(Set#15 will be ~5 weeks from now):
The midline gap gets smaller & smaller:
As it was after I finished Set#11:
To give you an idea of what's happening with my crowded lowers -
they've steadily been moving outwards & separating to make more room for them to be able to straighten out. Soon, they will begin to level out in line as some are pushed downwards.
Here they are now:
As they were just 4 weeks ago with Set#11:
My mouth is small as my dentist has told me. Every time I try to get a good pic, it's like I need those retractor things to get a wide open view.
6 comments:
Wow, what a wealth of information!! I'm so glad you found my blog, and gave me this link. I've already read quite a bit here, and took detailed note of your tips on removing the trays. I've managed to worry myself a bit by reading WAY too much online already, but your blog helped me feel good about it again. I do have a tip for you for taking the pics, since you mentioned in a few spots you have problems sometimes. I stand facing a mirror, then hold the digital camera towards me to take the shot. That way I can see the viewfinder in the mirror, and get the shot I want. Forgive me if I've missed it, but do you have two shots next to each other comparing your first shot to how your teeth are now?
Thanks again and cheers,
Dawna
Hey Dawna ---
Thanks for the pic tip - actually that's exactly how I tried my very first attempts at photographing my teeth. The compact fluorescent lighting above my vanity mirror cast a VERY yellowish light & even with accompanying flash, my teeth looked a horrid colour! So, I've been using the ole "hit & miss" method since in a room with natural daylight when I can - or even outdoors. I think my photo skills have improved a teeny bit since those first tries, so I'll give it another go tomorrow (#1 son has borrowed my camera).
Also, I never did take any Before pics myself from before my treatment actually began, BUT my dentist did send me their Before shots just a few days ago after I requested them. They also sent me my .avi files with a screenshot of each tray set showing how my teeth will be moving with each set. It's really motivating to see! I'll post some updates with comparisons to my beginning shots soon.
Having not seen those earliest Before shots made me shudder with how bad my teeth actually were! Since I never smiled wide open before, even I didn't realize how awful they looked - YIKES!!! Now I can accurately see just how much improved they've already become in the first half of my treatment. You know, when you're inspecting them on a daily basis, you lose sight of the "whole picture". Meaning you don't realize the long term change when you look at them so often - kinda like not quite realizing how fast your own children grow as others more easily do...(until you drag out the photo album, that is).
Anyways - you're quite welcome. Hope all goes as well for you as it's been going for me. Do you read the dentistry.com forum as well? I find that one to be the easier to read & the most active. Maybe I'll "see" you over there in the Orthodontics folder ---
Anne
Hi Anne - what a great blog! I've been following how you're doing for a couple of months now and I have my first appointment with my orthodontist on Wednesday to (hopefully) start the Invisalign process. I'm excited but really really nervous too! I'm in the UK and it's quite pricey over here - the average seems to be about £4000 (I think that's something like 7-8000 USD. Ouch!) but I've been so unhappy about my teeth for about 2/3 years now and I figure it will be a small price to pay to be able to smile without worrying about my teeth. Thanks for all the encouraging words and helpful info and good luck with your remaining sets - your teeth are looking great! Kate
Greetings, Kate!
It can be nervewracking when you're about to take the plunge - especially when reading all the negative experiences posted at the forums. The key is to do your homework & become armed with as much knowledge as you can so you can ask the questions most pertinent to your personal situation of your dental provider. The forums did help me very much with that in the beginning.
Fortunately, I've not had any of the problems some others have - like the rough edges causing irritation & pain; difficulty in removing; aligners not fitting properly; odour/cleaning troubles; or even attachment "buttons" on the more obvious front teeth. I can honestly say it's been a piece of cake so far - it takes discipline all right just because you are definitely limited with compliance in wearing your trays the maximum amount of time possible, but it's been SO worth it to me - I've not considered that a hardship at all!
Now - if that son of mine gets home early enough today, I'll definitely upload some more comparison pics. Thanks for posting, Kate - I've a friend (Hi Cait!) in Scotland who finds this all quite amazing as she was not familiar with Invisalign as yet. Sincerely hope all goes as well for you, too!
Anne
Anne, your before and now pics look GREAT!!!!!!! WOW, what a motivator for me. Your teeth are definitely whiter, and what a huge difference already! (ok, enough exclamation points). Thanks for the tip about the forum, I'll go have a look now. An 'active' forum would be great. Cheers,
Dawna
Thanks, Dawna!
You'll find me posting as "AnneC" at that forum. I usually just lurk at the others.
Glad to hear your first day went so well - continued success!
Now - off to work...
Anne
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