This is a first-hand experience of the challenges, commitment, and ultimate rewards of Invisalign.
For years, I lived with crammed teeth that not only affected how my smile looked but also how my mouth functioned. Eating simple food like corn was impossible, flossing was painful, and I often felt self-conscious about the uneven shape of my teeth.
When I decided to try Invisalign with Dental Boutique Sydney, I didn’t just sign up for straighter teeth—I committed to a process that tested my patience, discipline, and resilience. What followed was a transformative experience that reshaped my smile, improved my dental health, and boosted my confidence in ways I never expected.
I skipped the stage in high school when it was acceptable—expected, even—that you’d get braces. For as long as I can remember, my bottom row teeth in particular were crammed together. Though not terrible to look at, they definitely weren’t straight. Although my top row weren’t as bad, they too were not perfect ad certainly caused their fair share of issues with misalignment.
Born with a small mouth, as my adult teeth came in, they struggled to find space. Over time this caused overlapping, crowding, and an uneven shape to my smile. The bottom row of my teeth in particular formed a sharp point rather than the natural, rounded arc that teeth are meant to have.
While it might sound like a small detail, this dental issue impacted me in more ways than I realised. Eating corn on the cob was impossible. Flossing was painful and frustrating, as the tight gaps between teeth made even the simplest dental hygiene routine a challenge. My gums often appeared overexposed because of the pressure of the crowding, and I became increasingly self-conscious about how my teeth looked and felt.
When I was invited to visit The Dental Boutique in Sydney, a clinic that treats dentistry as both a science and an art form, and with a reputation for luxury service and holistic care, I was thrilled to be given an opportunity to try Invisalign. An alignment treatment I had considered for many years as the solution to my dental issues. I felt confident after my first visit with Dr Cigdem Kipel from Dental Boutique, I’d be in the best hands for what I knew would be a demanding journey.
Her guidance and motivation to get me started was exciting and supportive, and also reassuring. Before the journey of Invisalign starts, they first take a varying scans and photographs to not just record what is happening with your teeth, but to also determine the timeline of how long you will be wearing aligners (estimated of course). I was advised, despite the look of my bottom row, they were not as bad as it seemed, and after a year, I should be able to complete the process with great results.
Starting Invisalign wasn’t easy. The first few months were the toughest, both physically and mentally. Wearing the aligners requires constant commitment—22 hours a day, every day for 12 months. Events, dinners, and even casual outings suddenly required new levels of planning.
I will be honest, as I neared the end, I did wear them more like 16 hours a day, as I found the whole process taxing, and with the end of the journey in sight, I was struggling to continue with 22 hours a day. This is something I would NOT recommend. Do stay focused and stay on course to wearing them 22 hours a day to ensure you don’t fall behind, and could find yourself wearing your aligners for longer. Something I experienced – which I’ll go into later on.
I had to build a routine for cleaning my aligners, brushing after meals, and managing my time carefully to ensure I stayed on track. This included having the right equipment as well, to help manage the whole process better. Especially when you’re not at home.
What I also didn’t realise in the beginning, was how crooked my top row teeth were, they too were way out of alignment, just not as noticeable as the bottom row. When I look back over before and after photos, you can noticeably see how much straighter my too row of teeth are sitting.
Apart from being prepared with the right supportive mindset and equipment to support the whole process, there are a few things to know before making the start:
- Stick with the same dentist once you start if possible – you don’t receive your aligners all at once, which is why you have regular checks every 2-3 months. This is to ensure your teeth are on track, or if aligners need to change. It can cause delays in the delivery of new aligners, when changing dentists.
- Yes, you can see them – be prepared to see them and wear them proudly for photos. they are not entirely invisible. Though less noticeable than braces, they are there, people notice them and you will see them in photos.
- Speech changes – you will notice a slight lisp when wearing aligners, especially in the first few months as you adjust. However, keep in mind, if the lisp worsens, it means the aligners are not fitting properly, do go back for a check up.
- Don’t drink coffee or tea whilst wearing them – I figured my morning coffee would be fine, as it’s mostly milk. No it stains, and so will your evening tea. A slight change in your routine is needed to help you keep the aligners nice and clean,
- You need to wear them ALL the time – when you’re told to wear them 22 hours a day, do it as much as possible. If you don’t, especially during the first 4-5 months of wearing, your teeth may change position, but fall out of sync with the aligners.
- Mentally prepare yourself for the major life adjustment of wearing aligners.
Physically, my body had to adjust too. The first aligners brought on constant pressure, and with it, headaches. The ache felt never-ending at times, and it took real determination to remind myself that this was all part of the process. On tough days, I would look ahead at the aligners waiting for me, reminding myself of the progress to come. Seeing where my teeth were projected to be in the next few weeks kept me motivated to push through.
By the eighth month, things felt different. My routine had settled into place, the headaches had subsided, and I was no longer consumed by the discomfort of those early days. Wearing Invisalign became second nature.
What kept me motivated even more was hearing the stories of others. I met people who were committed to Invisalign for two or even three years. Suddenly, my year timeline felt like a gift. I leaned into the process, proud of how far I’d come, and began to notice real changes in my smile, and even my face with minor structural changes to the overall look and alignment.
In the beginning, I had varying different members of the dental team who managed the first stages, from whitening teeth, to fitting the connectors on my teeth that help keep the aligners on my teeth to a lovely teeth clean and then some. Once the process was set, I was then assigned to Dr Bryce Ko. Which included regular 2 to 3 month appointments for check ups to ensure everything was running smoothly, aligners were still fitting, and I had no issues.
The regular check ins also kept me motivated, as you are shown progress photos of what your teeth did look like to how they look now at regular intervals. This really helped you stay on track.
After wearing my aligners for 10 months, and with a finish line in sight (only 4 months left), I hit a hurdle. I began to experience severe migraines, and at first, I was convinced Invisalign was to blame. The pain was debilitating, and I worried it would derail the progress I had worked so hard for. This in-turn affected my aligners, as they were not fitting as well as they should as I had missed rather a lot of days from not wearing them due to the amount of migraines I was getting.
This is where Dental Boutique Sydney truly shone. Dr. Ko, who guided me through the journey, took a holistic approach, listening carefully to my symptoms. He asked questions about related issues like earaches and sinus pressure and suggested that the cause may not be dental at all. He explained that after five to six months, the major alignment work was complete; what remained was finer adjustment of tooth position, which shouldn’t cause such intense pain.
Sure enough, a quick visit to my GP revealed a middle ear infection—the real culprit behind the migraines. With treatment, the pain disappeared, and I was back on track, with a new set of aligners for the remainder 4 months of my timeline. Without that level of care and attention from my dentist, I might have abandoned the process altogether. I was also very lucky, the alignment of my teeth was not too displaced. An extra 6 weeks were added to my aligners, as long as I stayed on track.
A full year later, my Invisalign journey was complete. The transformation was extraordinary. My teeth now sit evenly in a rounded arch, creating not only a straighter smile but also better function overall. I can eat corn off the cob, floss without pain, and finally maintain proper oral hygiene at home.
Beyond the aesthetics, the change has been about confidence and wellness. A smile touches every aspect of life—from how you show up in conversations to the way you feel in photographs. For me, it has been a powerful reminder; through a challenging process, there can be life-changing rewards at the end.
If I had to take away any life advice to anyone wanting to commit to an Invisalign journey is, Invisalign requires persistence and commitment, patience, and resilience, and a lot of support around as well. It challenging both the mind and the body. The support of Dental Boutique Sydney, the journey was not only successful but empowering. Today, I smile with ease, grateful for every step of the process that brought me here.
If you’re considering Invisalign, go in knowing it’s definitely not a quick solution to straightening teeth. And although I had huge success from using them to straighten my teeth. There are a lot of stories from people that didn’t get 100% what they were hoping to achieve out of wearing them — however, I do believe Invisalign is a lot better than braces and would absolutely recommend them.
