Does Invisalign hurt? The first weeks, honestly

What it feels like

A new aligner feels tight for the first day or two. The teeth it is moving feel pressed, and they can be tender when you bite on something firm. That is the aligner doing its job, and it eases as the teeth move the fraction of a millimetre the aligner is designed to move them. By the end of the first week the aligner usually feels like nothing at all, and the next one starts the cycle again, more gently each time as you get used to it. Most people describe it as awareness rather than pain.

How it compares with braces

There are no wires or brackets to rub the lips and cheeks, no adjustment appointments that leave the teeth aching, and nothing sharp. The forces aligners apply are lighter and more continuous than the forces of a wire being tightened, which is why the tenderness is milder and shorter.

The first week

Your speech may lisp slightly for a day or two while your tongue adjusts to the edge of the aligner; reading aloud for a few minutes speeds that up. Your mouth may produce more saliva at first. Taking the aligners out and putting them in takes practice for a few days; your fingernails and the aligner edges get used to each other. None of this lasts.

Attachments and polishing

Attachments are bonded to the teeth without drilling or anaesthetic and are not usually painful to fit or remove. They can feel odd against the lip when the aligners are out for the first day or two. Interproximal reduction, polishing a hair's width of enamel between teeth, feels like a vibration and is not usually painful.

What is not normal

Sharp pain, an aligner edge that is cutting the gum or tongue, an aligner that will not seat however much you press, or tenderness that gets worse rather than better after the third day. None of these should be put up with. A rough edge is smoothed in a minute at the practice; an aligner that will not seat usually means the previous one needed a few more days, and a message through Dental Monitoring sorts it out.

What helps

• Change to a new aligner at bedtime, so the first and tightest hours happen while you sleep.
• Bite on the chewies for a few minutes after putting a new aligner in; seating it fully reduces the pressure.
• Softer food for the first day of a new aligner if biting feels tender.
• Cold water, which eases tenderness and is the one thing you can drink with aligners in.
• A standard over-the-counter painkiller for the first evening if you want one; most people do not need it.
• Keep the aligners in. Taking them out because they feel tight lets the teeth drift, and the aligner is tighter when it goes back.

If you are nervous of the dentist

Invisalign is often a gentle introduction: it does not usually involve injections or drilling, and a scan replaces impressions. Our guide for nervous patients explains how we look after you, and you are welcome to talk to Louise before anything is done.

Questions people ask

Is Invisalign painful?

New aligners feel tight and the teeth can be tender for a day or two. It is pressure rather than pain, and it fades as the teeth move.

How long does the discomfort last?

Usually the first one to three days of each new aligner, easing each time.

Do attachments hurt?

Not usually. Fitting and removal need no anaesthetic.

Can I take painkillers with Invisalign?

A standard over-the-counter painkiller is fine for the first evening if you want one. Most people do not need it.

Does the iTero scan hurt?

No. It is a small wand moved around the teeth for a few minutes, with no putty and nothing to gag on.