If the crown is too large, can’t the dentist grind off a bit of the part that is too large so that it is no longer too large?
I bet a new retainer would be cheaper than paying the dentist for a crown adjustment. 
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When I got a crown that was a bit too large (noticed that upon biting/chewing, the crowned tooth hit the opposite tooth a bit early), the dentist who did the crown ground off a bit a few days later at no extra charge.
I always bring my retainers when getting a crown and the dentist does multiple test fits as part of the process. Any follow-up fine tuning after I’ve had time to get used to the feel is also included.
I’ve had Invisalign for 18 months. I use the OrthoKey clear aligner removal tool from Amazon. I find it much better than the one given in the office. I have weak fingernails, but I can’t remove the upper tray without it.
I have attachments on every tooth. I had metal braces as a kid and as an adult. I find Invisalign so much more comfortable and wires don’t break and poke, no emergency dental trips, etc. However, with metal braces if something is a little off the dentist can “tweak” it at an appointment mid-stream. That isn’t an option with Invisalign. The only option is to re-scan at the end and get additional sets of refinements.
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@Lindagaf - my ortho recommended Spark. He also uses Invisalign but feels Spark is slightly better (and trays are clearer, he said).
I’ve found them to be fine. @snowball - trays took a fair bit of getting used to. Like you I had a really hard time prying them off the first few times! Now it’s very easy (use nail!).
I know at least 6 women in my age range who are getting/have gotten clear aligners!
I’ve been really surprised how quickly they changed the shape of my jaw/face (got them for improving my bite and preventing further teeth chipping).
PS to add - I did not want to be older (and on a fixed income!) and have cracked or damaged teeth! Looked at this as an investment…
One tip -when I’m at home and take out my trays to eat, I put them in a small dish of water. I feel like this helps remove any small particles, germs, etc. and keeps them cleaner throughout the day.
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@Jolynne_Smyth As I mentioned in my earlier post, what finally made me do this after probably 10 years of my dentist suggesting it, was my mother. While she is 93, she is independent. Her teeth are so crowded and not well cared for, and she is having trouble eating certain food now. He bridge broke a couple of months ago, and according to the dentist, is not repairable. Dentist mentioned her teeth looked like someone in a nursing home, one with no dental care. Seems she hadn’t had her teeth cleaned since my dad passed away, and that was 5 years ago and it could have been a year or more before that. I did not want to be in the same dental place as she is, so decided it was time to fix my teeth again for the 3rd time at the age of 67!
For those that use a Waterpik, has anyone used the cordless flosser; are they as good? I would love not to have the big countertop one sitting out. @dentmom4 do you have a suggestion? I was never big on flossing, but will do it every night now; no need to spend a fortune on Invisalign only to create new decay! I know the Waterpik is not instead of flossing, but I assume it will help, especially if I use it at other times.
I also have floss picks in my purse for times that I am out and need a quick floss. My husband was obsessed with these as he always had food that he could feel stuck in his teeth. I have used them occasionally, but thinking they will get more use now. I find them easier to use than floss, and wonder if I could just use these nightly, instead of string floss; I would be more compliant if so.
Can’t imagine using a corded one. Cordless works great.
One caveat: do not use plain tap water in it. Tap water without any bactericides will simply push bacteria deeper into the gums. That’s what the hygienists told me. There is a special additive for that (iorinse I think it is called - need to double check when I get back).
I have found these kind of floss sticks to be easier to use than the floss string.
@Marilyn We have these which are basically a similar concept:
@BunsenBurner That makes sense; I wonder if filtered water would be good enough, or if an additive would be needed. While I have filter water in the fridge, I could also buy a bottle and keep in the bathroom.
I see Philips also makes a cordless flosser; not to research and see how it compares to the many waterpik models.
Filtered water wouldn’t solve the problem because bacteria are the ones living on the gums, not the ones coming from water. This is apparently most important for people with periodontal disease (who doesn’t have some sort of it in our age?).
I checked, it is iorinse. Do not use it if you are allergic to any of the ingredients and check with your dentist.
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@BunsenBurner I wonder if this is what my dentist has us use prior to getting in the chair. We have to swish for 30 seconds or so with some type of rinse which is the same color, but she has the mint flavor.
Do you only use the ioRinse, or add it to the water? If a mix, what are the proportions?
@snowball - we had used the cordless water flossers for years - I found the large ones with the big container (corded) to be better, recently (but not by much). What made me like them more was emptying out the tank of water each time was easier and I felt I could get it cleaner (e.g., wipe out with paper towel, let air dry, etc.). For functionality, I think they were very similar.
@BunsenBurner - eek I never heard about that bacteria thing re: water flossers! I’ve been trying so hard to be hygenic! Will call dentist tomorrow…
To add - I’m doubling down on tooth cleanliness w/the aligners and found these mini-brushes to be helpful (easier to use more frequently than the water pick/flosser)
I’ve used both but think the sticks are easier to maneuver than the picks.
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I found a study that indicated interdental brushes a bit better than floss
(perhaps I need a hobby! lol)
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I actually use a four step process: soft head electric brush, then end tuft brush for a few corners and tight spots, regular floss, then the tiny interdental brush. Sometimes it takes all four steps to get every bit of food debris. I should have started this years earlier.
Also should have done Invisalign earlier since some of my teeth were tight and slightly overlapping. (I did have braces as a child.) I asked my dentist about it and she said I didn’t need it. Then a year later she recommended it because my front top and bottom teeth were scraping each other and damaging one tooth. She had spent a few years dealing with lots of my cavities, root canal, crowns, etc. I’m sure part of the problem was not being able to clean properly between teeth.
That dentist is no longer my dentist.
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This is the reason I need to get my teeth straightened. My dentist doesn’t do orthodontics and keeps suggesting I see someone. I have all my teeth including wisdom teeth. The uppers aren’t bad but I have a lot of crowding in the lower front and it is getting worse. So far my teeth aren’t giving me problems but I’m concerned for when I’m older rd and not as diligent about my teeth and gum care.
I keep putting it off as I’m worried I’ll have to have teeth pulled. When I was in my 20’s I went pretty far with a plan but pulled out when they wanted to pull 8 teeth. I’m hoping things have improved and I won’t need any pulled.
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@mom60 As Nike says, Just Do It!
I mentioned to the orthodontist that after my first set of braces at 12, the dentist mentioned I should have had 4 teeth pulled. No clue why it wasn’t done, or if they thought the braces would help. As we know, it wasn’t really recommended to wear retainers forever back then, so I went back into regular braces in my late 30s; now 30 years later, here I am with Invisalign.
I am hoping I can keep them in the same condition once done and will wear my retainers as recommended. My current orthodontist said that teeth pulling was not needed, and I don’t remember my previous orthodontist in my 30’s mention it either.
Go for the consult, it is free.
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I started Invisalign as an adult. I had braces as a teen, but was never prescribed a retainer, so the years reversed much of the work.
My Invisalign took over 3 years. Happy with the result, but not the process. As an adult, I had a lot of questions, and it was obvious that the orthodontist was not used to and did not welcome questions (most of his clients were teens).
He had multiple practices in town, so was only in my part of town 1 or 2 days a week, which significantly limited appointment availability. I was not aware of that before I started.
One thing I did appreciate: I did not want to deal with a permanent retainer wire, so after I was finished, he prescribed 20 “trays” instead. (He recommended a permanent retainer for his teen clients). Because he did so much work with Invisalign, evidently he could do that at no extra cost to me. Each tray had a very slight adjustment, as if it were part of my process, but instead I use one each year (for the next 20 years!). I’m supposed to use them every night, but am now using every other night, and it is working just fine. Far easier than dealing with a permanent wire retainer.
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