Yeah, watching your teeth shuffle around is kind of like a slow-motion magic trick, isn’t it? I remember taking progress pics and being genuinely shocked that things were actually happening—like, wow, my snaggletooth is finally surrendering. The soreness at first definitely threw me for a loop too. I thought I’d be gnawing on mashed potatoes forever, but you do get used to it.
I totally get the work worries. I had this weird paranoia that everyone was staring at my mouth during meetings. Turns out, people are way less observant than I gave them credit for… or maybe they’re just polite. Either way, the self-consciousness faded pretty quickly.
Curious—did you ever get the dreaded “braces lisp” when you first got them on? Mine was brutal for the first week. I was convinced I sounded like Daffy Duck every time I tried to say “statistics.” It’s weird how quickly your mouth adapts though.
On the Invisalign front: did your orthodontist give you a choice, or was it more of a “braces are your only option” situation? My teeth were so crowded that I didn’t even get the option—just straight to metal. Honestly, sometimes I envy how easy it looks for people to pop their trays out and eat corn on the cob at a BBQ. But then again, no risk of accidentally tossing your $500 aligner in the trash with your lunch napkin…
How’s flossing going for you? I swear, threading floss through wires is a test of patience I never signed up for. Ended up buying one of those water flossers just to keep my sanity.
Ever had any bracket emergencies yet? Like popping one off on something ridiculous (for me: pizza crust).
- Lisp was definitely a thing for me too, especially with “s” and “z” sounds. I kept practicing in the mirror, which felt weird but helped. After a week or so, it faded—mouths are adaptable, I guess.
- My ortho said Invisalign might work, but warned me that because of my bite issues, results would be better with metal. I went with their recommendation. Sometimes I wish I’d pushed harder for trays, just for the food freedom, but at least I don’t have to worry about losing them.
- Flossing is... not my favorite. I tried the threaders, but honestly gave up and switched to a water flosser too. It’s not perfect but way less frustrating.
- No bracket emergencies yet, but I’m paranoid every time I eat something crunchy. I did bend a wire once on a tortilla chip though—had to go in for an adjustment.
- Kind of wild how self-consciousness fades after a while. At first I was convinced everyone noticed, but now I barely think about it unless food gets stuck.
Curious if anyone actually prefers metal over Invisalign? Sometimes it feels like the grass is always greener...
I actually ended up preferring metal, but I think it’s just because it’s one less thing to worry about. I know trays are supposed to be more convenient, but I’d probably forget to put them back in after eating or misplace them. With metal, it’s just there—no decisions, no extra steps. The food restrictions are annoying, but honestly, I got used to it faster than I expected.
The lisp thing was real for me too. Took a couple weeks before my “s” sounds stopped sounding weird. I noticed that the initial self-consciousness faded once I realized nobody else cared as much as I did.
For flossing, water flossers are a lifesaver. Threaders felt like a puzzle every night and I gave up pretty quickly. Curious if anyone stuck with threaders long-term or if most people switched to water flossers eventually?
I actually had the opposite experience with trays, weirdly enough. I thought I'd be constantly forgetting to put them back in, but after a week or two it just became second nature—kind of like remembering to grab your phone before you leave the house. The food flexibility was a big deal for me; not having to worry about popcorn or apples was worth the hassle of taking trays in and out. As for flossing, I stuck with threaders longer than I probably should have... but honestly, once I caved and got a water flosser, there was no going back. It’s just way less fiddly.
The food flexibility was a big deal for me; not having to worry about popcorn or apples was worth the hassle of taking trays in and out.
That’s one aspect I really underestimated before starting with aligners. In my case, I found the discipline of removing trays every time I wanted a snack actually made me snack less—which was a surprise benefit, though it did take some getting used to. The trade-off for being able to eat things like nuts and apples without worrying about breaking a bracket felt significant after years of avoiding them with traditional braces.
On flossing, I kept at the threaders for months, mostly out of habit. Once I tried a water flosser, though, there was no comparison—it’s just so much faster and less frustrating. Not perfect, but definitely less fiddly than threading around wires.
I do sometimes miss the “set it and forget it” aspect of fixed braces—no temptation to leave them out too long—but overall, trays have been more manageable than I expected. It’s funny how quickly new routines become automatic, even later in life.
