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Medical Forum / General / Dentistry / December 2005Overcoming Invisalign sharp edge painful tongue using chewing gum
Is there an accepted way to overcome Align Technology Invisalign sharp edges? The dentist didn't tell me my tongue would be ripped to shreds. I'm sure calluses will form over the course of a year, but, these new Invisalign plastic inserts sure are sharp! For my five thousand dollars paid to the dentist and to Align Technology, I would have expected a better fit and less sharpness. Of course I went back to the dentist (twice) who shaved off bits and pieces here and there, but, he only did it for the first three aligners and the first set (which I am wearing now) STILL cuts my tongue to shreds. I would think there would be a way to soften the edges so that they aren't so sharp. Sort of like what they do with swim goggles and scuba masks by ensuring the edges aren't sharp. One idea I am thinking of doing is add a bit of chewing gum to the edges, especially under the front where it seems to still be very sharp. Has anyone had success using chewing gum to dull the pain of the sharp Invisalign edges? Does anyone have better ideas for me to lessen the sharpness of the Invisalign edges? Pamela > Is there an accepted way to overcome Align Technology Invisalign sharp > edges? I ended up sanding them down with a nail file but they still hurt. I wish there were a known method to blunt the sharp edges of the Invisalign retainers, especially at the rear two sides (where my tonge is widest so it hits the edges) and at the front below the lower incisors (where the edge is a mm from the gumline leaving a gap for the tip of my tongue to shred). Any help for a poor lost soul? Pamela Just go back to the person that provided them and ask for them to be adjusted or pumiced/polished. If they won't do that, find yourself another person that does invisalign that is willing to take over your treatment. A quick fix might be to just use some ortho wax that they use to make braces more comfortable.  SignatureRoy rem NADA to reply | > Is there an accepted way to overcome Align Technology Invisalign sharp | > edges? [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] | | Pamela How about hitting the edge with a Hanau torch ? Signature""""" Philip Atooth {Tooth mechanic extraordinaire} """" > Just go back to the person that provided them and ask for them to be > adjusted or [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > | > | Pamela > How about hitting the edge with a Hanau torch ? I would be concerned about dimensional distortion away from the edge. Maybe if I had it on a model. Steve SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 > > How about hitting the edge with a Hanau torch ? > > I would be concerned about dimensional distortion away from the edge. > Maybe if I had it on a model. Hey, I wonder. You may be on to something. Just like a pair of swimming goggles has a "gasket", these Invisalign retainers of sharp plastic also need a gasket edge. The Hanau torch should work but I am a mere layperson. However, I did try heating up a butterknife on the range and used that to judiciously "soften" the particular edges that were hurting my tongue. This softening of the hard sharp edges seemed to soothe the edges a bit but I was afraid to do too much comfort adjusting for fear of wrecking the material. I also tried putting chewing gum over the edge - which works fine - except that I keep getting the gum stuck all over the place within a few hours of being on the Invisalign sharp edged retainers. Why they don't tell us this stuff in the informed-consent agreement, I'll never know, Pamela Fischer >>>How about hitting the edge with a Hanau torch ? >>>I would be concerned about dimensional distortion away from the edge. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > I'll never know, > Pamela Fischer I don't know if there's a problem with Invisalign. I am a former Invisalign patient myself, and I never had a problem with rough edges. I would have the dentist complain--they may be willing to re-examine the rest of the aligners and correct the problem. You shouldn't have to suffer with this through the whole series. Steve SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 I have never tried it, but would think that if you adjust the torch to a soft feather flame and brush the flame lightly, it would just round the sharp edges without changing the contour. Not something for a lay-person to try at all. Signature""""" Philip Atooth {Tooth mechanic extraordinaire} """" >> How about hitting the edge with a Hanau torch ? > > I would be concerned about dimensional distortion away from the edge. > Maybe if I had it on a model. > > Steve >I have never tried it, but would think that if you adjust the torch to a >soft feather flame and brush the flame lightly, it would just round the >sharp edges without changing the contour. Not something for a lay-person to >try at all. If my boss knew I was posting this he'd kill me but I would like to reasure you almost everyone has severe pain with the Invisalign system in our office the first week. Most can't stand them. Within a month, about half the patients we see get used to the sharpness. But there are some, like you, who can't stand the sharpness. We used to burr them off but found that the rough edges were just as bad as the sharp edges. My advice is to use conventional braces. They are are not only cheaper, but they don't leave your tongue white with cuts. >>I have never tried it, but would think that if you adjust the torch to a >>soft feather flame and brush the flame lightly, it would just round the [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > My advice is to use conventional braces. They are are not only > cheaper, but they don't leave your tongue white with cuts. Wow. I had no pain with my aligners, and I'm the biggest sissy I know. Steve SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 [cut] > Wow. I had no pain with my aligners, and I'm the biggest sissy I know. > > Steve How big does the biggest sissy need to be to earn this distinction? ;-) Webby > [cut] > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Webby Pretty durn big. On topic, I can say that there is in fact some discomfort involved with Invisalign, but I can't imagine that it is any greater than traditional fixed appliances (or removable appliances, for that matter). Why an errant sharp edge can't be smoothed I cannot say either. Perhaps there is distortion somewhere between the impression and the delivery of the aligner, so that the edge stands away from the teeth or tissue. If this is the case, the aligners IMO should be remade. Steve SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 > > [cut] > > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Steve Excellent point!!! (And btw, I can't imagine that you're the biggest sissy you know!! (But, you would know better than I.) Webby :-) >>>[cut] >>> [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Webby :-) I think I am prevented from posting that information by HIPAA. Steve SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 [cut] > > Excellent point!!! (And btw, I can't imagine that you're the biggest > > sissy you know!! (But, you would know better than I.) [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Steve So there we have the answer!! You're not the biggest one. You're the biggest one you can mention... therefore, you are not! Webby > > How big does the biggest sissy need to be to earn this distinction? ;-) > > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Steve What about taking the SofLex disks (3M) to the edges? If it works for me for the NTI, it should work on an Invisalign retainter. SP SignatureTake out the TRAASH to reply >>>How big does the biggest sissy need to be to earn this distinction? ;-) >>> [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > SP The alighners are a pretty thin guage material, so you're not going to get a real rolled edge--you just don't want it to be ragged, which should be easy with a SofLex or any rotary abrasive. The annoyance factor if the edge stands away is another thing. I can imagine that being a tongue magnet. Steve >>>>How big does the biggest sissy need to be to earn this distinction? ;-) >>>> [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > Steve I've never used Invisalign, but having worked in an orthodontics lab and fabricated clear retainers, I found that you can achieve a pretty smooth edge with a fine/very fine cross-cut cone shapped acrylic bur. It takes a little bit of time though, but it seems to work well. --Stephen D > you can achieve a pretty smooth > edge with a fine/very fine cross-cut cone shapped acrylic bur. It takes a > little bit of time though, but it seems to work well. > > --Stephen D Thanks for that advice, but I for one don't quite get this: Is this cone a standard lab cone, or is it something special? I don't have any of those, but hearing you describe this cone, I'd be tempted to take a fine stone inverted cone on the straight handpiece to the edges. I've done that to sharp edges on the NTI as well. Thanks SP SignatureTake out the TRAASH to reply >> you can achieve a pretty smooth >> edge with a fine/very fine cross-cut cone shapped acrylic bur. It takes [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Thanks > SP I'm not really sure what the technical name for this shape is, but the bur that I used for most projects like this was something like this: http://dedeco.com/images/products/8372.gif or similarly: http://dedeco.com/images/products/8374.gif (after a quick search on google) If this allows HTML: <img src="http://dedeco.com/images/products/8372.gif"> <img src="http://dedeco.com/images/products/8374.gif"> I did try to use a white stone a few times, but that was usually for final touches where needed as it seemed to be a little slower going than the fine cross-cut. It was also technique too that helped--I would use small strokes along the edge angling the bur toward the inside or outside of the appliance and then make a second pass with it more perpendicular to the edge to effectively obtain a "rounded" edge. This might not be the fastest way to do it, but during our busy times (i.e. the weeks before Doc's vacations), we were able to take an impression, use quick set stone, and have a smooth clear retainer to the patient in about 20-30 minutes! --Stephen > http://dedeco.com/images/products/8372.gif or similarly: > http://dedeco.com/images/products/8374.gif (after a quick search on google) > If this allows HTML: > > <img src="http://dedeco.com/images/products/8372.gif"> > <img src="http://dedeco.com/images/products/8374.gif"> This is fine. Thanks for the ideas and the links. You should stick around. We need good tech advice like this. Thanks SP SignatureTake out the TRAASH to reply > This is fine. Thanks for the ideas and the links. You should stick > around. We need good tech advice like this. > Thanks > SP Thank you! I guess I never did give a proper introduction to myself. I'm actually a first year dental student at the University of Kentucky college of dentistry, and I've worked with an orthodontist from 1997 to technically the present, though not as much lately with classes. I was able to give this lab advice because the orthodontist didn't use an outside lab--we'd just make everything in the in-office lab. I also worked with the patients doing regular adjustments, records, and digital imaging. So far I'm really enjoying dental school, and I'm always looking for "real world" information so I decided to start reading this news group last week. I look forward to hearing more from everyone! --Stephen As long as your name is Steve, you can post here. All others need to get a special permit. Signature/ Amatus / > >> This is fine. Thanks for the ideas and the links. You should stick [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > --Stephen >>This is fine. Thanks for the ideas and the links. You should stick >>around. We need good tech advice like this. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > So far I'm really enjoying dental school, You gotta cut that out!! Steve and I'm always looking for "real > world" information so I decided to start reading this news group last week. > I look forward to hearing more from everyone! > > --Stephen SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 > So far I'm really enjoying dental school, and I'm always looking for "real > world" information so I decided to start reading this news group last week. > I look forward to hearing more from everyone! Excellent! Just wait 'till everyone in your class figures out that you know where your towel is wrt lab work... You'll be hounded every minute... if it hasn't already started... You are of course more than welcome here.... IMO, this is an EXCELLENT group, for the very reason that all the participants here participate freely, because they choose to. You will quickly learn who speaks with authority and who doesn't. I have had excellent advice here in the past and the present, and so I can highly recommend that you drop by regularly.... butt.... Remember that you must put your studies FIRST. It is esay to catch up on stuff later, and you must pick the threads you want to follow. If you try to do all of the SMD, you may be in for some long nights with not too much sleep. Thanks again SP SignatureTake out the TRAASH to reply |
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