First, the model they showed me in the office had a couple attachments on the teeth. They pointed these out to me, and told me they can be used to help position the teeth. It looked to me like they would be helpful to lock the trays in position too. But again, there were two on the model I was shown. After reading more about the process, I now understand that the number of attachments depends on your particular case, and could be anywhere from none to basically all of your teeth. I've read where it's not uncommon to have 20 or so. This was not really explained to me. It's not a deal breaker for me though, because I was already prepared to have traditional braces put on, which would mean an attachment on every tooth anyway. I guess it's just the anxiety of wondering what my treatment plan will look like and how many attachments I'll need that has me spooked.
Second, my coffee routine will be ruined. I have a Keurig in my office at work, so that should tell you how important coffee is to me. It's not that you can't drink coffee with Invisalign, it's just that you can't drink coffee with the trays in. You must keep the trays in for 22 hours a day. I only have a couple large coffees a day, but I'm drinking it from 8 to 11 or so in the morning, so obviously that won't work. The reason for the coffee ban is that since the trays are plastic, they can warp when exposed to hot liquids. Plus whatever you're drinking will get all inside the trays, and with coffee I've read that they will almost instantly stain. And even if you take the trays out, the attachments can stain too. My orthodontist spoke to me about soda, and told me that all I had to do was make sure that I brushed after drinking it. I don't drink much soda, so I didn't really give it much thought. For some reason I didn't think about coffee. This could be a major adjustment for me. Come to think of it, this may make having a couple beers in the evening just as difficult.
Third, I hadn't really thought about what Invisalign on the go would be like. With only being able to have them out a couple hours a day, this basically means only while eating, and then brush and get those suckers back in right away. This means brushing your teeth wherever you might be. Not just at work, but also at restaurants, friends houses, or whatever. I'll need to carry a travel pack with dental supplies pretty much everywhere I go. And snacking is pretty much out, because it's just not worth the trouble. I'm picturing ferocious eating sessions where I'm gorging myself and chugging beverages in a hurry. Not ideal. We're going on vacation in a couple weeks, and if my trays come in before then, I think I'm going to talk to my orthodontist about delaying until after we get back.
And strangely enough, I hadn't even thought about kissing and making love to my wife. She said she had certainly thought about it though, especially when I was thinking metal braces. I guess this is an advantage as I can just take them out when needed, but here again I am restricted by time. So if it takes too long at dinner between salads and our meal, it could really ruin date night.
I guess I'm just experiencing normal jitters. It's just that I put a lot of thought into getting braces, and after watching my son go through it I knew exactly what to expect. Then I was thrown a curveball with Invisalign that I just wasn't expecting. I'm sure it'll be fine.
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