When I was in middle school, I saw everyone else with braces and wanted them too. We couldn’t afford it so I eventually let it go. The only noticeable issue with my smile was a bit of crowding on my upper right with one tooth tucked behind but it wasn’t terrible and never bothered me. I learned to love my smile as-is and and forgot all about braces.
Two decades later, I am complaining to my dentist about sensitivity in my teeth year after year. He noted that my bite was the issue where I was impacting my teeth. If he sanded one spot down, another impact point would just replace it so he recommended I get braces. In my 30s, I was horrified by the idea but took his referral and went to see the orthodontist anyways. I had teeth issues in the past (root canals due to too many fruit snacks in my youth – parents, watch out!) so I knew how important taking care of my teeth was.
After the consultation, I decided to go forward with Invisalign (instead of metal braces). Based on my exam, I was on a 1.5 year treatment plan. My insurance covered most of it with $1500 out of pocket. Here is my Invisalign journey:
April 2025
May 2025
Consultation: April 3, 2025
Alignment of treatment plan, scans/X-rays.
Week 1: May 16, 2025 – Initial Invisalign Experience
Received 13 liners. During the attachment of nubs and practice with liners, I saw they placed nubs on all my top front teeth. I immediately felt uncomfortable but, being non-confrontational, agreed to try it for 1-2 weeks. I burst into tears once I was alone, realizing how self-conscious I felt. My sister, who had a similar experience, insisted her dentist remove the nubs and redo her liners.
Week 2: May 23, 2025 – Work Trip Self-Consciousness
A nub fell off, requiring an appointment. Unfortunately, I was on a work trip that week and felt extremely self-conscious around my coworkers. I actively tried to avoid opening my mouth when speaking, which fiancé hated because it changed my smile.
Week 3: May 29, 2025 – Nubs Removal and Liner Redo
I asserted my wish to have the front nubs removed. Despite the orthodontist warning it would prolong treatment and require new top liners, I agreed. They contacted Invisalign and were able to order only the top liners. I was advised to wear my current liners and pause treatment progress until the new set arrived. I requested a rush order as I was leaving for a 3-week Europe trip for my sister’s wedding.
June 2025
July 2025
Week 4: June 12, 2025 – New Liners Arrived
I was called the day prior that the rushed liners had arrived! I had been stuck on Week 3 for an extended time but was finally able to start on Week 4 before my trip.
Week 9: July 28, 2025 – Making Room in My Mouth, New Liners, and Introducing Rubberbands
The orthodontist sanded between some of my teeth to create room for movement. I was provided with more liners and asked to start doing rubberbands at night. They also noticed a small gap between my liner and teeth on the front two teeth and gave me a reminder to diligently use my chewys to ensure the liners were fully seated.
August 2025
September 2025
Week 16: September 19, 2025 – Progress Check
My teeth were progressing great at the bottom but only 80% on the top. This wasn’t too surprising since without the front teeth nubs, it was harder to make progress.
October 2025
November 2025
November 14, 2025 – Appointment scheduled
Appointment scheduled