Is Invisalign More Painful Than Braces?
Call us on 0208 616 0590 or email us at [email protected] to book an appointment.
Have Always Wanted
little as £4/day.
Invisalign Braces in London
Invisalign is often advertised as a treatment that offers minor discomfort, compared to other orthodontic treatments. That is one of the reason why clear Invisalign aligners have become an increasingly popular orthodontic treatment over the years with many patients being interested in them.
If you’re considering getting Invisalign, you may be asking yourself the following questions before wearing them: ‘do Invisalign’s aligners hurt?’, ‘does Invisalign hurt more than braces?’ or ‘when does Invisalign stop hurting?’. In this article, we’ll talk about how Invisalign may cause pain, the severity of the pain and how to prevent discomfort.
Why Does Invisalign Hurt?
Invisalign aligners are less painful than traditional metal braces in comparison to other orthodontic treatments. Patients usually describe the discomfort like an uncomfortable pressing sensation around your teeth. This is a normal and mild feeling to experience when first wearing your aligners. Invisalign aligners are made specially to fit your teeth- this means that no one else can wear them. Your aligners are effectively working to apply a small amount of pressure to close up any gaps in your teeth in order to align them together.
In some instances, you may feel significant pain in one tooth more than the others. This usually happens when one or more of your teeth will need more pressure to align your teeth together, especially if your teeth are misaligned or crooked.
Another kind of Invisalign’s pain that patients may experience comes from the aligners themselves. The edges of the aligners can sometimes cause friction between the gums and inside the lips causing the patient to feel a bit of pain.
How Long Does Invisalign Hurt?
Tooth pain from wearing new sets of aligners can last up to two weeks, although you may feel more significant pain in the first couple of days of your treatment. The pain will gradually fade away after your teeth have adjusted to wearing your aligners, which is usually a sign that you are ready to move on to your new set of aligners.
It’s important to note that pain can vary from person to person, some people can experience more pain than others and some none at all.
Despite this, some may feel further pain from aligners i.e. if they have tender gums, sensitive teeth or suffer from gingivitis.
How To Prevent Pain?
If you are preparing yourself for Invisalign treatment or you’re currently experiencing pain, here are some methods for minimising discomforts whilst wearing your aligners:
- Pain Killers. If you’re feeling severe pain, taking over the counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can help lessen the pain.
- Dental Wax. Using wax is often a helpful way of reducing gum pain when wearing Invisalign.
- Wear New Invisalign Aligners Before Bed. Your dentist near me will probably advise you to wear a new set of Invisalign’s trays at night as it allows you to sleep through any potential discomfort that you would normally endure during the day.
- Eating Soft Foods When First Wearing Your Aligners. It is advised to eat soft foods within the first couple of days of wearing new aligners, this is because your teeth are highly sensitive during this period of your treatment.
Although, compared to other treatments Invisalign’s is less likely to be as painful as traditional metal braces. It is important to keep in mind that any orthodontic treatment can cause some degree of pain, including Invisalign and also remember that everyone has a different threshold to pain.
For more information on Invisalign braces, please visit our Invisalign homepage .
How We Can Help:
For additional details on how you can create your perfect smile, please feel free to get in touch with us, our highly experienced team will be happy to point you in the right direction. If you would like to find out whether Invisalign’s is right for you, book a complementary consultation appointment now by calling us on 020 8 616 0590.
I am Dr Jeen. I am a qualified dentist and have written this article for Whites Dental.