Many people wonder if clear braces are painful, the nature of braces is to create a tightening force to move the teeth to the desired position on the jaw, so pain is inevitable. However, the pain usually does not last too long, only about 1-2 days at certain times. If the pain persists for a long time and does not subside, it may be due to errors in the process of making the braces, causing damage to the gums and teeth when used.
1. What is Invisalign clear braces?
Currently, Invisalign clear braces are a modern orthodontic method chosen by many people. This method will help overcome some dental defects such as crowded teeth, misaligned teeth, buck teeth, underbite, … effectively like traditional braces. But instead of using a system of archwires and brackets fixed to the teeth, the orthodontic appliance is now a transparent plastic tray.
Invisalign clear braces will help teeth move little by little with gentle and continuous force until they reach the desired position. The braces are designed to be thin and light, providing high aesthetics, bringing many conveniences and almost completely overcoming the disadvantages of traditional braces.
2. Advantages of clear braces
Clear braces have the following outstanding advantages:
2.1. High aesthetics
The braces are designed with high-quality transparent plastic to fit tightly around the teeth, making them almost invisible on the teeth, providing absolute aesthetics, helping customers smile confidently even when wearing braces.
2.2. Flexible installation
Invisalign clear braces can be removed very easily when necessary, making eating and drinking less difficult.
2.3. Easy to clean
Thanks to their flexible installation, oral hygiene is no longer a problem for people wearing braces. Not only are the teeth cleaned, but the braces are also very easy to clean to avoid bacteria buildup that can affect oral health.
2.4. Comfortable feeling
While traditional wire and bracket systems can damage and scratch soft tissues such as lips and gums, the outer surface of the Invisalign clear braces tray is completely smooth and soft, providing the most comfortable feeling for customers when using it.
3. Do clear braces hurt?
Due to the nature of braces, which is to create an impact force to move teeth to the correct position on the jaw, pain during the orthodontic process is inevitable.
3.1. When wearing braces for the first time
At the time of first wearing clear braces, most customers will feel slight pain and toothache, this feeling only lasts about 1-2 days. In addition, at this time customers may also feel a little uncomfortable because the oral cavity has not yet adapted to the braces.
3.2. After each time wearing a new tray
Because each brace is designed differently with different tightening force, after about 2 weeks customers need to change to a new brace to help the teeth move to the correct position little by little. The new trays will exert a pushing force on the teeth, so when changing the braces, customers may feel a little sore.
4. Causes of pain when wearing clear braces
In fact, whether clear braces cause more or less pain depends on the following factors:
4.1. Age of braces
The age of braces not only determines the time of braces but also greatly affects the level of pain during orthodontic treatment. To minimize pain, parents should let their children get braces at the age of about 12 to 16 years old. The reason is because at this time the jawbone is still soft, the permanent teeth have fully grown but are not yet really stable, so changing the position of the teeth is much easier.
4.2. Pain tolerance of each person
Each person has a different pain tolerance, with the same level of pain, some people feel normal, some people feel very uncomfortable.
4.3. The braces tray does not fit the tooth body
The clear braces tray itself can also cause pain and discomfort if it is not designed precisely and fits the tooth body. If you have braces done at an unprofessional, unreliable dental clinic, the 3D tooth scan process can have errors that cause the braces tray to be designed with incorrect proportions, affecting the teeth and gums.
4.4. Poor quality braces tray material
Invisalign clear braces trays will be produced from high-quality, genuine plastic materials that have been tested to be completely benign and safe for oral health. However, some dental clinics, for profit, use poor quality, untested materials, which can cause allergies, infections and prolonged pain.
5. How to take care of your teeth and mouth when wearing clear braces
Although taking care of your teeth and mouth during Invisalign clear braces is easier than when wearing braces, it is still very important:
5.1. Wear the tray correctly
To achieve the highest orthodontic efficiency, customers need to wear the clear aligner tray at least 22 hours a day, except when eating and cleaning their teeth.
5.2. Proper oral hygiene
– Brush your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush at least twice a day, especially after eating to avoid food accumulation that causes bad breath and affects your health.
– Combine the use of dental floss to thoroughly clean food debris in between teeth to prevent bacteria from growing and developing, causing danger to teeth and gums.
– Clean the aligner tray with a toothbrush and toothpaste, absolutely do not soak the aligner tray in hot water because it can be deformed under high temperatures.
5.3. Scientific diet
When removing the braces during chewing, customers can freely eat any food they like. However, to protect their teeth, customers should still eat soft foods that are not too hard or too chewy. In addition, customers should limit the use of dark-colored foods such as carbonated water, chocolate, etc. to avoid discolored, yellowed teeth that lose their aesthetics.
So whether clear braces hurt or not depends on many factors mentioned above. If the pain persists and is unbearable, customers should go to a reputable dental facility to have the quality of the braces checked and promptly corrected if necessary.
