Setback

I had an appointment on Thursday, February 6th. It was supposed to be my final appointment, Dr. Sharma just wanted to check and make sure my retainers were doing their job and keeping all my teeth in line. But he told me that two of my front teeth were shifting back into their old spots. Very minor movement, but enough to warrant some action. He has ordered me a new set of trays (they will be the same as my final set of Invisalign trays so I didn't need new molds). I am currently just wearing my retainers at night as they are too big and bulky to wear during the day (and I'd rather not spit all over my coworkers..) while I wait for my new trays to come in. I am a little disappointed at this setback but I am also glad we are doing something about it right now before my teeth get 'worse'. Personally, I can't even see the movement, but I trust Dr. Sharma! My new trays should arrive in the next few days and I will go back to see Dr. Sharma and make sure they fit properly. I will keep you posted!

After

I had my appointment on November 27th to file down my front tooth and add filler to the chip. They look fantastic. I received my retainers and I have been wearing them for almost two months now. They are very comfortable to sleep in but I can't wear them other than at night because they are so thick (they tend to make me spit or drool, yuck!). My teeth had shifted slightly in the first few weeks so I have another appointment on January 28th to make sure they have been pushed back into place (which I think they have). I believe this will be my final appointment for my Invisalign treatment, I am very excited for that, only one year and 8 months to have perfect teeth! I have noticed I don't grind my teeth as much anymore but that may be due to the retainers acting as a barrier for my clenched jaw. I can't resist taking selfies nowadays!

My fiancee and I finally had some engagement pictures done, because I feel so much more confident when I smile. I even had someone compliment me on my straight teeth the other day!! That was definitely a first!

FINISHED!!

FINALLY DONE! I had my appointment yesterday and Dr. Sharma said my teeth are looking fantastic, and if I’m happy (which I obviously am) then we are all done!!! Best appointment ever! I got all my attachments taken off, which feels AMAZING and I got fitted for my retainers which I should receive in the next day or two. To remove the attachments they have to use a small grinding tool (that’s what it looks like anyways) and spray it with LOTS of water, it is very quick and completely painless, just loud and I got sprayed in the face a few times. The paste they use for the retainer mold is similar to the Invisalign mold, it was slightly uncomfortable, but I didn’t gag, it has no flavor and it only sits in your mouth for a minute or so. I was told the retainers are almost the same as the Invisalign trays, just slightly thicker (more ‘heavy duty’). I have to wear them every day as much as possible for the first 3 months, to set my teeth. After three months I can move to night wear only. She mentioned that eventually, after a year or so, I won’t need to wear them at all, but because I grind my teeth at night she said I can wear them instead of a night mouth guard to protect my teeth from wearing down.




Gotta love taking selfies now!! :)







 

Next Wednesday (the 27th) I have a 7:30am appointment to grind down one of my front teeth so it can be the same length as the other one, and to fill a small chip in the other front tooth. I won’t be getting my teeth professionally whitened, as I don’t think they need it, but I will whiten them at home with just a Crest WhiteStrip Kit. I will be getting the “After” photos done at that appointment. Once the clinic has those picture they will send me some of my “Before” pictures, and the “After” pictures so I will have a really good comparison. I’m most excited for that part!





 

Tray Eight

I had a very exciting day regarding my Invisalign treatment yesterday! I had my appointment with Dr. Sharma and he said my teeth are looking excellent! He took all the attachments off of the top teeth and I can’t believe how good they look! He took the attachments off using a small grinding tool, while spraying with water; it was very quick and easy. He then flossed them and polished them! The bottom teeth will keep the attachments until the next appointment. My next two trays were cut down so only the front teeth are being covered. This is to let my back teeth ‘drop’ and settle in to position without moving my front teeth. The trays feel really odd (and look very silly) but I’ve already gotten used to them. I have two sets, so I will be changing them every two weeks until my next appointment on November 19th. At the November 19th appointment we will decide if my teeth are complete or if I will need more refinements.

The weird 'half trays'!



My fiancee took me to DisneyWorld in Florida for my 25th birthday! I don't mind selfies now!!



Tray Five

I had an appointment with Dr. Sharma last week, on September 11th; as I had finished the four trays he had originally given me. He was a little disappointed with me because I hadn’t been wearing my trays the recommended 22 hours a day (more like 8, only while I slept, woops!) but I told him that it’s hard to keep wearing them and I’m a little discouraged that it isn’t going faster. He told me if I promise to wear them 22 hours a day (or close enough) I can shorten each time I wear the trays by 4 days. Therefore I am currently changing the trays every 10 days instead of 14. I had to wear tray 4 for another 10 days because my teeth hadn’t quite moved and settled into the correct position.

I just changed into tray 5 yesterday (yes a day early, but I was sick of wearing tray 4!) and I have been vigilant about wearing them for as long as I can all day, every day. Dr. Sharma told me if I continue to change every ten days, and wear them for 22 hours a day then I may be done by October 22nd!! This means I should only need another 4 trays!! I am SO excited about the prospect of this. I explained that I wanted to do engagement photos with my fiancée but was planning on waiting until my trays were done, he said hopefully (if I do as I’m told) then I can be done much sooner than originally planned, get my attachments removed, my teeth filed and filled if necessary!! I’m definitely being very good about wearing them now!! I had another hygienist appointment yesterday and she explained my teeth are still doing very good; no cavities and my gums are nice and healthy. It has now been one year and four months since I started this journey and I am right on track to be done in the year and half that I was quoted. Fingers crossed!!

Tray One...

I am now on tray one of my refinements. I got them today and I have 12 refinement trays... Yes, another six months... I’m a little discouraged at this point, it took over a month for my new trays to come in and now I won’t be done until Christmas. I keep telling myself that it will be all worth it once I’m done, but I can’t wait; I was so excited to be done soon. My orthodontist said I probably won’t need all of the 12 trays, and I can stop anytime I feel happy with the progress. I won’t post any more pictures as I nothing has changed since the last pictures.

Tray Ten

I am now on my last tray of my midcourse corrections! I have my final appointment on June 12th and I CAN’T wait to hear what my orthodontist will say. I know I will need refinements, but I’m not sure for how long. I’m hoping only three months! Keep your fingers crossed! The trays fit really well, and the front attachments are barely visible.

I have noticed I have gained some weight (only a pound or two) since starting this Invisalign treatment, I think it’s because I eat more at one sitting now, whereas before I used to snack all day. It seems to have messed up my metabolism! I do drink an inordinate amount of water now, about 6 bottles of water per day, which I’m sure is very good for me! The weight gain is not a huge deal to me, but once I am done I will go back to eating smaller portions, more often, and working out a little harder so I can make sure I fit into my wedding dress next year!!

I had another hygienist appointment last week and I got the all clear again. There is one pocket in the back upper tooth on the right that has excessive bacteria, my dentist said I might have to get that filled before it becomes a cavity, but right now they’re ‘watching’ it.

I can’t believe it’s been a year and how far my teeth have come, I’m very excited to be finishing soon, and my Ortho told me he can smooth out the chip in my front tooth (which I hadn’t even noticed until he pointed it out!!).





We're enaged!!!



    









Tray Three

I’m a third of the way through my second set of trays, and everything is going really well. The trays fit perfectly, but they are a little harder to pull in and out of my mouth due to the new attachments, especially the two on my front tooth. I have to tell myself “You will not pull your own teeth out!” and yank! It’s only painful for the first day, I don’t mind because I know they are working! I’m still disappointed that I still have seven trays left, but hopefully after that I will be done. I can’t wait to get the attachments off and whiten my teeth! That will be very exciting. I had an appointment with my Orthodontist about two and a half weeks ago, and he is really happy with the progress, everything is on track. He mentioned that I wouldn’t be able to visibly see much change in the next couple of months, as these trays are more for moving my back teeth, to properly align my bite. As you can see in the pictures, my bottom tooth still needs quite a bit of movement, two of the teeth on my top row still need to move slightly and (not seen in the pictures, obviously) but my bite is still off. It is definitely second nature to wear the trays; I don’t feel the difference between wearing them and not wearing them. I also drink a lot more water now than I ever used to, drinking anything else with the trays in is a big no-no and because I wear them all day at my desk at work, I just drink water. (I’m glad I was never addicted to coffee!)

I had an appointment with my hygienist two weeks ago (Yes, I basically live at the dentist office now). They highly recommend a basic cleaning every three months while using Invisalign as bacteria can grow faster while you wear them (especially if you wear them without brushing!). I got the all clear, no cavities, no potential cavities and my gums are healthy. The only difference is that I have sensitive teeth and gums now, because of the movement from the teeth, which I was told is very normal. I can’t have cold beverages without using a straw, I definitely can’t bite into ice cream and I have to use sensitive toothpaste, certainly not a big deal!

Tray One...

I went to my ortho appointment on January 8th, and Dr. Sharma confirmed what I feared... I needed new trays. He wasn’t sure how many, but he took the molds and said I would get a call in a couple of weeks, to fit them in. He was very proud at how far my teeth have come since I first saw him 8 months ago. He took some new pictures and showed me the before and after, it was incredible! I’m still feeling a little disappointed to have to stop my procedure and wait a couple of weeks for new sets of trays but what’s another month when I’ll have beautiful teeth for a lifetime right?

I got my new trays on Thursday, January 24th. I have 10 trays in this next set, which means another FIVE months. I was shocked, considering how good my teeth are looking. I also got three new attachments, two on my front tooth and one on my lower back tooth. They aren’t visible, and I got used to them very quickly (although it reminded me of how awful it is at the start and how much I really don’t notice my attachments anymore!) The new trays fit wonderfully, no pain whatsoever, and it was nice to feel like I was back on track after a short diversion.

I only got one set of trays as my Orthodontist was away on vacation when I went for my appointment on January 24th, so I have another appointment on February 7th to talk to him and just make sure everything is on track.

Tray Seventeen

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! I’m on my last tray for my bottom teeth, and I only have 7 left for my top teeth. Unfortunately at my last appointment, at the end of November, my Orthodontist informed me that my teeth aren’t moving the way the trays predicted they would move. The trays have a small gap between the tray and the tooth, and no matter how much I use my chewies, they just don’t fit on how they should do. My teeth are still moving wonderfully, but not quite as much as the trays were molded. This means at my next appointment, on January 8th, I may have to get new molds, meaning I will be set back a month or so, while getting new sets of trays. I will definitely need more trays for my bottom teeth, as I still have two teeth that aren’t straight. It is disheartening thinking that I may be set back a month or more while I get new trays, but my teeth are looking fantastic and they have come so far. I will keep you informed!

Other than that, everything is going really well. I was on vacation for two weeks at the beginning of December, with my boyfriend and his family. We had an amazing time in the British Virgin Islands, and I wore my trays as much as possible, it is very hard while on vacation!

I will update after my next appointment!



The trays with a gap!




A picture from the British Virgin Islands;
My teeth are looking better and better!

 

Tray Twelve

Sorry I haven’t written in awhile! I cannot believe I am now on Tray 12 (changing to Tray 13 tomorrow!) Everything is still going great! I was on vacation from October 9th until October 15th (My birthday ). My boyfriend and I went to Mexico for a week! It was an amazing vacation, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and the weather was beautiful! I had a dentist appointment for new trays, a check-up, and some new x-rays on the 16th. Not going to lie, I was not looking forward to it; normally I am very excited to see my orthodontist, hear that everything is going great, and get some new trays! But this time, I was actually quite worried. While I was on vacation I only wore my trays at night. I usually abide by the recommendations of wearing the trays for 22 hours (or close to that) but while on vacation I couldn’t seem to remember to carry them, and I was constantly eating, getting lots of drinks, and I hate wearing them without brushing my teeth! Basically for a straight week, I only wore them at night. I was petrified I would be scolded for not wearing my trays and my next ones wouldn’t fit or be very painful!

Thankfully, when I confessed my sins to my Ortho he completely understood and said that’s fine once in awhile. He told me if I can’t get my next set of trays in, then I will take them home, continue to wear my old ones for a few more days and keep trying the new ones. Simple! Fortunately my new trays fit, a little more tight and painful than usual, but it doesn’t matter because they fit! I also got screened for bacteria growth (because while wearing the trays your teeth can have a tendency for bacteria growth, causing cavities and gum disease) I also got checked for cavities or potential cavities, good news: my bacteria growth is very low, no cavities, and no potential for cavities. My Ortho actually said I have a very boring mouth! (I was assured this is a good thing...)

I also wanted to point out the fact that before I got my Invisalign trays I was wearing down my teeth due to my nightly grinding (which in most cases was so loud it woke my boyfriend who then shook me awake because it was such an awful sound...) Since wearing my Invisalign, obviously I haven’t been damaging my teeth because the trays stop my teeth from actually grinding together. But I have noticed that I don’t wake up with jaw pain or headaches as often anymore. My Ortho informed me that could be thanks to Invisalign which has changed my bite pattern dramatically; causing my jaw to not be as tense at night, which could be minimizing my grinding. Another plus!!

I have definitely become more relaxed about wearing my trays, popping them in and out without worry, and I find them very comfortable. Even when I change my trays I can usually take them out the next evening for dinner with minimal pain (during the first day I still stick with smoothies, it’s just easier). I still change my trays before bed so I can sleep through most of the initial pain.

I have read in some reviews that Invisalign ruins your social life and personal relationships, but I have to completely disagree. I understand that each person has their own experience with Invisalign, and some are better than others, but for myself I am doing everything now that I always have. If I want to go to the pub or a restaurant with friends and drink and have appetizers, I do. Yes I understand popping your trays out to eat is a minor inconvenience but having the ability to be able to do that and eat whatever you want, I think trumps that minor inconvenience ten times over. Most of the time it has become a joke with everyone saying, “Oh wait Lindsey has to take her teeth out!”

I only have four more sets of trays for my bottom teeth and 11 for more upper. The time is flying by.

Tray Nine

Over half way through my bottom teeth and only 15 left for the top! Everything is going great!!

Tray Five

I have had my trays in for just eight weeks! Time is flying by, I can’t believe in just 6 months my bottom teeth will be done! I changed to Tray Five 5 days ago, which leaves me with 12 for the bottom and 19 for the top. Changing to new trays is much easier now; I just snap them in, no filing necessary. Immediately the pain is quite intense and stays that way for the first day or two, but nothing unbearable, just learn to deal with minimal food and lots of protein shakes! It is not so much painful the entire two days, but a very unpleasant constant pressure, like something is clamping on each tooth. I have found the longer you leave the trays out in the first couple of days, the harder and more painful it is to get them back in, it subsides very quickly though. Changing them on a Saturday night is perfect, if I toss and turn that night and can’t eat on Sunday it isn’t a big deal.

I have definitely become more relaxed about brushing after meals, I feel if I have a cookie or some tea then rinsing with water at my desk is fine (I know! It isn’t ok!) It is just extremely time consuming to run off to the bathroom every time you eat! Being a stickler for wearing them all day as long as possible makes me just want to get them back in as soon as I can! Yet somehow, embarrassingly, I have managed to leave the house twice after forgetting to put my trays back in, leaving them on the bathroom counter. The first time I was backing out of the garage, panicking I run back in and put them on, which was fine. But the second time I managed to get halfway to my destination before remembering I wasn’t wearing them (yes, this is how comfortable you get with them!) much to the amazement of my boyfriend. Unfortunately I spent that evening without them, putting them in as soon as I got home! I never imagined I would be comfortable with the attachments, as it feels like little pieces of uncooked rice stuck on your teeth, constantly distracting my tongue, but as well, I don’t even notice them now!

I have also become one of those Invisalign users who just pop the trays in and out wherever I am, much to the disgust of my coworkers and family. When I began this I vowed I would never be like that, make sure I do it privately so that no one would see me shove my fingers in my mouth and pull my ‘teeth’ out, drool and all, but after two months I’ve become that person!

I had a cleaning at my dentist about a month ago and I got the all clear, no cavities and my teeth and gums look great! I also got to watch my Clincheck (the short video which shows the movement and end result) which was very exciting!

I have found my teeth are extremely sensitive now, drinking cold beverages is hard and causes pain in my front teeth, I’ve just learnt to always have a straw handy! I’m also using sensitive toothpaste and Listerine to try and help. Again, another great benefit to Invisalign: No one has noticed that I am wearing them, and most of the time when I point it out, people had no idea and think that I’m just wearing a clear retainer! I definitely feel some movement, but it’s hard to notice in pictures and in person. Here are some recent pictures! (It’s Stampede time here in Calgary so ignore the plaid shirt)

Tray Two

I have now had my Invisalign Trays in for two and a half weeks. I switched over to tray two on Sunday night (May 27th). It was, again, shocking how tight they felt. It caused immense pain in my gum line and jaw; the pain went up and resulted in a headache! But it was ok, I planned for this; I had switched the trays over a few hours before bed, and thought I could just sleep through the pain, as I had heard so many other people had done. Not the case. After an extremely restless sleep, tossing and turning much to the dismay of my boyfriend, I was exhausted for Monday morning. It was hard to lay down because even something as soft as the pillow, causing pressure on my jaw line resulted in discomfort. Lesson learned: Change tray on a Saturday night!! (If I have a restless sleep, I will be ok on a Sunday)
For the first day I had an extremely hard time removing the trays to eat or brush, so it resulted in lots of smoothies and protein shakes (fine by me!) and rinsing with mouthwash. I have found brushing the trays with a soft toothbrush and some toothpaste the best method in keeping them clean, and it’s fairly easy. I usually do this twice a day. (I actually soaked them in mouthwash for about 20 minutes while eating one day, went to put them back in and they had turned green, the colour of the mouthwash! After much scrubbing they did return to clear, but I don’t recommend it!)

At the moment I am very vigilant about keeping everything clean as I am a bit of a stickler with clean, white teeth, but as time goes on I may get a lot more lax due to how time consuming it is! I have seen some changes so far, my teeth seem to be moving back, making room for the front teeth to come down and lineup. Also my back bottom molars were slanted inwards (towards my tongue) and I definitely feel them straightening up. I will post some pictures soon because I feel nothing is noticeable at the moment. I filed the new trays, with a soft emery board, before placing them in my mouth, and hurray! No cuts on lips, no rubbing, they feel great. I have completely gotten used to wearing them, no irritation at all! I read one person’s blog and they said “Get through the first two weeks and your home free”. I couldn’t agree more. The first two weeks are quite awful, but now I talk, sleep, relax completely naturally. The pain when changing the trays is expected, as they are extremely new and tight, but it lasts one night, even by the next morning I was a million times better.

The Beginning

My appointment with my orthodontist was at 3:50 in the afternoon of Monday, May 14th 2012. I was so excited I could hardly breathe! I had been for my consultation and molds 4 weeks earlier. The consultation is when they take pictures of your teeth, from every angle, not a very pleasant viewing; the Ortho will make his estimation of price and length of treatment. The molds were slightly unpleasant, but nothing unbearable. The mold substance is very soft, and goes hard in your mouth within seconds, requiring the Ortho to basically yank them out, again slightly unpleasant. I’ve heard a lot of people say they felt like gagging due to the fact the molds go all the way to the back teeth, I luckily didn’t have this problem. The mold appointment took about 20 minutes, and the consultation takes 30-40 minutes, depending on how many questions you have!

I got about 11 attachments (sometimes called buttons) fitted, bottom and top. The attachments seem to be like gel they apply to your teeth in small dots, and then harden with a UV light. The taste isn’t delicious, but as long as you keep your tongue away it isn’t bad at all. The hardest part is keeping your mouth wide open for 20 minutes! They then scraped and picked off any access gel and filed down a few of my teeth so the trays would fit correctly. During this time, they periodically put smaller, thinner trays in your mouth that are prototypes of your Invisaligns, don’t be fooled they are not your actual trays! I was excited because they seemed so small and thin and bendable, and was disappointed when I found out they weren’t the real trays! Once the attachments are completed, I was fitted with the real trays; these immediately feel a lot heavier and tighter. Once clicked in, you must bite down (which hurts!) on small plastic tubes, this is to ensure correct fit. We practiced taking them in and out a couple of times (took me several minutes, and a lot of drool and tissue…) but I promise it gets faster each time!



First Trays!



The first night I couldn’t take them out, so I gargled with Listerine and drank a smoothie. The entire evening my tongue was fiddling with the trays, it acts like a territorial animal, wondering what has entered its domain! I couldn’t stop it! I spent ten minutes chewing on a “chewie”; small plastic tubes that supposedly help the trays stick to your teeth. The pain/pressure was intense, I had to take a few painkillers, just to dull the ache in the gums and jaw, but my ortho warned me about that. The most awkward part is just getting used to the feel of having plastic in your mouth which tastes and feels very strange.

I’m now on day three, Thursday May 17th, and most of the pain has gone away. One issue I have now is the plastic is scratching up my top lip, causing them to be quite sore. I filed down the plastic with an emery board, and it definitely helped. I think my lips just need to get used to them. I haven’t been able to eat much, the most painful part is definitely the gums, I’ve been eating soft foods for the past few evenings and lots of protein smoothies! I’m MUCH faster at taking them out and putting them in (still a little drool!) I’ve learnt you can’t be afraid to really pull (they won’t break, I don’t think, and contrary to how it feels, your teeth will stay in your head), also I find it works well if you unhook the back using your nails, and pull around to the front. I have been chewing my “chewies” for 10 minutes every day. So far I have been very vigilant in keeping the trays in, due to the fact that it is still quite painful, so if I leave them out for any longer than an hour the pain intensifies when I put them back on. It feels as though the teeth have shifted already!

I can definitely vouch for the Invisalign diet, I don’t snack anymore, and drink about 5 bottles of water a day, and because of the pain right now I haven’t been eating much. But I’m sure this will change as time goes on, as each day it is getting better and better! I have been brushing my invisaligns with my toothbrush, gently, then rinsing with cold water and they come up quite clean. It is very nice to be able to remove them, have a drink (of something other than water) and eat, clean my mouth out properly (brush and mouthwash!) and then put them back in. No one has noticed the braces unless I have shown them and they are impressed that they are so clear and can actually straighten my teeth! The only parts that are noticeable (I think) are the attachments, but again, nothing I have complained about compares with not having to deal with actual metal braces!






 



A picture of my boyfriend and I from Hawaii three years ago.
As you can see; my crooked teeth aren't very noticeable in pictures!