Yeah, cleaning aligners properly is definitely underrated. I made the mistake of just rinsing mine too—thought that'd be enough until I noticed they started looking cloudy and smelling... questionable. Ended up having to soak them regularly in denture cleaner tablets (weird at first, but it works wonders).
About headaches though, did you notice if your bite changed much after treatment? I had aligners a few years back hoping they'd help with jaw tension and headaches. Teeth got straighter, sure, but my bite still felt off. Eventually, my dentist suggested a night guard for grinding and clenching—turns out that was the real culprit behind my headaches. Aligners fixed the aesthetics, but not always the underlying issues like tension or grinding.
Still beats braces any day though. Metal brackets were a nightmare in high school... food stuck everywhere and those monthly tightening sessions? Nope, never again.
I totally relate to the anxiety about aligners and headaches. I'm actually just starting my aligner journey now, and honestly, I've been pretty nervous about the whole cleaning thing. Glad you mentioned the denture tablets—I was wondering if that was a legit tip or just some random internet hack, haha.
About the headaches though... that's interesting. I've struggled with jaw tension for years, and my dentist mentioned aligners might help, but warned me they're not always a guaranteed fix for grinding issues. Hearing your experience kinda confirms my suspicion that I might still need a night guard afterward. Ugh, feels like there's always another step, right?
And yeah, braces were never even an option in my mind. Watching friends deal with broken brackets and food stuck everywhere back in school was enough to scare me off permanently. Aligners seem way less intimidating, even with their quirks. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly...
I totally get the anxiety around aligners and jaw tension. I had a patient recently who started aligners hoping they'd ease her grinding, but honestly, it was hit or miss. She ended up needing a night guard afterward anyway, which felt like a bit of a letdown after all that effort. Curious if anyone else has noticed their grinding habits changing (for better or worse) during aligner treatment... seems like results really vary from person to person.
My grinding actually got a bit worse when I started aligners—probably just the adjustment phase. After about two months though, things settled down nicely. Still need my night guard occasionally, but overall it's been manageable. Seems like it's pretty individual...
