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I started my Invisalign on Jul 3, 2025; I’m sharing what I’ve learned in the process of getting Invisalign.
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It seems like there’s a huge range in terms of the quality of people’s experience with their dentists and orthodontists. My dentist did a thorough consultation with me and explained the full procedure, what to expect, and even suggested that the amount of time you can expect to spend wearing your trays can change over the course of your treatment.
Different people’s teeth move at a different speed, and people have different habits and levels of compliance with the 20-22hr a day requirement.
So even if you get recommended a 24-tray protocol, there are often refinements that need to get made toward the end of your treatment which can extend your time wearing the aligners.
I notice that not everyone was well informed by their dentist, so sometimes you’ll notice people feeling frustrated at the end, only to be told they need 12 more trays, etc.
I found the Invisalign subreddit (r/invisalign) really helpful for learning what to expect, and seeing people’s before/after results. If you’re thinking of doing Invisalign, I’d recommend following that subreddit.
Again, depending on your dentist or orthodontist, your experience may vary.
I was given a “tester” tray to wear for one week to get used to the trays. (This ended up being 2 weeks because they forgot to schedule in my follow up appointment and the dentist was fully booked).
At this point I didn’t have any of my attachments/buttons applied to my teeth yet, so I was just wearing the trays.
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The first few days are the most uncomfortable, and you may even feel some regret and begin to question your life choices. Will this hassle be worth it??
By day 4 the feeling began to normalize.
I found the first week was the most challenging, as everything is new, your mouth feels weird, and you become acutely aware of all your necessary habit changes. You think about your teeth all the time, and you may feel overwhelmed about your choice.
After the first 2-3 weeks you begin get used to your new reality. You kind of have to surrender to the process. It does get better!
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Things feel a bit sore in the first few days after switching to a new tray, and after removing trays to eat.
You will get small attachments added onto your teeth which help hook onto the aligners. Some may be more obvious than others, but you get used to them.
In the process of getting your attachments, you may require IPR (inter proximal reduction), which is where they shave down a tiny bit of enamel between your teeth to make space for the movement. It’s extremely minimal, but I have often heard people didn’t expect this and were a little freaked out or surprised, so be aware your treatment may require this.
It’s not painful; they do use some numbing cream around the edge your gums. I found the pressure along the bottom of the gums when they were holding my lips open to be the most uncomfortable part of the process.
They do buff out tiny sections on your teeth to help the bond apply well.
This appointment was ~45-60 mins, and I was told that I may need follow up IPL or attachments further on in the process, depending on how the teeth progress (I’ve had one additional IPR session since - it was a very quick and easy appointment).
The attachments - each person’s placement will be different depending on their protocol. Attachments are noticeable but they generally blend in pretty well with your teeth.
Wearing Tray 1 - a little extra shininess
On the first day of IPR I received my first “true” Invisalign tray 1, even though I’d been wearing my first tester tray for 2 weeks.
The trays definitely take a bit more effort to put in and take out once the attachments are in place, and I found the pull tool to be helpful here.
I personally find it much more comfortable to have the trays in than not.
Once the attachments are on your teeth, it pretty much feels like you always have spinach in your teeth; like there’s always something stuck no matter how much you try to lick your teeth.
You can feel all the rough grooves, and it doesn’t feel great. When you wear the trays you don’t feel this discomfort, so you may even come to enjoy wearing the trays because of their smoothness!
I received one of these with my Invisalign kit, but you can also find these online too.
Some trays go on easier than others. Place the tray onto the teeth starting with the front, and click them into place. Use chewies to help you seat your aligners into place. Use the pull tool to help you remove the trays by starting with the inside back molars. I typically remove the aligners, rinse them, and put them immediately into the Zima Pro and press the clean button.
It felt a bit ridiculous to get a device specifically for cleaning the aligners, but a friend recommended it, and after days of brushing the aligners 3x/day with a toothbrush I suspected this was going to be an area of frustration. I purchased a Zima Dental Pod Pro (which includes the Zima Go).
You add water, drop your aligners in anytime you eat, and push the button for a 5min cycle.
You don’t even need to use cleaning tablets - it works great with just water. This has saved a ton of time, and the aligners are actually clean.
