Well, this set's a bit more difficult to remove - & the pressure is certainly more noticeable. Not painful - just enough to make their presence more benounced to me. And I welcome that - means my teeth are moving one more teeny step towards their corrected positions. Edges are all completely smooth again - no irritations there at all.
The last week with the 2nd set was still tight enough to be snapping into place upon replacing them - not at all loose like some folks say their's tend to get. This last set was still very clear at it's end. A friend who wears a nightly guard (to prevent damage from grinding while asleep) mentioned to me that the film may be a result of the level of acidity in one's mouth - sounds quite plausible. I still usually only brush my trays with water - only use a bit of toothpaste occasionally. I have only once had to put them into my carrying case while eating however, so they are almost always soaking in water when out of my mouth. Wonder if that makes a difference at all?
Speaking of night guards - apparently these are a lot more common amongst even folks I know personnally than I'd realized before. I really had no idea! They sound as if they're made of a much heavier plastic - making them very difficult to talk with when in. My aligners are much more comfortable & I'll certainly be used to their feeling by the time I'm wearing them as retainers.
I'll be in good company with the "nightly retained & guarded" it seems...(Hi C & B!)
Did have my first challenge of an evening out. We had 2 things fall on the same night, so it actually made it easier for me: first we had a Jann Arden concert. Wine/beer was available & could be consumed from your seat during the concert - I just chose not to partake & it was certainly no hardship. Afterwards, we went to a house party where we'd been invited to a pig roast. Since it was about 11 p.m. by the time we arrived, it was easy enough to remove my trays for about an hour to have a bite & glass of wine. We left shortly after & I was able to do my complete cleaning routine at home. So, it all worked out quite easily.
I may even get good at this.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Set 2 soon to be a thing of the past...
Friday, February 17, 2006
Life in the Fast Lane
It's been a busy week & I'm relieved to say there are times when I almost completely forget about my aligners. Only had minor discomfort with this 2nd set that is still more noticable when I remove them. Feeling some tooth tenderness when I eat anything crunchy or hard, but certainly not enough not to eat it.
Again, there are no sharp edges to cause any irritation - all smooth all round each tray. I'm wondering if those who have had this problem causing cuts & sore mouths/tongue right from their first trays will likely have it with each subsequent set. Could it be less than perfect impressions that result in this? I've heard others say it's different with each set, so time will tell.
I read about other problems like discomfort caused by the roughness of the buttons when the trays are out while eating & wonder if they were not polished enough. Mine feel not as smooth as the surrounding tooth enamel, but certainly not very rough, either. Sometimes they just feel as if I've got something stuck between my teeth when I'm eating - but, I know they're on the outside of the teeth, so it's just a similar sensation. Once the trays are back in place, I really can't feel them at all unless I purposely run my tongue over them. Apparently, the "flash" is polished off them but they cannot be smoothed out too much or they will not grip the aligners properly.
I keep waiting for that funky smell or whitish film to appear, but none of that - yet. I'm very conscious of only drinking water with them in place though that may be the difference? A few months should tell.
My lisp is way better - almost nonexistant now. So, that wasn't a big deal at all. Sometimes, I just have to force myself to consciously speak out clearly to avoid it totally.
Again, there are no sharp edges to cause any irritation - all smooth all round each tray. I'm wondering if those who have had this problem causing cuts & sore mouths/tongue right from their first trays will likely have it with each subsequent set. Could it be less than perfect impressions that result in this? I've heard others say it's different with each set, so time will tell.
I read about other problems like discomfort caused by the roughness of the buttons when the trays are out while eating & wonder if they were not polished enough. Mine feel not as smooth as the surrounding tooth enamel, but certainly not very rough, either. Sometimes they just feel as if I've got something stuck between my teeth when I'm eating - but, I know they're on the outside of the teeth, so it's just a similar sensation. Once the trays are back in place, I really can't feel them at all unless I purposely run my tongue over them. Apparently, the "flash" is polished off them but they cannot be smoothed out too much or they will not grip the aligners properly.
I keep waiting for that funky smell or whitish film to appear, but none of that - yet. I'm very conscious of only drinking water with them in place though that may be the difference? A few months should tell.
My lisp is way better - almost nonexistant now. So, that wasn't a big deal at all. Sometimes, I just have to force myself to consciously speak out clearly to avoid it totally.
Monday, February 13, 2006
My New Constant Companions
Well, nothing much to report after a full day with my new trays.
There's the constant, fairly mild pressure - no pain. This set certainly "snaps" into place more securely than the first - they just feel snugger overall. And I can feel more pressure than before on certain teeth & see that as a good thing - means there's something going on here.
Not exactly a riveting report but that's OK by me. Slow & steady...
There's the constant, fairly mild pressure - no pain. This set certainly "snaps" into place more securely than the first - they just feel snugger overall. And I can feel more pressure than before on certain teeth & see that as a good thing - means there's something going on here.
Not exactly a riveting report but that's OK by me. Slow & steady...
Saturday, February 11, 2006
1 Down (almost) & 22 to Go
While brushing the other day, I decided to pop my trays into about a 1/2" of Listerine in the usual clear, hard plastic cup I keep for soaking them in at home. They were in it for maybe 5 minutes while I brushed/flossed. Took them out; gave them a once-over with my toothbrush, then rinsed as usual before putting them back in my mouth.
When I went to rinse out the cup - there was an unremovable "film" left behind where the Listerine had been - as if it had etched the plastic so that's not a good thing to be soaking your trays in for any length of time if it can do that to hard plastic. Went back & reread the care instructions that came with the trays & it is not advised. But that may be to promote their own cleaner.
This set is absolutely crystal clear so far & I haven't been using anything to clean them at all besides a drop or two of antibacterial dish soap in the soaking water during breakfast so guess I won't try that again.
In comparison the next set actually appears less clear than the set I'm still wearing. Am wondering if the factory's disinfectant process leaves them appearing less than crystal clear at first. Will have to pay attention to see if it clears up once they've been rinsed & worn.
Much improved.
When I went to rinse out the cup - there was an unremovable "film" left behind where the Listerine had been - as if it had etched the plastic so that's not a good thing to be soaking your trays in for any length of time if it can do that to hard plastic. Went back & reread the care instructions that came with the trays & it is not advised. But that may be to promote their own cleaner.
This set is absolutely crystal clear so far & I haven't been using anything to clean them at all besides a drop or two of antibacterial dish soap in the soaking water during breakfast so guess I won't try that again.
In comparison the next set actually appears less clear than the set I'm still wearing. Am wondering if the factory's disinfectant process leaves them appearing less than crystal clear at first. Will have to pay attention to see if it clears up once they've been rinsed & worn.
This show where I began & how I should end up if all goes according to plan:
Much improved.
Wednesday, February 8, 2006
Unveiling
Had a dinner at my Mother's seniors home. Previously I'd only told one out of my sisters about my Invisalign. Seeing as how I had to whip out my toothbrush right in front of them all (no public washroom nearby in the care facility) I'd figured it was as good a time as any for the big reveal.
Passed around the bowl of water that I had my aligners soaking in so they could all have a look. No one had noticed when I'd discreetly removed them (so yes, it can be done). Many questions - one pointed out that her daughter had a similar type device for her new retainer after an excruciating FOUR years in conventional braces.
My eldest sister looked rather puzzled & asked simply "Why?"
Coming from one with a beautiful smile. it must be harder to understand going to this length to improve your smile IF you've not spent your entire adult life being self conscious of your own.
Some people just won't get it. Probably never will.
Passed around the bowl of water that I had my aligners soaking in so they could all have a look. No one had noticed when I'd discreetly removed them (so yes, it can be done). Many questions - one pointed out that her daughter had a similar type device for her new retainer after an excruciating FOUR years in conventional braces.
My eldest sister looked rather puzzled & asked simply "Why?"
Coming from one with a beautiful smile. it must be harder to understand going to this length to improve your smile IF you've not spent your entire adult life being self conscious of your own.
Some people just won't get it. Probably never will.
Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Now you see'em...
Likely most anyone closer than 2' away from your mouth couldn't help but see them, but if you usually don't smile openly much, they're pretty hard to notice. My Mom couldn't make them out anyways - tried to explain to her just what she was looking at but she just didn't get it.
"I don't see any braces - where?"
(& that little bubble-like thing on my lower left side is where one of the "buttons" is attached on my premolars - none are on any of my front teeth so that does help make them less visible to anyone not aware they're in place)
Monday, February 6, 2006
What's a Few More Days, Anyways?
To suit my personal schedule better & begin each new set on Sunday nights, I've decided to prolong switching to the next set of trays just by 3 days. I OK'd this with my dental people first & they agreed that would be fine - just not to shorten the 2 week term.My dental staff currently have patients in a broad range of ages: the youngest being 18; some in their 20's & 30's - even in their forties. Seems I have earned the distinction (not that I'm real thrilled about this) of being their eldest Invisalign patient yet - I'm going to be 50 in ~ 8 months.
Remembering that my own Mother was in her early 30's when she got a full set of dentures & both my in-laws had partial sets since about the same age, I'm thankful to be able to have my own healthy teeth to even consider an option like straightening them at this stage in my life.
Was looking through my starter kit & realized I've not used my little blue carrying case yet as I've always been able to just soak my trays in a small container of water while eating so far. Sometimes I add a drop or two of liquid anti-bacterial dish soap to the water, then just brush them after I eat - no paste or anything on the brush. I've read of others using all sorts of concoctions to keep that "whitish film" from forming: Listerine or hydrogen peroxide soaks; Efferdent denture cleaner tabs; Retainer Brite; vinegar + baking soda fizzies & of course, Invisalign's own (expensive) ultrasonic machine/crystals.
On about the 8th tray set I got lazy & began using Efferdent tablets each morning for soaking my trays in while I ate breakfast. A few times a week I'd add 3-4 drops of household chlorine bleach to my evening cup of soaking water to help disinfect & clean my trays. After lunch I'd just brush them with a bit of toothpaste. Following that routine worked really well - my trays have always stayed sparkling clean & they've suffered no damage. Made life a little easier.
The edges on my trays are perfectly smooth without rough spots to irritate at all unlike a lot of others' experience.
Remembering that my own Mother was in her early 30's when she got a full set of dentures & both my in-laws had partial sets since about the same age, I'm thankful to be able to have my own healthy teeth to even consider an option like straightening them at this stage in my life.
Was looking through my starter kit & realized I've not used my little blue carrying case yet as I've always been able to just soak my trays in a small container of water while eating so far. Sometimes I add a drop or two of liquid anti-bacterial dish soap to the water, then just brush them after I eat - no paste or anything on the brush. I've read of others using all sorts of concoctions to keep that "whitish film" from forming: Listerine or hydrogen peroxide soaks; Efferdent denture cleaner tabs; Retainer Brite; vinegar + baking soda fizzies & of course, Invisalign's own (expensive) ultrasonic machine/crystals.
On about the 8th tray set I got lazy & began using Efferdent tablets each morning for soaking my trays in while I ate breakfast. A few times a week I'd add 3-4 drops of household chlorine bleach to my evening cup of soaking water to help disinfect & clean my trays. After lunch I'd just brush them with a bit of toothpaste. Following that routine worked really well - my trays have always stayed sparkling clean & they've suffered no damage. Made life a little easier.
The edges on my trays are perfectly smooth without rough spots to irritate at all unlike a lot of others' experience.
Sunday, February 5, 2006
The reality...
Completion date will be Dec. 17/06 if all goes according to plan without delays: 23 trays @ top & bottom = 46 weeks in total, then possibly a "refinement" to fine tune any movement at the end. That is less than a year & I'll be done my initial plan in time for Christmas.
A permanent retainer or trays similar to what I'm wearing now will keep my teeth in their new positions. I've had no problems to speak of so far - no dry mouth - no problem removing/reinserting - no whitish film buildup or funky odour on the trays - no pain really at all.
Helpful tip: to remove them a whole lot easier use a piece of paper towel to grasp them.
I just use my thumb & forefinger of my right hand to get a grip on the back left, then pop that part off first. Next, using my left hand - I pop off the back right, then lift from the front. I do the same thing for both top & bottom tray. I hope each subsequent tray is as easily removed. I have all my buttons right from the start, so that should help make it easier.
The only strange feeling was the slight pressure during the first few days most apparent upon removing them - then I could really feel that it was there. A bit of tooth tenderness when eating, but fine really. I was given the first 3 sets of trays & have an appointment booked for a checkup in 6 weeks to make sure all is progressing accordingly. Then, I'll be given my next 3 sets & so on, until the treatment is finished.
I've been taking the best care of my teeth that I ever have, brushing, flossing & rinsing after every meal. Thankful for the Colgate Motion electric toothbrush - that certainly makes life easier. Only drinking water & no snacking between meals. I haven't had the challenge of eating in a restaurant with them in yet, but I'm sure it won't be such a big hassle as I once thought it might be.
No one else can tell I have them in - even when I point them out, most just get this puzzled look on their face while trying to find "invisible" brackets or something - they just don't know what they're supposed to be looking at. I just have very shiny teeth.
My only complaint so far: time FLIES when you're eating a meal, then cleaning your teeth/trays to get them back in. I figure I'm averaging 40 min. each meal. No more lingering over coffee in the morn.
Just one thing before we start...
One little snag during my checkup. Xrays revealed something strange: a 20 yr. old crown showed the root had actually split. Apparently, this rarely happens. Not that I'd had any problems with this particular back molar, but I had noticed something had changed in my bite & I could feel the top of this crown when chewing with my back molars which I normally hadn't felt before.
Off to a dental surgeon for his opinion: not a big deal if it wasn't giving me any grief . He told me I might have it for 3 months or 3 years yet - it was hard to predict exactly. I could opt to have it extracted immediately or wait until it "was time - I'd know when it was." I decided to keep it as long as possible.
That decision ended up being taken out of my hands when the very first dental impressions were taken to see if I was a good candidate for Invisalign - out it popped & became embedded in the tray. It was fairly loose by that time, anyways. Not surprising that the suction of removing the tray took the affected crown with it. This just sped things up a bit. It had to be taken care of before I proceeded anyway.
The extraction was very simple (Sept. 13/05). No problems with aftercare or healing & I was back at my regular dentist to proceed within 3 weeks, the minimum time she advised for proper healing. We discussed viability of treatment along with cost/payment options & I gave the go ahead to proceed.
My next appt. Oct. 13th, was another recall exam with a cleaning in preparation for the final impression trays to be taken. These will be the moulds that Invisalign will use to generate their computer models. A couple of areas of excess plaque build up were found. A deep cleaning to correct this was necessary. A few areas of wear - likely from overzealous brushing - also needed some filling on my lower incisors.
Nov. 2nd - the deep cleaning/scaling for the problem areas was done along with panoramic xrays for my Records appt. My hygienist also took my glamour shots - photos of my bared teeth (lips held back with plastic retractors - ooook! All in the name of progress.
Dec. 5th my final impressions taken with just a bit of ado. Because my arch is so narrow, there was a bit of a problem getting the plastic trays to fit properly which Invisalign needs . A little warming in water with a little coaxing into shape did the trick & a lot of overfilling of the goop in the trays to "catch" all of my teeth in one fell swoop. Not too bad but hard not to swallow/gag for the necessary length of time with a mouth full of goop.
Cost of treatment will be $4,500 Cdn with equal monthly payments for a year minus deposit: $1,000.00 down was paid. This includes any refinement needed at the end & a whitening treatment. My choice of retainer - either similar trays or a permanent wire attached to the back of my teeth, will be an extra fee of $150 to $200 depending on which I choose to go with. After the initial treatment plan was sent by Invisalign, there were several back & forths for tweaking the plan by my dentist before she was satisfied with the outcome. Jan. 10th, I was able to view the final video of my treatment plan.
ClinCheck® is the proprietary software Invisalign uses that depicts the movement of a patient's teeth in a three-dimensional view from the beginning to the end of treatment. It allows the patient and doctor to review the projected movement. All views (even from inside looking out) of my mouth & how each tooth would move into place over the treatment. With my final approval, Invisalign was notified & my trays would be on the way soon. 23 trays for each the top & bottom. Turns out my uppers (which have always bothered me the most in appearance) are the easier to fix. To simplify things, my dentist advised I have my trays for both top & bottom over the same amount of time. I agreed.
At this appt. the office sent me a simplified version of my Clincheck via e-mail. Upon my request, they also fiddled with the imagery to supply me with a still shot of my profile before & after treatment. Notice the missing lower second molar (cracked root crown that impeded my progress a bit - & that upper skewed wisdom tooth). Also notice how my bite is off on this side - the upper teeth should mesh within the grooves between the lowers like how bricks are laid. When I look at my bite in the mirror, the opposite side seems to mesh as a normal bite should - probably due to that molar that was extracted a long time ago. This is not or has ever been a problem for me. I can chew just fine. My treatment plan will only straighten my teeth & close the gaps & not mess with my bite alignment.
You can see 2 of the "buttons" in these pics: tooth coloured resin attachments that have been bonded to certain teeth to aid in their specific movements - they'll be removed when treatment is done.
After
In the beginning...
Although it's been around since 1997, Invisalign was a completely new concept to me. It sounded like a viable alternative to conventional braces, especially since I had no desire to have a mouth full of metal to obtain straight teeth. Braces just didn't seem an option I would ever be comfortable with.
At my regular checkup/cleaning I first inquired about this newer form of orthodontia. I've been a patient here for about 28 years now. They know my teeth much better than I do & Cosmetic dentistry has become a large part of their offerings, while keeping pace with cutting edge techniques. I've looked at those "Before/After" pics in the waiting room & now it's my turn.
My first consultation included taking dental impressions to aid the doctors in their assessment of me as a potential Invisalign candidate. I have some gaps in my upper teeth due to a first molar being extracted on my left side when I was a preteen (that's what some dentists used to do to way back when to treat cavities - just yanked them right out) causing the remainder to shift over time, with some protrusion of my front incisors (overjet). That apparently was from sucking on a security blanket when my permanent central incisors were erupting. Thankfully, that's all the damage that was done - I've seen pics of "open bites" where the anterior teeth don't mesh AT ALL & form almost a doughnut like hole when the upper/lower back molars are in contact - not good. My bottoms are moderately crowded, somewhat staggering the front ones' placement. I also have very narrow arches - & a SMALL mouth apparently.
According to Invisalign, these problems are quite easily corrected. We no longer have any dental insurance, but the cost is going to be easily handled at this point with the payment plan offered.
At my regular checkup/cleaning I first inquired about this newer form of orthodontia. I've been a patient here for about 28 years now. They know my teeth much better than I do & Cosmetic dentistry has become a large part of their offerings, while keeping pace with cutting edge techniques. I've looked at those "Before/After" pics in the waiting room & now it's my turn.
My first consultation included taking dental impressions to aid the doctors in their assessment of me as a potential Invisalign candidate. I have some gaps in my upper teeth due to a first molar being extracted on my left side when I was a preteen (that's what some dentists used to do to way back when to treat cavities - just yanked them right out) causing the remainder to shift over time, with some protrusion of my front incisors (overjet). That apparently was from sucking on a security blanket when my permanent central incisors were erupting. Thankfully, that's all the damage that was done - I've seen pics of "open bites" where the anterior teeth don't mesh AT ALL & form almost a doughnut like hole when the upper/lower back molars are in contact - not good. My bottoms are moderately crowded, somewhat staggering the front ones' placement. I also have very narrow arches - & a SMALL mouth apparently.
According to Invisalign, these problems are quite easily corrected. We no longer have any dental insurance, but the cost is going to be easily handled at this point with the payment plan offered.
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