#aligner

*sigh* I don't hate anyone, kiddo.

Disclaimer: this post is longer than upcoming ones as I have to give a bit of history. If you don't care about that bit, skip down to just after the second picture.

So a lil back story is that I have a front tooth moith below the gum line due to a rogue hockey ball and idiot here not wearing a gum guard at 14, so I had a Maryland bridge there that made me super phobic of all my teeth being weak. The bridge was attached to the two adjacent teeth such as the below

And due to my anxiety etc surrounding those teeth, it took the better part of two hours, two dentist opinions on how best to approach, and a lot of drilling to cut the thing apart enough for it to basically pop off. Bc of all of this work, the two adjacent teeth were super bruised, tender and sore, so my experience of the first couple days might not be super relatable. But the rest will, I'm sure. So the gap is filled with a lil composite to create the illusion of a tooth and that's how I have a full mouth of teeth apart from when eating, so that is why Invisalign was such a pro for me, bc the gap is filled for me and gives me 100% more confidence than if I were to have the classic train track braces and just have my gap chilling out in the open.

In addition to all of that, I had had an absolute beating of a hygienist appointment moments before he had to remove the bridge (dental phobic bc of all of the above so I full on avoided a hygienist at all costs for dead they would make my bridge and teeth loose and fall out), so my teeth and gums were also pretty sensitive anyways

Anyway, on to the Invisalign procedure part of this I guess.

So after my teeth were all squeaky clean and prepped, he put a mock-up kind of version of the aligners on to test that they fit (they were snug and felt unpleasant, though this was likely due to the pain and heightened anxiety after two panic attacks that he and the nurse were super supportive through). The he took those out and dried all my teeth with the air blower tool and basically smeared a load of stank ass stuff over the outer surfaces of some of my teeth before putting the dummy retainer on again. This was the process of adding the attachments (the lil 'buttons' of composite that encourage the movement of the teeth at certain angles) to the teeth necessary and then the dental nurse cured it with the blue light. After, they took out the dummy retainer and did the same for the top teeth (with much more pain and tears due to the above work)

Fast forward to me rushing us through the putting in and taking out process due to not wanting to aggravate the bruised teeth and I'm at home sobbing bc I can't get the top aligner out and I have only eaten 900 calories in that and the two days prior to the appointment due to the anxiety (I essentially burnt those calories off in my 10k run day workout the day before, so I was hella tired/in pain/exhausted/running on fumes) and I end up travelling back to the dentist and he basically forced me to take them out and put them back in again until I was comfortable (as could be through the years of pain on the bruised teeth) doing so

Basically: do not leave your dentist until you are confident in taking your aligners out and putting them in.

Tips for removing:

Wash your hands thoroughly!

Hook your nails under the tray lip to remove (I don't think the remover tools are worth wasting money on unless you have nails that have been bitten back so badly that they don't protrude from the finger)

Try to curve the aligner off of the outer edges of the teeth (so essentially pull gently towards your cheek as you pull up at the same time) as this will amke them come off easier as you won't be fighting against the attachments (also reducing the likelihood of a lost attachment and additional dentist trips for reattachment)

Lift both molar sections first

Then try to lift the front section in a oner with fingers 'at your threes' (the third tooth out from the centre on each side, so typically your canines)

At first, you may meet a point of resistance where it hurts too much to remove due to the aligner angle being different due to the backs being unclipped, but push past this point and you'll be fine!

Some people - me and this other dude my dentist has worked with! - find using their tongue for that added push when removing the front section helpful. When I'm at the point of removing with my fingers at my threes (still hooking the aligners away from the teeth to help get over the attachments), I hook my tongue under the lower set and push up as I hook and pull and it pops out way easier!

Tips for inserting:

Wash your hands thoroughly!

Sit the aligner above the teeth

I find it best to click the front section in place first and then do the sides/backs after

To seat it securely, I basically just gently Bute down around my thumb to ensure they're all clicked in and snug against the teeth

Chewies are raved about in vlogs about Invisalign and I held off buying any bc good ones are quite expensive, but I found them to be unnecessary. I don't hurt my thumbs by chewing down on them, I have zero skin breakage/bruising from doing it. But they are an option if you don't want to do that and are happy to replace them as they don't always last long

The initial discomfort of the aligners being inserted lasted maybe a couple days, and it probably took about a week for me to get used to speaking with them in enough to not lisp like a trooper. And to get used to having the aligners was maybe three days

You will hypersalivate for the first day or so so have a tissue/towel on hand for removing bc it gets everywhere!

I don't eat with mine in, and I only drink cordial (squash/diluting juice) through a straw with them in to avoid staining (super lucky I don't drink hot drinks tbh as they stain worse). If you do do hot drinks, be mindful that the aligners are only palstic and will warp with extreme heat, so cool your drinks or remove the aligners to drink hot drinks (but remember that 22 hours of wear a day is a lot when you have to factor in three meals a day and brushing, so maybe try to time hot drinks with your meals)

Keep what I refer to as 'dental go bags' in a few common places as you need to have perfectly clean teeth before putting your aligners in as they will trap any bacteria food in there that would usually be flushed away with saliva/drinking

This is my handbag one so it also has a straw handy. I keep a travel toothbrush (sensitive/soft bristled bc your teeth are sensitive with braces), toothpaste, travel mouthwash (which I'll just refill with my usual mouthwash once it's empty but I needed the bottles for convenience) and floss. I keep one in my handbag, one in my uni bag, and one in my work bag. I also have straws and toothbrushes stashed at both my parents' houses in case I've nipped over there and don't have one of my bags with me

A water flosser is super helpful! Would recommend 100%! I have this one as it runs on the mains and has a larger water tank so I don't have to worry about refilling during cleaning or guessing the charge, both of which people mention as negatives with the portable ones, but these are a cheaper option and still do the same job!

If you don't eat breakfast, you probably will now bc the hassle for a snack is long! Take out aligners, fully clean teeth (meaning you need a sink available), replace aligners = a two-minute snack taking 10-15 minutes depending on how rigorous you are with your cleaning and how easily/quickly you can remove your aligners

Try to remember to pack your Invisalign container with you so you don't damage/lose your aligners when taking them out to eat (they're clear, so they blend in a little. I'm lucky my pontic makes mine fractionally more visible tb) and if you routinely use several different bags then maybe invest in a few snack tubs that will fit your aligners in

After removing, give your aligners a swill under water and a quick brush to remove any calcium build-up etc from your saliva and residue from any drinks. I do this every time I remove, and once a night I soak them in in a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and water (maybe half a cup of lukewarm water to a third of a teaspoon of bicarb) to remove any bacteria as brushing them with toothpaste can be abrasive and wear down the aligners. And the cleaning crystals they give you are way more expensive than a tub of bicarb. I checked with my dentist what the safest alternative was and this was his advice, he said not to bother with steradent/denture tablets like some people use (I can't remember why this was though)

Your teeth will be sensitive when you remove your aligners so do be mindful not to go chomping on the hardest things out there, and that extreme temperatures/sugars can aggravate them. I asked my dentist as I'd noticed sugar sensitivity that I'd never had before and apparently this is just my personal reaction to orthodontic movement as my teeth and enamel are perfectly healthy

I change to my second set of aligners on Monday so I will try to update then

If anyone has any questions, I'm happy to answer where I can!

For reference, here are my teeth pre-bridge removal and pre-invisalign

Here is how my teeth look with my Invisalign and its lil baby pontic

Eclipse 

Pourquoi une personne qui parle de ses valeurs est souvent perçue comme arrogante by Khalid Akayousse 14 February 2026 En regardant les gens autour de moi, sans qu’ils parlent, je vois leur histoire by Khalid Akayousse 14 February 2026 Arrête de vivre dans les ruines d’hier by Khalid Akayousse 14 February 2026 Tu ne pourras plus l’ignorer by Khalid Akayousse 14 February 2026 Deux quêtes,…