Your dentist may have told you that you need attachment on your teeth for Invisalign and the first question that has come to your mind is, Do Invisalign attachments hurt?
Usually, Invisalign attachments alone don’t hurt your teeth or your jaw. But, you feel mild pain and discomfort after getting new sets of aligners because they put pressure on your teeth through those attachments.
In this article, you will know when Invisalign attachments or buttons hurt and how to relieve pain.
Why do Invisalign attachments hurt so much?
Though you don’t get hurt from Invisalign attachments directly, you still feel pain after getting the Invisalign trays.
It’s also found that those who get Invisalign attachments feel more pain than those who don’t get them. So, why does this happen?
Let’s take a look at the factors for which Invisalign attachments hurt.
1. Aligners putting pressure through attachments
You get Invisalign attachments so that the aligners can make a good grip on your teeth. Without proper gripping, aligners cannot move your teeth properly and give you straight teeth.
However, attachments themselves don’t put pressure on your teeth. So, you don’t feel pain from them.
But, when you put Invisalign trays on your teeth and attachments, they put a force on your teeth through the attachments.
As a result, your teeth and gums feel pressure and you feel pain and discomfort.
The reason for that is when the pressure is applied to your teeth and gum, changes occur within the bone that supports your teeth as well.
This produces chemicals and also stimulates nerve endings. All of these events cause pain and discomfort.
Moreover, you feel pain for the first few days because those attachments help your aligners fit tightly on your teeth and help them work effectively.
So, if you feel pain or discomfort, you should be happy because it means your Invisalign is working properly.
2. Getting a new set of aligners
When you get a new set of Invisalign trays, put more pressure on your teeth and attachments.
So, normally your teeth and gums get sore during the first few days.
This happens every time you change the aligners. You don’t need to worry about it, as over time you get used to the situation.
3. Too tightly fitted aligners
Usually, new aligners are tightly fitted on your teeth. But, sometimes it may feel more tight than usual. This may happen if the aligners are not properly manufactured. However, it is very rare.
But, a more common scenario than that is when you don’t wear the aligners regularly and leave them out of your mouth for a long time.
4. Not wearing the aligners regularly
When you take a break from the Invisalign and take them out of your mouth for a very long time, you may feel pain when you when insert them on your teeth again.
The reason for that is, during this interval, your teeth get back to their previous position. And, if you wear those aligners later, they may not be properly fitted and you will feel too much pain.
5. Attachments fell off
During the Invisalign treatment, you have to take care of your aligners and attachments.
But, if for some reason one of your attachments falls off or is damaged, you may feel pain when you insert the aligners on your teeth because they may not work properly.
Check out my other article to know what to do if your Invisalign attachment fell off or a button came out.
6. Poorly fitted attachments
Really, Invisalign attachments may not be placed properly on your teeth.
So, when you insert the aligners on your teeth, they may not be fitter perfectly. This leads to a painful condition.
7. Getting injured
As attachments make your teeth irregular, it may hurt you more than usual if your teeth get during this time.
8. Eating hard and crunchy foods
Hard and crunchy foods apply pressure on your teeth as well as your attachments. This may cause pain or increase the pain if you already have it.
9. Wrong tooth-brushing techniques
You should be aware while brushing your teeth with Invisalign attachments on your teeth. The wrong tooth-brushing technique damages your attachments and hurts your teeth and gums.
How long do Invisalign attachments hurt?
After getting new Invisalign and attachments, you may feel mild pain and discomfort for the first few days as the aligners put pressure on your teeth through the attachments. Over time, teeth start to move and the pain goes away on its own.
Moreover, you may feel a similar type of mild soreness each time you get a new set of aligners. But, normally it lasts only for one or two days.
Also, check out my other article on Unbearable Invisalign pain.
Do Invisalign attachments hurt when you get them?
Getting Invisalign attachments doesn’t hurt your teeth or gums. Your dentist simply bonded the attachments to your teeth and you don’t even feel much discomfort during the procedure. However, it may feel unusual to have those in your mouth. But, you get used to them over time.
If you are too worried about soreness, it should not be for those attachments or buttons. In fact, you feel pain when you put those aligners on your teeth for the first time.
Do Invisalign attachments hurt during the removal?
When Invisalign attachments are removed, you don’t feel any pain or discomfort during or after the procedure. The dentist uses simple instruments to remove those attachments from your teeth without hurting you. However, as you have to carry those attachments for a very long time, you may feel unusual after getting them removed.
Why do Invisalign attachments hurt when eating?
Invisalign attachments may hurt while eating because the rough edges of attachments rub and irritate your cheek or gums. To get rid of this, chew food slowly using the opposite side of the jaw. And, if it’s possible, cover the affected attachment with a piece of orthodontic wax. However, these problems occur with the new attachments, and over time it goes away.
You don’t feel pain from Invisalign buttons after they are attached to your teeth. But, you feel pain and discomfort when elastics are attached to them to put pressure on the teeth. This lasts for one to two days after you get the buttons and elastics with Invisalign.
Invisalign buttons themselves don’t cause soreness on your teeth or jaw. But, elastics attached to the buttons may hurt you a lot.
This is because elastic bands apply an additional force on your teeth with the help of Invisalign buttons. This force puts additional pressure on your teeth, gums, and the bones that surround your teeth.
As a result, various changes occur within the bones and the gums. So, you feel pain and discomfort during this time from Invisalign elastics and buttons.
We may also fail pain and discomfort if you are invisible in buttons get damaged.
Here are the ways how you can prevent Invisalign attachments and elastics buttons from hurting and get rid of the pain.
1. Use Invisalign Chewies.
Invisalign Chewies are available for you to make the aligners fit properly on your teeth. You also get them with Invisalign or your dentist advises you to use them after getting a new set of Invisalign trays.
But, an interesting fact is that they also help you get rid of pain from Invisalign or attachments.
This is because they improve the feet of the aligners on the attachments and teeth. Moreover, they apply gentle pressure on your teeth and relieve tension from the Invisalign aligners.
So you should use them when you get a new set of aligners or whenever you feel pain or discomfort.
Check out the 7 best Invisalign Chewies that you can use from my other article.
2. Apply orthodontic wax.
If one of your Invisalign attachments or buttons hurt your cheek or gums, you can put orthodontic wax over it to protect your mouth.
The edge of the Invisalign buttons may irritate your gums or cheeks when you first get them.
Sometimes, eating with attachments becomes also very uncomfortable initially. In that case, dental wax can help you.
Even if your Invisalign attachments get loose or fall off, you can apply a piece of dental wax to fix that at your home.
Also, check out the 5 best dental wax for aligners.
3. Take over-the-counter pain relievers.
You can take over-the-counter pain relievers if you cannot tolerate pain from Invisalign attachments or buttons. But, in most cases, the pain goes away without taking any medicine.
4. Apply local pain reliever.
You can apply local pain relievers such as Orajel ointment to the painful teeth or gums to get rid of pain from Invisalign attachments or buttons.
5. Apply cold compression.
When you feel pain, you can use cold compression such as a cold towel or an ice pack over your mouth to get rid of the pain temporarily.
6. Know the proper method of insertion and removal of aligners.
When you get Invisalign with attachments or buttons, you should know how to insert and remove the Invisalign trays properly. Using appropriate techniques can reduce your painful condition.
7. Use aligner removal tools.
As having attachments or buttons on your teeth during Invisalign treatment make it a little bit harder to remove the aligners, you should Use aligner removal tools to remove them easily without any pain and discomfort.
8. Follow the instruction by your dentist.
You should always follow the instructions by your dentist regarding using the aligners to prevent any pain or discomfort.
9. Stay away from hard and crunchy food.
Invisalign attachments or buttons create rough and irregular surfaces over your teeth.
So, choose your diet carefully so that your attachments, buttons, or your teeth don’t get hurt while eating.
Avoid hard and crunchy foods while having those attachments or buttons on your teeth. If you take this food, it puts pressure on your teeth and you may feel pain.
Even if you have sore teeth and mouth due to those attachments or buttons, eating soft and easy-to-chew food can help reduce the pain.
10. Switch new aligners at night.
New get a new set of Invisalign trays, it starts hurting you. Sorry, it’s a great way to replace old aligners with new ones the night before you go to bed.
11. Drink a cold or hot beverage.
If Invisalign attachments are causing too much pain for you you can remove your aligners and take cold or hot beverages such as coffee or tea. This helps soothe the discomfort for a while.
12. Consult with your dentist.
If pain persists for more than a few days, you should consult with your dentist about your problems and get a solution.
13. Know right technique of brushing and flossing.
Learn the proper method of brushing and flossing your teeth while wearing Invisalign attachments or buttons.
If you try to protect your Invisalign attachments or buttons so that they don’t get damaged or fall off. Otherwise, it may become responsible for your painful mouth.
Takeaways
Invisalign attachments or buttons don’t hurt your teeth when you get them. Your teeth and gums become painful when you insert aligners over those attachments or elastic bands to those buttons.
This is because aligners or elastics put pressure on your teeth to move them and make your teeth straight. You can follow your dentist’s advice and home remedies to get rid of the pain.
