Invisalign in Rugby · the honest guide
Invisalign side effects and disadvantages: the honest list
Written by Dr Jasmeet Heran, Invisalign dentist at Rugby Smiles · Reviewed September 2026
Every treatment has a downside, and we would rather you read ours before you start than discover them halfway through. Invisalign is a very good way to straighten teeth. It is also a piece of plastic you wear for 22 hours a day for months, which comes with some predictable annoyances, and it is orthodontic treatment, which comes with a short list of real risks.
Here is the full list as we explain it in the consultation: the side effects almost everyone gets, the ones worth knowing about, the face-shape question, who Invisalign is genuinely not right for, and the discipline it takes.
The ones almost everyone gets, and gets over
These are the week-one effects. They are annoying rather than harmful, and they pass as your mouth adapts. Does Invisalign hurt? covers the first week in detail.
Common, short-lived
Tenderness and pressure
Most noticeable in the first few days and for a day or so after each aligner change. Pressure, not sharp pain.
What we do: Change aligners in the evening so you sleep through the tightest hours; make sure each one is fully seated.
Common, short-lived
A slight lisp
The aligner sits where your tongue makes an s sound. Some patients notice it at first.
What we do: Talk more, not less. It settles within days for most people.
Common, short-lived
More saliva, or a dry mouth
Your mouth reacts to something new in it. Some people produce more saliva at first; a few get the opposite.
What we do: Sip water. It settles as quickly as the lisp does.
Common, short-lived
Rough attachments
The small tooth-coloured bumps that help the aligner grip can feel rough against your lips and cheeks when the aligners are out.
What we do: Nothing, beyond a few days of patience. With the aligners in, you will not notice them.
The ones worth knowing about
These are the real orthodontic risks. They apply to fixed braces as much as to aligners, they are not common, and they are the reason we assess your gums and bone before we agree to move anything.
Less common, worth knowing
Gum recession
A recognised risk of any orthodontic treatment, particularly where the gums are already thin.
What we do: We look at gum thickness and bone levels at the scan, and plan lighter, slower movements where support is reduced.
Less common, worth knowing
Changing gum contours and dark triangles
As crowded teeth straighten, the gum between them can sit differently, and small dark triangles can appear at the gumline.
What we do: We warn you where it is likely, and in suitable cases IPR can reduce it.
Less common, worth knowing
Root resorption
A recognised risk of orthodontic tooth movement in which the root tip shortens slightly. Significant resorption is not common.
What we do: Careful planning and monitoring. We tell you it exists rather than pretending it does not.
Less common, worth knowing
Decay and gum problems
The one that is entirely avoidable. Putting aligners back over teeth covered in plaque, or after sugary drinks, traps the problem against the enamel.
What we do: Clean your teeth, then aligners in. Every time. Regular hygiene visits throughout.
“I would much rather explain these things properly before treatment than have a patient discover them halfway through.”
Dr Jasmeet Heran, Rugby Smiles
The face-shape question
Patients ask this a lot, usually after seeing before-and-after photos online. The honest answer: Invisalign is not designed to change your face shape in the way facial surgery would.
What it does do is change the position of the teeth and the dental arches, and that can subtly affect how the lips are supported, and so how the smile and lower face appear. Some patients do notice a real improvement in their overall appearance, but that is because their teeth and smile are better positioned, not because Invisalign has reshaped their face.
“I would never promise a particular facial change from Invisalign alone.”
Dr Jasmeet Heran, Rugby Smiles
IPR: the bit that sounds worse than it is
Some plans include interproximal reduction, or IPR. It means carefully removing a very small, controlled amount of enamel from between selected teeth to create the tiny amount of space needed to align crowded teeth properly. It can also improve tooth proportions or reduce dark triangles in the right cases.
Patients sometimes imagine we are filing large amounts off their teeth. We are not. It is fractions of a millimetre, planned in advance as part of the orthodontic plan, and if your plan includes it we show you exactly where before you start.
Who Invisalign is not right for
The obvious one is somebody who tells us from the start that they do not think they will manage wearing something for around 22 hours every day. That is not a criticism. Invisalign requires discipline, and fixed braces may genuinely be a better treatment for someone who knows they will constantly take aligners out and forget to put them back.
We also will not start elective Invisalign treatment where there is uncontrolled gum disease or poor oral hygiene. The mouth has to be healthy first. And there are orthodontic problems where Invisalign is simply not the appliance we would choose; what Invisalign can fix, and what it cannot sets those out.
“Fixed braces might actually be a much better treatment for somebody who knows they will constantly take their aligners out and forget to put them back in.”
Dr Jasmeet Heran, Rugby Smiles
The discipline it takes, honestly
- Around 22 hours a day, every day, for the length of treatment. Out to eat and drink, clean, straight back in.
- Cleaning your teeth after food before the aligners go back, which means a toothbrush in your bag.
- Nothing but water with the aligners in. Tea, coffee and anything sugary means aligners out.
- Keeping track of the aligners themselves. Wrapped in a tissue is how they end up in the bin.
- Retainers afterwards, indefinitely. Retainers explained.
If that list reads as manageable, Invisalign will probably suit you. If it reads as a lot, that is useful to know now, and it is exactly the conversation the free scan is for.
Questions patients ask
Does Invisalign give you a lisp?
Some patients notice a slight lisp at first, because the aligner sits where the tongue makes an s sound. It settles as your mouth adapts, usually within days. Talking more, not less, is the fastest way through it.
Does Invisalign change your face shape?
Not in the way surgery would. Moving the teeth and the dental arches can subtly change how the lips are supported, and so how the smile and lower face look. Some patients see a real improvement in their overall appearance, but that comes from better-positioned teeth, not from Invisalign reshaping the face. We never promise a particular facial change.
Can Invisalign cause gum recession?
Gum recession is a recognised risk of any orthodontic treatment, particularly where the gums are already thin. Gum contours also change as crowded teeth straighten, and small dark triangles between teeth can appear. We assess gum thickness and bone before starting and plan movements accordingly.
Can Invisalign cause headaches or jaw ache?
Pressure on the teeth in the first days of a new aligner can be felt as a dull ache in the jaw, and occasionally a headache. It is short-lived. Persistent jaw pain is not normal and we would want to see you.
Is Invisalign bad for your teeth?
Not if your hygiene is good. The risk comes from putting aligners back over teeth that have not been cleaned, or after sugary drinks, which traps plaque and sugar against the enamel. Clean, then aligners in, every time.
What is IPR and does it damage the teeth?
IPR, interproximal reduction, is the careful removal of a very small, controlled amount of enamel from between selected teeth to create the space needed to align them, or to improve proportions and reduce dark triangles. It is fractions of a millimetre, planned in advance as part of the treatment, not the filing people imagine.
Now you know the downsides, see the upside
The free 3D scan shows your finished smile, your package and your exact price in about an hour, and every risk on this page is assessed for your teeth specifically.
Read next: how much does Invisalign cost? · playing rugby with Invisalign · how long does Invisalign take? · does Invisalign hurt? · Invisalign in Rugby · Rugby Smiles Dental Clinic · 3 Newbold Road, Rugby CV21 2LQ · 01788 579 577