In this post, I’m giving you my top funny (and maybe unexpected) tips for wearing Invisalign, which I’ve discovered in my 5 months of treatment so far.
Oh this is going to be a funny one, I promise ;).
I’ve had my Invisalign on for almost 5 months now, and I thought I’d share with you some completely unexpected and funny things that I’ve experienced while wearing it.
First, here’s my story. (if you’ve already read my previous Invisalign posts, feel free to skip ahead)
Invisalign: Everything you NEED to know and Results
Invisalign: Attachments falling off and 6 other things to expect in the beginning
I’ve always had pretty good teeth and have been taking good care of them ever since I was a kid, with regular checkups and, in recent years, professional cleaning every 6 months.
But my teeth weren’t perfect: for all my life, I’ve had a large gap between the two front ones (see exhibit A below).
I am very grateful for my parents realizing this was pretty serious and could affect my confidence growing up, so they decided to get me braces early. Back in the 90s, they were told that if we didn’t act then, it wouldn’t be possible to straighten them anymore later, when I grew up.
So, I wore braces for a couple of years, from the age of 8, but the gap was still there. All they could do was get my teeth straight and slightly closer together. I stopped wearing them in my teenage years and decided to “embraced the gap” as part of my personality, my signature look, that something that made me different.
Why I decided to fix my teeth
I was always smiling confidently but, deep down, I was always a little bit jealous of those people with straight teeth and a perfect smile and wished I had the same.
And you know those ads, where they show you a guy with a 3rd hand but you don’t notice because you can’t take your eyes off his missing tooth/ gap between his teeth? Those didn’t help either… 😉
Fast forward a couple of years to my mid-30s, and I noticed that my teeth were slowly moving away from each other. Again. The gap was getting even bigger now.
It was when I realized that I was no longer smiling as confidently in pictures and was even becoming slightly embarrassed of my smile that I decided it was time to do something about it – I talked to an orthodontist and got Invisalign.
So here I am, 4 months into my aligners journey, sharing with you some of the funniest and unexpected Invisalign tips from my experience so far:
Invisalign Fun Tip #1: Long nails are a thing of the past
Funny enough, one of the first tips about wearing Invisalign is actually related to your NAILS. I know this sounds strange, but hear me out.
As the aligners are very tightly placed on your teeth, taking them out can be tricky sometimes. It always involves some precision work with your nails to unhook them.
Believe me; you DO NOT want to do this with long nails. They can break (happened to yours truly) and there’s a big chance the nail polish will chip.
My advice – nice short nails with a subtle French manicure would be the best way to go for the upcoming months of your Invisalign treatment.
Invisalign Fun Tip #2: Kissing is.. well, a little different
Before you get all worried, I’m not talking French kissing here. That’s still pretty ok ;).
I’m talking about kissing on the cheek. Getting your lips together for that peck movement. It might be a little challenging at first(at least in my experience).
This is because I’ve got 2 plastic aligners AND attachments over my teeth, which make my lips not close all the time properly. It’s not such a big deal, and we’re making fun of it every time.
Invisalign Fun Tip #3: Watch out when yawning
This one only applies if you’ve got elastics bands, besides the trays.
Ther job is to bring extra pressure and push back your teeth even more. You’ll get used to them pretty quickly.
Just watch out when yawning with a full open mouth as they may pop. Yes, this also happened to yours truly.
Invisalign Fun Tip #4: When you have to brush your teeth, any place will do
This summer we went on a road trip through Europe, just a few weeks after I’ve started wearing Invisalign.
As we were traveling during the pandemic we wanted to avoid public restrooms. So I’ve definitely had my share of teeth brushing outdoors. 🙂 Whether that’s by the side of a gorgeous lake in Austria or at the shore of Konigsee lake in Germany.
Good oral hygiene is crucial when wearing aligners, and it’s something I’ve never compromised on.
You might get some strange stares, but who cares? Everything for that gorgeous smile in the end ;).
Invisalign Fun Tip #5: That small lisp doesn’t really go away
Let’s talk pronunciation.
In my experience, you do get used to speaking with your aligners, but I still have a small lisp when I speak.
A good test I found was with the word “festivals.” If you can pronounce it without sounding like Silvester the cat, then great!
For me, the lisp is still there, but I’ve learned to embrace it. 🙂
Hope you’ve enjoyed my funny Invisalign tips. If you’d like to know more about the entire experience of placing and wearing aligners, check out:
Invisalign: Everything you NEED to know and Results
Invisalign: Attachments falling off and 6 other things to expect in the beginning
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