Invisalign during Third Year?

[NotTheBestUSMLE]

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Hi All,

I'm just curious if anyone had invisalign during 3rd year rotations. What was it like? Were you able to keep up with the required hygiene?

My final hesitance with getting invisalign is that I'm not sure whether the two additional trips to the BR (once to take it out, once to brush floss and put it in) will be a meaningful disruption during intern year. I'm asking here because it's a much larger forum than any of the residency-focused forums.

Thanks!

 

[futuremdforme]

Do you have it already? Do you have any alternatives anyway?

 

[NotTheBestUSMLE]

I don't have it yet, basically making the decision by next week. I'm leaning toward invisalign because it would be way easier/cheaper if I needed to transfer to another orthodontist if I move for residency. Also wasn't sure about having regular braces while doing residency interviews.

 

[FFH]

It's great time to do it. You'll have few breaks and that helps you to keep it on. It would then pay off during residency application. I did it before med school application, really glad about my decision.

 

[futuremdforme]

Invisalign was pretty sweet. I had a different brand (discontinued now) and it wasn't really high maintenance beyond regular dental hygiene plus washing the braces before/after bed. I think I went to the orthodontist every 6 weeks, and I would get 2 sets of braces per visit. This could be different with actual Invisalign though. No one could tell I had them in. Two people asked if I was using Crest whitestrips but most had no idea.

I am so happy that I did it. Make sure to keep using your retainer too!

 

[NotTheBestUSMLE]

It's great time to do it. You'll have few breaks and that helps you to keep it on. It would then pay off during residency application. I did it before med school application, really glad about my decision.

I'll be wearing it during residency apps (I'm actually a 4th year, just posted this thread here because there's no central "residency" forum AFAICT.) Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[NickNaylor]

I'll be wearing it during residency apps (I'm actually a 4th year, just posted this thread here because there's no central "residency" forum AFAICT.) Thanks for the encouragement!

Just FYI, there's a general residency issues forum where you can ask questions about residency that aren't specialty specific.

 

[kunalp89]

Wore Invisalign during last half of third year, and will be wearing throughout fourth year. Like mentioned before, mostly regular dental hygiene along with cleaning your braces 1-2x/day. It's very doable during rotations. The only problem I had was when I wanted to drink coffee during the day to keep myself awake sometimes, which I did anyway sometimes with the trays on.

 

[NotTheBestUSMLE]

Just FYI, there's a general residency issues forum where you can ask questions about residency that aren't specialty specific.

Thanks, I must have missed it when I looked earlier -- my bad!

 

[augeremt]

Invisalign is super low maintenance. The only "work" I had was washing them in the morning after getting up and at night before bed. And by wash, I mean I soaked them in denture cleaning solution while I ate breakfast or got ready for bed.

I obviously took them out when I ate, but towards the end of my treatment, more often than not, I would drink clear-ish liquids with them still in, like coffee, tea, and beer. I got lazy. They may have stained a bit from that, but since you switch them out every other week, you can't really tell. (Now that I re-read this, it sounds gross. But I made sure to drink water soon after drinking tea and all was well. I still took them out for more substantial liquids like juice and smoothies.)

Other than that, it's a quick checkup every 8 weeks or so. And most people can't really tell you have them in unless they're looking for it. If you're nervous about having them in during interviews, you can also take them out for a bit once in a while. It's not biggie.

All in all, I highly recommend Invisalign. Good luck!

 

[deleted520847]

No way! Invisalign is VERY high maintenance. You have to brush EVERY time you eat a snack or drink anything that is not water. It sounds easy, but can get pretty irritating fast. I have them on now and I just can't wait to get rid of them. Think about this...you are tired and need some juice or an energy drink in the midst of your round, but you can't do it because darnit you will have to brush after the drink before you put your braces back in. Your friend has chocolate and offers you a bar, nope, you will have to brush after. Heck, even just to eat a breathe mint...nope, you will have to brush after!!!

You will be stuck in the valley of bad breathe with no friends and no one to love you simply because you chose invisalign. Is that the life you want? Can you really give it all up for invisalign? I know I thought I could, but it is HARD!!!!

Don't do it! Don't you do it!

Now that I said all these bitter things, I probably need to go brush my teeth!

 

[Doctor Bob]

Now that I said all these bitter things, I probably need to go brush my teeth!

Unless you said them out loud, you only need to wash your fingers.

 

[NotTheBestUSMLE]

No way! Invisalign is VERY high maintenance. You have to brush EVERY time you eat a snack or drink anything that is not water. It sounds easy, but can get pretty irritating fast. I have them on now and I just can't wait to get rid of them. Think about this...you are tired and need some juice or an energy drink in the midst of your round, but you can't do it because darnit you will have to brush after the drink before you put your braces back in. Your friend has chocolate and offers you a bar, nope, you will have to brush after. Heck, even just to eat a breathe mint...nope, you will have to brush after!!!

You will be stuck in the valley of bad breathe with no friends and no one to love you simply because you chose invisalign. Is that the life you want? Can you really give it all up for invisalign? I know I thought I could, but it is HARD!!!!

Don't do it! Don't you do it!

Now that I said all these bitter things, I probably need to go brush my teeth!

I feel like this is a little hyperbolic, but I am curious. How long have you had 'em? Is your breath really any worse than before?

 

[augeremt]

Your friend has chocolate and offers you a bar, nope, you will have to brush after. Heck, even just to eat a breathe mint...nope, you will have to brush after!!!

This I agree with. I had to turn down a lot of snacks while wearing Invisalign, which in a way made me more selective with my snacking and forced me to think how badly I wanted that chocolate bar. That's mostly because I didn't want to keep taking out my jaws, as I called them, just for a handful of chips, etc.

I started out the same way as this poster, brushing my teeth after every meal. But that ended rather quickly because I like to eat often. Haha.

 

[yuliak1313]

Hey,
I've had Invisalign for 4,5 months already.
The biggest downside was the lisp I've had for first 2 or 3 weeks, it's - thankfully - not there anymore. Sometimes they give me tension headaches, too. But you don't have to suffer in silence, advil (or advil pm at night when i change the set) seems to relieve the existential dread😉
You kind of get used to having them, just stick through the first couple of weeks and you'll be fine.
On the bright side, my teeth are def whiter now that I have to brush&floss them every time I eat.
No problem with breath whatsoever. Weight loss - a plus if that's something desirable.
Now that I have the aligners, the dilemma of whether I'm truly hungry or just bored is solved😉
The bottom line is, I'd do it again.

 

[deleted520847]

I feel like this is a little hyperbolic, but I am curious. How long have you had 'em? Is your breath really any worse than before?

It was hyperbolic 🙂 They are really not that bad but you do have to keep brushing after every single meal which can get old fast. I lost weight (until I started midnight binging where I added some of it back). My breathe was a little worse at the beginning but once I got the cleaning and flossing routine down, fresh as a mint!
If you can afford it, get invisalign for a while then at the end of your treatment if you feel yourself getting sick of them, when your teeth are mostly straight anyway, get the regular braces for the short remainder of the time. The good thing is, they are easy to keep clean since you have to take them off anyway.
Being busy is a downside cause it can cause one to get tired of the invisalign routine. Be sure you are ready for them before you do get them.

 

[NotTheBestUSMLE]

It was hyperbolic 🙂 They are really not that bad but you do have to keep brushing after every single meal which can get old fast. I lost weight (until I started midnight binging where I added some of it back). My breathe was a little worse at the beginning but once I got the cleaning and flossing routine down, fresh as a mint!
If you can afford it, get invisalign for a while then at the end of your treatment if you feel yourself getting sick of them, when your teeth are mostly straight anyway, get the regular braces for the short remainder of the time. The good thing is, they are easy to keep clean since you have to take them off anyway.
Being busy is a downside cause it can cause one to get tired of the invisalign routine. Be sure you are ready for them before you do get them.

I decided "Screw it, if I have to, I'll start carrying a man purse."