a speck of pain that is associated with most orthodontic procedures. However, Invisalign is always touted as pain-free, but is it truly a painless experience with Invisalign? If it hurts, by what degree? And are there ways to relieve the pain? Here’s all you need to know about Invisalign.
Does Invisalign Hurt?
The straightforward answer is somewhat. However, it is less severe than the kind of pain you can experience by using metal braces. Truth is any procedure meant to move and align your teeth will hurt, even if it’s little. There are few ways pain comes by using plastic aligners. There’s soreness because the aligners push against your teeth trying to force them into a new position. The same way it takes your mouth to get used to metal braces is the same way it does for Invisalign too. The aligners, though without sharp edges, still irritate your gums till your mouth gets used to its presence. After a couple of weeks, your mouth would have developed callouses to mitigate the irritations. By the time you’re getting the next set of aligners, the process becomes relatively painless.
Advantages Of Invisalign Over Traditional Metal Braces
There are a number of advantages Invisalign offers above traditional metal braces, chief among which is the fact that it hurts less. This is primarily because they are made of plastic and hence don’t have the sharp edges that a metal aligner would have. More so, they are also custom-made for each patient and would sit comfortably in your mouth.
Another advantage of Invisalign is that there’s a difference between the kinds of appointments. For traditional adult orthodontics, you come in to tighten your braces as your teeth move to the intended position, mostly a painful affair. But with plastic aligners, you wear them for two weeks and then change them with a new set of aligners that brings your teeth closer to the intended position. Every time you change your aligners, the first few days will present a bit of soreness; it is not unusual, and the pain would easily vanish with pain relievers that are readily available over the counter.
Another benefit is that no one would guess that you’re having an aligner on, except you tell them of course. This removes the funny looks people give patients wearing braces as if they were some high-school kid. Lastly, to remove or change your aligners is a breeze — you slide it in and out of your mouth when you want to have your meals.
If you’re considering a very non-obvious orthodontic procedure for yourself, Invisalign could work for you. Having an experienced orthodontist perform the procedure will help to ensure that you get the results you want. Call Dr. Alex Rubinov at (718) 253-0800 today to make an appointment.