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Why I wanted to get Invisalign

I am now almost done with Invisalign, and wanted to share my experience so far. I’m going to preface this entire post by saying that I know that my teeth weren’t ever that bad. I mean, that’s sort of what Invisalign is for - to help straighten out slightly crooked teeth. So, I know that my teeth weren’t ever that bad, but there were two teeth in particular that really made me feel pretty insecure, especially because I am on camera frequently for work.

It’s hard to put yourself out there on social media because you open yourself up to all sorts of comments. I knew that going into it, I guess, but filming for YouTube every week, and getting incredible opportunities to collaborate with major brands creating content that was then viewed worldwide, I started to feel more and more self-conscious about my teeth. Every time I would watch a video of myself talking up close, I’d notice the crooked teeth.

In this photo where I’m wearing an orange top, I was on tour in London, doing a workshop, and I saw this photo afterwards and just thought, “The time is now. I’ve gotta fix this dang tooth.” It just really bothered me. I was sick of feeling insecure about my crooked teeth in photos and video. The time had come to do something.

How Long did Invisalign Take and How Much Did it Cost?

I got fitted in February 2019, but it takes a few weeks to send the impressions to the lab and have the trays sent back, so I didn’t actually start wearing them until March 2019. Like I said, I’m not totally finished with them - I still have a few more months to go, but so much progress has been made. They said it would take about 15 months, and the cost would be about $5,000. It’s a lot of money, but I was ready to finally invest in feeling better about my teeth.

Which Teeth Were Affected?

There were two teeth that needed a bit of straightening. The first part, was in the top row, on the right side. You’ll see above, I had one tooth that was out of alignment with the rest of the teeth in the row. It grew sort of coming out forward a bit. If you look up at that picture of me in the orange top, you can kind of see how far forward it came.

The second tooth I wasn’t crazy about was this bottom one which is pretty crooked - almost totally turned to the side. You don’t really see it in photos where I’m smiling, but I could see it when I talk on camera, and like I said, seeing it so prominently on camera really made me want to get it straightened out.

What Did Your Dentist Specialize In?

I know some people prefer to go to orthodontists. That honestly hadn’t crossed my mind. My dentist has the most fantastic bedside manner (Dr. Fernandez in Glastonbury, CT), and I just really like her. She does family dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and restorative dentistry. Her office has top of the line technology, and I just really liked them ever since she did a partial crown on me, so it never occurred to me to look elsewhere.

Did you have any pain?

After I was fitted for the trays, they gave me a video showing me what the next 15 months would look like. It was a cool video - you click play and it showed how your teeth would move. What I noticed right off the bat was that there wasn’t a whole lot of movement until the very end. Due to that lack of movement, I only have two days in the last ten months where I was in physical pain from the trays. The pain I experienced wasn’t awful - just minor headaches. Sometimes, my gums would ache from the edges of the trays but nothing too bad. Other than that, every once in a while when I’d change trays I might experience the slightest bit of aching through my jaw, but otherwise, they didn’t bother me at all.

Few weeks to go before my final tray! Top row is super straight

What’s the process like having Invisalign trays in?

Honestly, it wasn’t bad unless I was traveling. Essentially, you keep the trays in all day long except to eat, or if you’re going to drink anything other than water. So, if you want a coffee, you have to take the trays out, rinse them, and set them aside. Then, you drink your coffee and before you put your trays back in, you need to brush (and ideally floss) your teeth, brush the trays, and then put them back in. Now imagine that for every single snack, meal, and anything else you want to drink other than water. Kind of a pain, but on the other hand, I just tried to keep myself in check. If this was the biggest inconvenience in my day, then I figured I had it pretty good.

The annoying part was when I’d travel. I travel so much for work, so there I’d be on a flight from Tanzania, trying to precariously balance my trays on the sink in the airplane bathroom without dropping them on the disgusting bathroom floor. And the bathroom water isn’t potable, so you can’t brush your trays or your teeth with the water from the faucet. Instead, I’d have to bring a bottle of water into the bathroom and try to balance the bottle of water, my toothbrush, the trays, the tray case, my floss, a partridge and a pear tree on the tiny little airplane sink mid-flight with turbulence, and you can understand why I felt like traveling with Invisalign is a huge pain in the ass. I am proud to say I never once dropped my trays in an airplane or on an airport bathroom floor (which is also disgusting, for the record).

Did You Ever Lose a Tray?

While I never dropped a tray while flying or in an airport, I did accidentally sit on the toilet to pee, and a tray dropped into the toilet. Even though I hadn’t yet peed, I wasn’t about to stick my little fingers in the toilet to fish it out. I ended up going to the dentist’s office the next day and getting my next tray. I learned my lesson, though! Alway keep your the previous trays, so that in the off chance you misplace or damage one, you can pop that back in until you get your next tray from your dentist. My dentist would give me three or four sets of trays at a time (to be switched out every two weeks). Towards the end of my Invisalign treatment, they said I’ll be switching weekly.

How Did Your Teeth Do with Invisalign?

Aside from the rare minor aching or headache, the only thing I noticed about my teeth was that they weren’t as bright white as they were before. I had a dental hygienist on a yoga retreat with me in Costa Rica (hey Stacy, if you’re reading!) and she mentioned that made sense, given that the trays cover your teeth, so they don’t get as much air or saliva as they’re used to and may yellow a bit. I told my dentist, and they sold me some obscenely expensive whitening stuff, which I used, and it worked like a charm. If that happens to you, though, I would just use a drugstore teeth whitener first to see if that helps because this whitening gel they sold me was so crazy expensive.

Did You Have to Put Buttons on Your Teeth?

So I guess not every person who gets Invisalign needs “buttons,” but I did. Buttons are these composite resin dots that are put on your teeth to help pull them into place when you use the trays. They’re made of the same material a dentist fills a cavity with, so they’re mostly unnoticeable unless you’re really looking for them. Once you’re finished with the Invisalign, they remove them, and polish the teeth.

Did you have the shave your teeth?

Yes, on the first visit, I had a number of teeth shaved on the sides to make them thinner. I wanted to die! I had no idea that was part of the deal, and honestly there was no going back after that because otherwise the gaps wouldn’t fill in, and let me tell you, I had some GAPS after that! That was pretty traumatizing, haha! They filled in within two days, but oh my goodness, it was madness at first. I also had to shave the teeth down again about eight or nine months into my treatment, and it wasn’t bad this time because I knew how quickly they’d fill in as the teeth shifted.

Did you have a lisp with Invisalign?

Yes, and that, too, was the worst. I don’t think it’s as bad anymore, but it was really rough for the first few weeks. Especially because I had a huge job with Audible where I had to do a live event on camera leading a yoga practice. I ended up just taking them out for that job. Now, I barely notice the lisp, although when I take them out I can obviously speak so much more clearly.

Anything else you noticed?

Around month seven, the shape of my face started to change as my teeth shifted. My friend pointed it out one day. The lower part of my face just seemed different from the past, and I suppose that makes sense, because in the video that was created for me by Invisalign, it shows that towards the end of my treatment, my jaw would actually be in better alignment. Before, I had a slight “click” when I’d open and close my mouth, and now I don’t. So it really does shift everything all around. I noticed that for sure right around month seven or so, but if you’re going through your own treatment, just remember that everyone is different. I actually think my face looks more symmetrical, but just something to ask before starting Invisalign if you want to be 100% sure of what’s going to happen. You should also be able to notice it in the video they create for you.

And that’s about it. Like I said, I’m not totally finished with Invisalign, but I’ve been meaning to get this post out there for a while. I’m not sure I would’ve pulled the trigger, were it not for me constantly seeing myself on camera for work, but I’m really glad that I did. It’s made such a difference in how I feel about myself, and I think that’s the most important thing. Have you made any changes like this to overcome an insecurity? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!