Tips for Dealing with Invisalign Pain During Treatment
It is common to experience some Invisalign pain or soreness. Let’s find out what you can do to minimize discomfort
Straightening your teeth is an uncomfortable process, and it doesn’t matter if you’re using Invisalign vs braces. Whether it’s a dull achy throb or sharp aligner edges cutting your tongue, Invisalign pain is part of the journey to your new smile.
If you are doing research before an Invisalign consultation or are experiencing discomfort during your Invisalign treatment, our team at Legacy Orthodontics wants to help you understand why the process hurts and share a few tips for Invisalign pain relief to ease discomfort during treatment.
What Causes Invisalign Pain?
One of the most common questions from patients beginning treatment is “Does Invisalign hurt?” Especially when you start with a new aligner, soreness is to be expected. When you straighten your teeth with clear aligners, you’re moving them gradually into their ideal position with every new set of trays. Moving your teeth takes time and effort, as your teeth are set within the bone of your jaw and realignment requires a significant degree of orthodontic force. This is why many patients experience the most acute Invisalign pain when they switch to a new set of trays. New trays can feel extremely tight upon first wear — if they didn’t, you might wonder if they were even working or tracking correctly. When you change your aligners every two weeks, you are likely to experience some initial discomfort.
The Invisalign related pain can come in the form of a sore jaw or the aforementioned tongue cutting, but can also result from changing bite patterns. Changing bite patterns put pressure on teeth that previously weren’t so involved in chewing your food. Many patients find themselves “relearning” how to eat, and this can be another source of discomfort.
So what can you do to ease Invisalign pain? Read on for our tips!
Use An Icepack to Combat Invisalign Pain
Just like any other pain or soreness, an ice pack works well to numb any discomfort
An ice pack is a simple fix for tooth pain.
If you are experiencing soreness or pain from Invisalign, one of the easiest ways to relieve toothache pain is by using an ice pack. The ice pack will help numb the discomfort caused by shifting teeth. It is especially important to remember not to place a freezing ice pack directly on your skin. Before placing the ice pack on the affected area, wrap it in a towel and you’ll be good to go. You should hold the ice pack against your mouth for no more than 10 minutes at a time, taking breaks in between until the pain subsides.
Drink Cold Water or Use Ice Cubes to Numb Sore Spots
Similar to using an ice pack, cold water and ice help with Invisalign pain
Drinking cold water has similar effects to using an ice pack.
If an ice pack isn't quite taking the discomfort away, you can try to treat Invisalign pain by drinking very cold water or sucking on some ice cubes. Drinking cold water or using ice is a great option because you can drink water without removing your aligners. In this case, removing your aligners could lead to more discomfort in the future, because your mouth needs the wear time to get used to the new trays. It is also important to avoid chewing on the ice cubes as that could irritate your teeth and gums even more. You can drink cold water or suck on ice cubes until the pain begins to subside.
Avoid Any Foods that Worsen Discomfort
Crunchy foods cause more unwanted tooth and gum pain
You’ll have to avoid pretzels for a bit if you are experiencing Invisalign pain.
If you are experiencing tooth and jaw soreness, the last thing you want to do is eat foods that damage your teeth, especially crunchy foods. Nuts, popcorn, chips and pretzels will make your teeth even more sore than they were before. When you’re going through Invisalign discomfort, it's best to stick to soft foods like eggs, bread, or yogurt.
Properly Seat Your Invisalign
Many don’t know how to properly seat their their Invisalign
Chewies make sure that your Invisalign is seated in the right place. Image courtesy of Diamond Braces.
Invisalign clear aligners are designed to fit perfectly over your teeth. If they are not completely seated in place, they could cause unnecessary discomfort for the wearer. To ensure that your Invisalign is properly seated, use your Invisalign chewies. Invisalign chewies are designed to be placed between your aligners so you can gently bite down and seat the trays. In fact, the simple act of gently chewing stimulates beneficial blood flow to your teeth and gums, serving as a natural pain reliever.
We also recommend Movemints, which are an alternative to Invisalign chewies that freshen breath and fight dry mouth! Movemints have a patented groove that fits between your aligners, and biting gently on them can seat your trays and produce that nourishing blood flow. We give our patients samples of Movemints at the start of their treatment so they can ensure fresh breath and proper tracking wherever their smile journey takes them.
Wear Your Aligners as Much as Possible
The most important part of your Invisalign journey is sticking to the 22 hour wear time
Wearing your retainers as much as possible helps prevent pain.
One of the unshakable facts about Invisalign is that you have to wear them all the time. You should only be taking out your aligners to eat or drink, and you should wear them for the recommended minimum amount of time, which is 22 hours per day. If you aren’t sticking to the recommendations, your teeth will have a harder time adjusting to the aligners. Should you accidentally leave your aligners out for longer than recommended, your teeth will start to move back to their prior positions and you’ll likely feel extra tightness when you reinsert your aligners. Because of this, many Invisalign users report less pain when they comply with the 22 hours of daily wear time recommendation.
Only Start With New Aligners Before Bed
Use bedtime as an opportunity to adjust to your new aligners
Allow your teeth to properly adjust overnight.
Invisalign pain at the start of a new aliger set is the most common type of discomfort, which is why we recommend switching to your new aligners just before bed. That way, you can give your teeth and gums some time to get used to new clear retainers overnight. When it is time to start your next set, insert them a few hours before bed instead of in the morning. By starting your new retainers at night, you will give your teeth time to acclimate to the new tightness. When you switch retainers at night, you are reducing pain by sleeping through the initial adjustment period.
Don’t Switch Your Aligners Early
You can’t rush a perfect smile!
Switching your aligners early could hurt your teeth.
Invisalign trays are custom made to fit your teeth and move them incrementally into place. This is an exact process, so you shouldn’t be rushing your teeth to move more quickly than your Invisalign plan. That is to say — don’t switch your aligners earlier than recommended. Since it takes time for your teeth to adjust to each aligner, switching too early could cause a lot of Invisalign pain. Remember: moving your teeth is a process, and discomfort is to be expected. Know that you are not alone and that it will get better, so hang in there! Your brand new smile will be worth it in the end.
If you still have questions about Invisalign or are wondering if Invisalign is right for your smile, schedule a free consultation with Legacy Orthodontics, Leesburg VA’s premier Invisalign provider. We’ll answer all your questions, show you what your smile can look like, and help you determine if Invisalign is the best method for straightening your teeth.