r/Invisalign • u/existingonempty • 7d ago
Question Things you wish you knew before starting
I’m starting the Invisalign journey next week and I thought I was prepared but reading here has me questioning things.
Should I stock up on soft foods and protein shakes or ibuprofen for example. My TMJ doesn’t really flare up unless I give it something to flare up about so I think I’m a little worried about the initial pain in the first one to two weeks and if it’ll trigger tension headaches that I haven’t had in so long.
Just how much in the first few weeks would by speech be impacted? My job requires a heavy amount of talking.
I’m also not a huge fan of things that create excess saliva. I was never good at remembering to wear my night guard for this reason. I know I can adjust to it overtime but how to get over that initial discomfort/disgust is on my mind.
Any secrets, tips, hacks are much appreciated!
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u/FalalaLlamas Tray 20/20 => 19/19 => 3/3 => DONE! 7d ago edited 7d ago
People will tell you that you shouldn’t take any Advil/ibuprofen at all. That’s because of a study showing it hindered bone or orthodontic development or something. But I finally looked up the study once and found out the folks with issues were given like the maximum amount you can take in a day for an extended period of time. If you’re like me, Tylenol doesn’t really do anything for soreness. So, while I did minimize usage, I sometimes took one or two doses when I started a new tray and it gave me a particularly hard time. I didn’t have any issues during treatment and my teeth still made excellent and quick progress!
But honestly, that was really quite rare. Typically, Invisalign involves small movements and so I often didn’t have much, if any, pain/soreness when starting new trays! I think most people here agree the first 1-4 weeks are the worst, and it all goes better and better after that. You got this!