My Invisalign treatment fixed some bite issues but created new challenges. Learn about the side effects I experienced and questions to ask before signing a contract.
In 2023, I started a 15-month course of treatment for Invisalign.
From the ages of 9-16, I had braces. During that time, I also had 8 permanent teeth removed (premolars and wisdom teeth) and something called a schwartz appliance, which was basically a palette expander.
But, like many young adults, I stopped wearing my retainers. These were the old school kind that fit against the upper and lower palette, with wire that went across the front of my upper and lower teeth. In college, I decided it wasn’t cool to wear them anymore.
Of course, that meant that ten years later, my bite had shifted. While my teeth were still pretty straight, I was developing some friction between my upper and lower teeth. And my underbite was coming back (What can I say? It’s genetic). While I wish I could say otherwise, I am a kind of vain person. I’m not trying to look like someone other than myself, but I do want to look “my best.” And in the US, that includes orthodontic treatment.
So, I scheduled an appointment with a local orthodontist and signed a contract for Invisalign. My goals were to fix the bite issue for cosmetic and health reasons, and to potentially improve jaw pressure and discomfort. The orthodontist said she couldn’t promise the latter results, but that many people saw improvement in their TMJ-like symptoms.
The treatment was technically successful. But it came with a lot of downsides. I wish I had spent more time thinking about it before biting the bullet.
6 Invisalign Side Effects I Wish I’d Known Before Treatment
Please note that I am not a medical professional and I can only speak to my own experience. This information is not medical advice; speak to the doctor managing your treatment if you experience any issues.
1. Invisalign might increase saliva and cause GI issues.
When you’re in treatment for Invisalign, you have to wear the corrective trays (“aligners”) 23 out of 24 hours each day. Unfortunately, your mouth’s reaction to wearing a foreign substance in your mouth for this length of time is to produce more saliva. Orthodontists claim that this is mostly a short term issue that doesn’t impact health.
But, in my case, the continuous swallowing of extra saliva was causing gastrointestinal distress. When I reduced daily wear of the trays, it went away. I asked my orthodontist for a way to fix this issue and she said there are no reported cases of this happening, so she couldn’t offer any recommendations. As a result, I took treatment in my own hands and stopped wearing the trays during the workday. Not advisable, obviously. But my treatment still progressed as normal.
2. Invisalign might sacrifice your bite for cosmetic results.
A common issue with Invisalign is something called posterior open bite. Because you’re wearing chunky plastic in your mouth, your back molars can end up compressed into your gums and stop touching each other when you chew. Orthodontists don’t seem to see this as a serious side effect of Invisalign. But obviously, it impacts nutrition and quality of life, so I think it’s very serious.
This initially happened to me as I reached the end of my treatment. But I requested that my ortho make me a few more corrective trays to further flare my upper front teeth forward in order to create space for my back bite to close. This wasn’t an ideal solution because it made my front bite less “perfect,” but it was the only way to fix the problem.
3. Invisalign might misalign your upper and lower teeth for the sake of overall shape.
Before Invisalign, my two front teeth on the upper and lowers aligned perfectly (so satisfying). After Invisalign, they don’t. In an effort to achieve the overall curve and bite the orthodontist was after, my upper teeth were shifted. This actually improved my bite in that I have less ear pressure and jaw pain on my left side than I did before. But it was sad to see that little detail go.
4. Invisalign treatment might involve shaving the sides of your teeth.
On that note, part of the procedure for making my uppers and lowers fit together was to shave down the sides of four of my lower teeth to make their shape more standard and reduce gapping between them. This could be seen as a desirable cosmetic result. But I didn’t know this was part of my treatment until the ortho had the little buzz saw out and started going at it. I grieved my weird little, angular teeth and wish I’d had more time to think about it.
5. Invisalign retainers can increase teeth clenching and grinding.
At my most recent dental appointment, the dentist recommended a night guard due to signs of grinding. I didn’t have signs of grinding before Invisalign treatment. The assistant pointed out that plastic tray retainers are a known cause of grinding, as your body reacts to a foreign material in your mouth. Night guards are very expensive without insurance, but they’re the only dental option if you have to wear your retainers to maintain your bite.
6. Invisalign treatment means wearing plastic in your mouth for the rest of your life.
Unlike old school retainers, all new retainers (even those for traditional braces) are made with medical grade plastic. According to the NIH, wearing Invisalign retainers increases microplastic exposure over time. The study notes that Invisalign brand leaches the least amount of microplastics as compared to other retainer brands, which is something. But if your interest in Invisalign is purely cosmetic, consider whether it’s worth it to have to wear plastic retainers until you die.
Is Invisalign Worth It?
It really depends on what you’re going for. In my case, I am still on the fence about whether or not I would do it, knowing what I know now.
Here is my advice:
- If this is your first time pursuing orthodontic treatment, you should ask your ortho to share the pros and cons of traditional braces vs. Invisalign. Even though traditional braces might seem uncool, they are often a better option for significant bite and alignment issues. They can also be less expensive.
- If you’re just doing little tweaks, but your mouth is basically ok, ask if you can just get your retainers remade instead of starting treatment.
- If you are trying to fix TMJ, make sure to get a TMJ assessment, as there may be a better course of treatment for you.
- If you’re on the fence, go get an assessment, but don’t sign the contract that day. Think it over.
- Ask lots of questions and don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself.
- One thing I think everyone must do is go to an orthodontist, not a dentist, for Invisalign treatment. A dentist is not trained to make appropriate assessments on your progress. Don’t do something that impacts your quality of life without choosing an expert.
Have you used Invisalign? Did you experience any of these issues?
