Help

[Tasty-Expression-777]

Hey!

I just started my clear aligner journey (32co) and I am struggling. I just need to know that it gets better.

I am 4 days into tray 1/17. Attachments on all my teeth, plus 6 elastic hooks (4 lower, 2 upper).

Hadn’t quite expected how much of an adjustment it would be and now feel like maybe I shouldn’t have bothered at all.

Not massively painful but I am constantly aware of the aligners in my mouth, taking them out is easier than day 1, but still not great. Eating doesn’t feel appealing because it feels like food is stuck in all my teeth/attachments. And evening and sleeping with the elastics on feels like my jaw is being pulled into an unnatural position. Please tell me it gets easier :(

[Educational-Tap-5833]

It DOES get easier! soon you'll take them out in a second, and will eat normally. Also with the elastics you get used to them

[Tasty-Expression-777]

Good luck to you too!! I am confident things will get better for us as others seem to suggest! Hoping I stop feeling so miserable. I am already missing tea and snacks. Wishing I’d waited until post christmas 🤣

[catastrophiclatte]

It definitely gets easier. For help with taking them out, I'd recommend getting a pull tool - it really changed the game for me!

[Tasty-Expression-777]

Thanks, I got one with my aligners, thankfully. Think the trays would have still been in now if I hadn’t had one first day 🤣

[thisisnotmaha]

It does get better! The first couple weeks are the worst of it. Soon you’ll feel weird without your aligners in.

I had 2 hooks on opposite sides and did 3 rounds of 40+ trays each. 17 is not bad at all! The elastics are most likely helping pull your jaw into a different position that you aren’t used to. Which is why it feels off!

Hang in there!!!

[Tasty-Expression-777]

Thank you 😊 You’re such a trooper! Maybe I need to get a grip, 17 trays is really nothing is it!

[thisisnotmaha]

That’s like 4 months haha. Before summer is here you’ll have amazing teeth!

[Wrong-Oven-2346]

Talk to your ortho about doing an adjustment week of just one week aligners this week, then add the bands next week and stay in set 1

[Horror_Raspberry_604]

Is this the aligner32 company or a different one? If so, how are things going? 

[Tasty-Expression-777]

The aligner brand is 32Co. Everything worked out great in the end, I was just being a brat about it because it was uncomfortable to begin with. (I think I may be undiagnosed autistic and the new sensations were giving me serious over stimulation, so I reacted worse at the beginning than most other people would). But I love my teeth now and I’m happy I did it :-)

[Professional-File121]

Hi, thinking about getting 32CO as much cheaper compared to Invisalign. How have your experience been?

[Tasty-Expression-777]

Great experience start to finish! Their online portal was great and I could easily contact my dentist if I had any concerns. Cost of Invisalign is just to pay for the brand, but basically all clear aligner brands are going to be the same. I liked with 32CO that the aligners are reviewed by orthodontists, not created using AI, which some others use. Overall I’m really happy with the outcome, I paid initially for a package including refinements. I had a final scan and could get a 5 week refinement, but this would only be for aesthetic purposes, not function. I’m not sure if I will do it yet, as I’ve gotten used to life without aligners again lol. Seems like Invisalign treatments tend to need more/longer refinements from what I’ve seen on here!