Braces Forum
Join our community FOR FREE!Orthodontics Articles
- Orthodontics accidents – how to handle small orthodontic mishaps.
- Don’t sabotage your orthodontics treatment
- 5 reasons for an EARLY orthodontics treatment start
- Orthodontics treatment: prerequsites and first steps
- Know your Orthodontics!
- Invisalign aligners: how many hours a day do I need to wear them?
- Creating a beautiful smile: the veneers option
- Is it OK for the Invisalign tray to not fit for the first time?
- Braces FAQ – first 3 questions you searched for
My Invisalign doesn’t work
One of our readers was searching for information about Invisalign not working: “my invisalign doesn t work”. I would like to say this is nonsense and all treatments work perfectly, but there are still possible problems. Any orthodontic treatment requires a lot of changes in our life style and TIME.
I see 2 options in our case: 1. our reader is having Invisalign for a short time (just some weeks) or 2. maybe we are talking about a finished treatment that wasn’t that successful as we’d wish.
Let’s try to see both possibilities:
1. Invisalign doesn’t work overnight.
If we were to compare Invisalign with metal braces for instance, we’d have to admit that metal braces SHOW results faster. The braces are stronger (you also feel more discomfort) and the first moving teeth start showing after some weeks. I had a tooth moved 7 mm in just 3 months, was shocked 
Invisalign on the other hand DOES work, but the results are not visible that fast. THIS DOESN’T MEAN YOU WILL NOT HAVE STRAIGHT TEETH. Just look at the presentation you get with your treatment: the result is what you are waiting for.
2. What can make the treatment go wrong?
There are some possible explanations: the treatment wasn’t well planned (a tad hard to believe since the Invisalign system is well thought and you’ll have your orthodontist follow your case through it. After you start wearing the Invisalign trays you’ll also be under your orthodontist control, so any problems should be spotted as fast as possible.
The Invisalign aligners HAVE to be worn as much as possible. Many patients try to “skip” some hours, but this will affect their treatment. The aligners have to be on the teeth for as much as you possibly can, nothing less than 20 hours a day (try even more). The treatment depends on you a lot, so you can ruin the results or have the treatment succeed.
From what I was able to see myself and also read from other Invisalign patients, the Invisalign orthodontic treatment has a HUGE success rate if:
- you have a good orthodontist and are under his/her observation so that any problems can be noticed soon
- you wear your aligners AS MUCH as you can
- you let some time pass. You won’t see results in Invisalign in just weeks, let few months pass and then you’ll see the change.
Just think that every 2 weeks you are putting a new aligner in your mouth, a new aligner that is DIFFERENT from the previous one. You feel this by the pressure in your teeth (sometimes a small pain) and the fact you have difficulties putting the aligner on. This means IT WORKS: you teeth changed position and the aligner forces them into a new one. Stick to the treatment and you’ll be just fine.
Popularity: 14%
Invisalign stinks. Think about this – you cannot drink anything but water while wearing them (coffee drinkers beware!), you cannot eat any foods that require biting, like a sub sandwich, for fear you will leave a tooth behind as your teeth are very infirm throughout the treatment. Imagine having to take these things out of your mouth every time you want to eat or drink anything. If you loose a tray it is expensive to replace. Take them out for a meal and your teeth ache when you put them back on. They are sold as being convenient, but they are just the opposite.
My experience with them has been less than stellar, I wish I had just gone with wire braces. Don’t waste your money.
I’ve had a good experience with mine. I’m on tray 9 (11 u, 18d). You can drink things other than water if you want. Just be sure to brush your teeth as soon as possible to avoid cavities. My teeth are actually whiter and healthier than before because of my increased oral hygiene.
The trays are easy to take in and out after you get used to them. The first 2 days of a new tray can be a littler harder but generally it’s not a problem. I’ve found that over time my teeth hurt less and less when i put in a new tray. Before it was pretty sore in day 2-3 but lately not even that.
Any my teeth definately are getting straighter, so it can work.
Be careful with those drinks and brushing, Brian. Depending what you drink, then the reason your teeth are so pearly white _might_ just be because you’ve brushed away the stained surface layer of the enamel!
Most drinks are sufficiently acidic that they soften tooth enamel, especially with prolonged contact (which is precisely what you get if you drink them with your aligners in place). If you then brush your teeth, that softened enamel will tend more easily to be worn away, even by a soft-bristled brush.
You shouldn’t really drink anything except cold, cool, or warm (never hot) water – plain water, not carbonated – with the trays in place. If you do break this rule, then the best thing to do afterwards is to rinse the teeth and the trays with plain water, and don’t brush for a half hour or so.
I took the Invisalign option for the convenience. When I got the last tray the first time, I noticed it wasn’t completely straight and was told I would need a refinement. I guess you get so many refinements free. I had to go through three refinements and my top teeth were not straight at all. I went back for another refinement but was told it would be another $1,000. I feel like I will have to start all over again. This time I will choose the tradition braces.
does not work well for gaps…i was told treatment would be 8 months…its been 3 years now and i still have a gap between my front two teeth..it SUCKS and after 3 years I am sick of wearing these things. To me, it was not worth the money i paid, because my primary reason for using them is still there…the gap, even after 30min to an hour of taking the aligner out..my teeth spread apart
Brian how long did it take before you started seeing the results? I am on my second tray (out of 15) and my teeth were very sore the first day but on the second day I was fine but I still have lisp.
I do not think invisalign does not work, as it is give by the orthodontist after examining the problem. If it is not working, then immediately call the orthodontist who is giving the treatment to tell about the problem. Wearing an invisalign cannot drink anything other than water and even food that required biting. We should not skip some hour by not wearing the aligner the longer hour you wear the treatment shows result faster.
In order to make our teeth healthier and whiter we should increased our oral hygiene.
Lastly, we should have a good orthodontist under his observation so that when any problems come up we can notice him soon before times run out.
I am supposed to get damon braces , but my dad and I where thinking that i should get traditional medal braces on because im only 12 and i think the colours are fun…. Not worried about having them on longer or the price… any advise on what i should do .. my total balance is 5000 but thats including spacers and the jaw expander …..
I dont think invisaligne works at all… it is just for minor mallocolisions and very minor crowding .. and how can it move ur teath it dont make sence ….. if it does work then that meens an invisable retainer works too ?? !
Sometimes invisalign does not work even though it is given by the orthodontist after examining. If it is not working, then immediately call the orthodontist who is giving the treatment to tell about the problem. If the new one is not working replace with the old one until you get the replace one again. You should not skip anytime without wearing invisalign while treatment is going on as longer hour you wear the treatment shows result faster.
Wearing an invisalign should be very careful we cannot drink anything other than water and even food that required biting.
In order to make our teeth healthier and whiter we should increased our oral hygiene.
Lastly, we should have a good orthodontist under his observation so that when any problems come up we can notice him soon before times run out.
I first got Invisalign 3 years ago and was told I only needed to wear them for about 4-5 months (I think this was a sell-tactic or maybe over-enthusiasm on my dentist’s part). I ended up getting about a year’s worth of trays which were somehow prolonged to about a year and a half. I wore the final trays as retainers at night for many months after that. It seemed to do the trick… for a while. Lately, my teeth are noticeable shifting back into their old positions. It’s as if my jaws want to fit together in a comfortable way, and can’t do so if my teeth are in this unnaturally “straightened” position. They no longer fit well into that last set of retainers either.
Anyone considering this procedure because you’re enticed by the commercials or the dream of having straighter teeth without the metal braces, please weigh your options carefully. This is a very expensive procedure that is not without pain/discomfort and is definitely without guarantee. The waiver that you must sign AFTER you sign off on the animated “projected results” and after you agree to the procedure is a rather lengthy document with LOTS of warnings of what could go wrong and states that it’s not effective for everyone.
So, I’m out nearly $5000 for the treatment alone, have spent 2 years of my life in discomfort, have had to schedule lots of dentist appointments, and the difference in my teeth is almost insignificant.
Think twice.
I have invisalign for more than an year now…my problem is still not fix. One of the tooth is tilted. My doctor suggested me use metal one to correct it. I was like what? He said he realized invisalign can’t correct the tilted tooth and metal one actually is more stronger…and blah blah…such a rip off. I wear my invisalign all the time and try to limit my meal taking to three time only and drink water all the time. BUt what it does to me? Didn’t close the gap between my teeth but make it tilted. They now still trying to fix the problem with new trays since I can’t afford any more money for metal one.However, it doesn’t seem working yet…sign.
I did invisalign and would highly recommend any one to get a second opion before you pay. I did 26 trays which did not fix my bite which is causing a ton of wear on my teeth. I have a huge underbite. After your initial set of trays you take more impressions and they send it off. Mine came back with having to wear 10 more trays. A total of 36 trays and my teeth are still not where they should be. My dentist was certified for invisalign but not an orthodontist. I have now been sent to one and he is adimit that I need braces. I already paid over 3000 for the invisalign and the braces will cost 4000. Please don’t make my mistake and before you get invisalign get a second opion and make sure it’s from an orthodontist. I am very unhappy and out over 3000 for the invisalign oh and the 72 weeks it took! Ugh! But of course not everyone is the same and it will work for some. This is just my experience with invisalign.
I’ve had mine for more then a year and done at least 3 sets of revisions. Currently my teeth are just as crooked as they were when I started and now invisalign wants to charge me more because they can’t get it right. I wear them constantly but they simply have made no difference other then moving the overlap of my teeth to different places (back and forth again and again over the period of more then a year). I’m extremely unsatisfied and will consider getting a lawyer rather then paying even more for the services promised. It shouldn’t take more then 30 trays to correct a minor tooth overlap that was virtually unnoticable to anyone other then my dentist and me.
Invisalign did NOT work for me, and I followed instructions exactly. The only thing I wanted was for the gap between my two front teeth to close, and I told my dentist that. Well, my teeth did move around a lot, but only where no one sees. I’m on my last tray, and the gap did not shut at all and my teeth, which used to be white, are yellow; and my breath stinks, and the trays stink, and I slur a bit, and those stupid buttons are on my teeth, and cleaning the plates and my teeth are a pain. I really feel stupid and ripped off.
I’ve had Invisalign for a little over a year. I’m completely done with treatment and now into the retainer phase. I had no problems. I understood the lifestyle changes I would have to make. I had a large overbite, a gap, some crowding, and a crossbite. Everything is fixed! I would recommend this to anyone who is willing to make the commitment that Invisalign takes.
I’m on my last tray (23). I had moderate crowding in my lower arch, and Invisalign has eliminated it. Invisalign does work. However my teeth aren’t absolutely perfect so I will ask my ortho to continue treatment until I get 100% perfection. It may come down to a couple of months of braces to get that last bit of perfection, but this was negotiated into the original price ($6000) so it won’t cost any extra. The people who said it doesn’t work for them even though they wore it constantly, are BS. You obviously didn’t wear the trays, and thus your teeth shifted into random positions and the dentist had to take new impressions and start over.
I found my dentist through the 1-800-DENTIST referral service. He is Invisalign certified. I must say I regret using the service and listening to this dentist. I could have found an equally poor dentist using a phonebook or the Internet.
I wanted to fix the crowding that has occurred over the years on my bottom teeth. I asked for traditional braces but my dentist assured me that Invisalign is superior and I will achieve faster and better results using this method. Therefore I decided to go that route. I am on tray 8 out of 12 and still have seen NO changes. I do wear the trays throughout the day and of course at night when I got to bed. My bottom teeth look the same as when I began treatment. I am now thinking of going to another dentist and also suing this current dentist for my money back, since I paid $5000 for nothing.
I hope the negative results I am reading on this page are due to non-compliance or something else. I am on my first trays. My dentist is very meticulous about checking my trays. I hope I have good results. I had two car wrecks within a year and teeth were a mess (broken under the gum line and also teeth shifted due to this front impact). Wish me well. I am already in the Invisalign loop.
I keep my fingers crossed
Keep up the good work, wear the trays as much as possible and you should be fine.
most of the issues of Invisalign not being effective are due to non-compliance from the patient.
I was told from my first visit with my ortho that my teeth were very moderately crowded on the bottom and it would only take 6-7 months to straighten. Then my 2nd visit was when the trays came in and she got me 25 trays(1 year to complete) 20 regular trays and 5 “overcorrective trays”. And then they put these NON-INVISABLE BUTTONS on my teeth(8 all together and ONE RIGHT ON MY FRONT TOOTH!) So now its not really invisalign anymore, its like wearing braces! Then my next visit after I started she tells me after I’m finished I have to wear the last aligner as a retainer for the next year(so really 2 years now, from when she initially sold me on only 6-7 months). Now I’m on my last aligner and she tells me my bottom tooth didn’t want to move and now I need a revision. I can tell you I was EXTREMELY efficient with wearing them 22-23hrs a day and only eating 3 meals a day(NO snacks) and ONLY water. So for those of you saying it works and the people that it didn’t work for weren’t really wearing them religiously are idiots. My ortho completely steered me wrong from the beginning just to make a sale on this product that costs $7K and she must make a nice fee off of that especially with all the appts you have to make to see them.
I’m on tray 4 right now. I have very slight crowding on the lowers and an over jet on the upper. So far, I feel it’s working. I’m very good about keeping my trays in as much as possible. My question is….how will I know if Invisalign is truly working? I mean, I’m not concerned about the lower as the correction is minimal, but my over jet is substantial. My trays are difficult to snap in the first day, and the teeth are a bit tender through day 3, but after that, the trays are easy to pop in and out and I have no discomfort. If the treatment isn’t working, the trays would never snap in with ease, right? If the treatment is failing, my teeth wouldn’t be responding in this way, right?
I am an adult who wore my invisalign exactly as I was told. It has been 3 years later and my teeth are worse than they were before I began treatment. We have since moved and my children are both in braces and their orthodontist said that he will not do invisalign because a lot of times it will not correct the problem. Some teeth need to be moved up and down and invilsalign will not do that. I do not recommend this treatment.
Please excuse my English ( not my first language).
I started invisalign two years ago. My orthodontic which was named the “best invisalign orthodontic in Florida” told me that I was a candidate for invisalign since the only problem I had was the two front tooth croocked a liltle bit. He shaved my front tooth I believe a little too much to put it in plave and now after two years of treatment my front tooth are straight, but now I have a gap which I never had before. I feel so foustrated because he said my time has expired and I can’t get a refimen,t he suggested clear braces to close a gap that he made him self. $5000.00 I paid for invisalign. I honestly think most of these orthodontic no matter how good they are, they don’t know how to work with invisalign to well, I think is a rip off. I reather have my crooked tooth then a gap that looks from the side like if I’m missing a tooth. His name is Dr. Zambrano. In MIami. Do not do invisalign with this doctor.
This forum is very interesting,
I am 22 live in Australia and am starting invisalign!
I have a fantastic dentist and my best friend is a dental assistant at a different dentist and they both are supporting me with invisalign.
Both have had happy invisalign customers and i am confident it will work for me!
I guess not everything will work for everyone, which is a shame.
I am on my second tray, i have 20, my dentist was upfront from the start and said it could take a while, i may need the refinement trays at the end, but he will work with me to get the result i want. So far the calculations are 40weeks !! im happy with that!!
I have seen my last tray and it is super straight, and if my teeth are supposed to fit into it at the end then it must obviously work!! I must admit when i start a new tray they are hard to fit on.. and i am in pain, but i had braces on the lower teeth and the pain is the same, i had 2 teeth out and 4 wisdom teeth and had a brace on the bottom to close the gaps… i did not want braces on the top! My mother has had braces and a lot of my friends, their teeth were fantasticly straight after, but had a lot of stain problems and found it hard to floss, were always in pain, had to wear wax, at 21 and single at the time i did not want to be walking around with wax on my braces as i smiled..
I think the fact that you have to only drink water is a great thing!!! water is extremely good for you and if invisalign stops you from wanting to drink bad drink choices then it clearly is a pro rather then a con!! if you are eliminating your snacks because you cant be bothered taking them out then that is definitely a pro as well, as they are probably snacks you dont really need!!!
i know my daily snacking has reduced since ive had my invisalign and my water intake has increased, which are healthier choices for me!
My best friend who is a dental assistant as seen about 50 patients with invisalign and she assures me it has worked for everyone of them.. the only minnor problems they had were with people not wearing them as much as they need to be, but they were all fixable ..
i say good luck to anyone with invisalign or braces and bad luck to the people it hasnt worked for… i hope you get an end result you are happy with
…
If I could go back and change my decision to use Invisalign I would! I was referred to an orthodontist when I noticed that two lower incisors were becoming loose. He diagnosed me with occlusive trauma. I had braces as a child and, although my teeth were still pretty straight on top, my two center-most lower incisors had crowded and rotated a bit.
I was happy with the way my smile looked, but I was afraid I would lose these two teeth if I didn’t do something about it. Although I wasn’t happy about having braces again, my ortho assured me that I was such an easy case and could do Invisalign Express.
Well, I finished those 10 trays, and my bottom incisors still aren’t straight. My ortho says they are good enough, but one of them is still banging on an upper incisor when I chew. Also, none of my molars are in alignment, and I am pretty sure they were before I stared Invisalign.
Oh, and I also have small black triangles in between my six smile zone uppers! So, basically I spent $4,000 to mess up my smile. I wish I had just asked for regular braces because it would have been less expensive and I could have insisted these things be fixed before the braces came off.
Sadly, after having this bad experience and doing lots of Web searches, I have learned that I am not alone in regretting my Invisalign decision. I even completed a patient survey at Align Tech in which I said I thought their product was harmful, ineffective and misleading and that I would never recommend it to anyone.
I am now meeting with new orthodontists to try to figure out what to do next. They are assuring me that the reason my Invisalign experience turned out badly is because my doctor put me on Express when it wasn’t appropriate and he isn’t super experienced with Invisalign. My current ortho is only a preferred provider. The ones I am going to now are Premier and Elite providers.
But now that I am reading these other posts, I am again becoming fearful of Invisalign. Should I demand regular braces? All of these other orthos are saying I will get just as good results with Invisalign and that I don’t need regular braces.
I am really torn as to what to do and I don’t want to throw any more money away!