It's the first month of the year and all of the "new year new me" resolutions keep popping up all over social media. You too are entering a new year feeling uncomfortable, unattractive or just depressed over this dreadful gap that you have always wanted to get rid of.

I felt this way for many years. I'd avoid social situations, couldn't smile the way I wanted to because my first priority was to hide my gap and I just wanted to feel invisible.

If you are here, it means you are contemplating a solution to achieving that beautiful smile and reveal your true self being suffocated behind that gap.

I would like to use this platform to provide encouragement to anyone on that journey. I was once in your shoes and I am willing to assist with unbiased info and guidance so you too can be transformed into that jovial, social butterfly that's hiding within.

Happy New Year and let 2023 be your year of action on your fabulous smile journey !!!

Invisalign Progress: Pics!!!!!!!!!

  

                                    

Hi Everyone!! Thanks for following my blog . I've finally found the time to post the long awaited pics. My hope is that anyone considering Invisalign can benefit from 'inside info', which isn't provided by the dental establishments.

 Before Invisalign                                                                

Tray # 3

Tray # 6 Teeth without my aligners. You can clearly see my buttons / attachments

Tray # 7/8

Tray #9. Teeth without aligners.

Tray # 11. Teeth without my aligners.

Tray # 12. Teeth without my aligners

Tray # 14.   December 2012. My Birthday !!!

Tray # 15 . December 13th 2012. Workplace Holiday Party

Trays #  16/17 . The Holidays

 I'm not done with my treatment plan.My gap is currently 0.5 mm or so. It's not very apparent when wearing the aligners , as the aligners tend to create the illusion of a smaller space << this can be seen when comparing my pics with the aligners on vs without >>
In any event, I can assure you there is a light at the end of the tunnel. A very bright one and, NO, it's not the beaming headlights of an oncoming train about to run you over :)

P.s    Thanks for the messages and compliments about my blogging.I'm by no means a 'blogger' or  'writer'. Any English major would have the time of their lives correcting my grammatical errors etc :)
I'm just a regular person taking a 'stab' at blogging to vent about an annoying gap.
Thanks for reading. I do appreciate it.
.

Invisalign Update & Refinement Info

Where do I begin?
I've finished my initial Invisalign treatment and my gap has gone from 6mm to about 0.5 mm or so (I'll post pics soon)
6mm to 0.5 is a huge change. basically you cannot tell I have or...umm... had a gap unless if we are having some type of nose to nose contact :)   then again... no reason to be that close to my face.

So I attented my dental visit and Doc was pretty impressed with the movements. I,too, am very satisfied with the results so far.

All of the pain and discomfort was definitely worth it,although I'm not completely done.
 My options were;
 (1)to use bonding to seal that final 0.5 opening and my treatment would have been complete
OR
(2) Endure  a bit more pain and discomfort from more aligners called refinements.

Bonding

What is it?
Bonding is the application of a tooth-colored composite resin (plastic) to repair a decayed, chipped, fractured or discolored tooth. Unlike veneers, which are manufactured in a laboratory and require a customized mold to achieve a proper fit, bonding can be done in a single visit. The procedure is called bonding because the material bonds to the tooth.

What it's Used for?
Bonding is among the easiest and least expensive of cosmetic dental procedures. The composite resin used in bonding can be shaped and polished to match the surrounding teeth. Most often, bonding is used for cosmetic purposes to improve the appearance of a discolored or chipped tooth. It also can be used to close spaces between teeth, to make teeth look longer or to change the shape or color of teeth.

Sometimes, bonding also is used as a cosmetic alternative to amalgam fillings, or to protect a portion of the tooth's root that has been exposed when gums recede.

I decided to go with option #2. Why ? Because bonding would increase the width of my teeth,not that  it would be that noticeable, and I definitely do not want that. I've had enough issues as is with trying to conceal my gap for so many years that when this treatment is completely over I just want to to be 'normal' and have a beautiful open-mouthed smile.  

So my decision was made and I pretty much 'started over'. Impressions of my teeth were taken,again. Pics were taken,again and refinement aligners were ordered. Did I mention its free...well nothing really is free... but I didnt have to dish out any more money.

They took about two weeks to be available which means that I was stuck with my final trays in for about a month... eew. Anyway, the upper tray ended up cracking  and ultimately broke off, near my left upper incisor. Spent my last week with the broken tray in as i did not want to risk having my teeth regress.

At my new dental visit I had another round of IPR (basically shaving the sides of my teeth,creating spaces in order to have a tighter seal once the teeth have moved) done and my new aligner #1 was inserted. Ouch... just the memory of the tension on my back molars is making me cringe. After the first day, no more pain...well almost none :)  Pics will follow as well as updates on my refinement aligner tray numbers. Btw I received about 9 sets... Yikes ! Thanks for reading and be sure to return for rifinement updates and the grand finish. 

FYI :        Interproximal Reduction (IPR)

Interproximal reduction (IPR), also known as tooth stripping, is a procedure that is sometimes undertaken as part of the Invisalign treatment process, which is a well-known form of invisible braces. This is because in some cases there is not enough space available to move teeth into the desired position when using Invisalign, and so instead of removing teeth to make space the IPR procedure is undertaken.

Tray #3

Hi everyone!!!!
I'm now wearing tray #3 . Just to recap, I have 19 upper trays and 16 lower trays.
Here are a few pics.

Before Invisalign

Wearing Invisalign tray #3





So... how has life been since i popped in my new tray ? Hell... pure hell.  This tray is the tightest i've felt so far.
I mentioned before that only certain teeth are moved during a certain stage.
When I had tray #1 I felt alot of pressure on my back teeth a.k.a molars . Tray #2 placed alot of pressure on my canines. This new tray is placing alot of pressure,not to mention pain, on my front teeth. I am feeling more pain and sensitivity issues with my right upper front teeth. Now, drinking a cold beverage is like chewing on nails. The tooth is so sensitive that even the regular air (which is cooler than the temperature of my mouth) causes immense , shocking and stabbing pain  for a few minutes, before dying out. Went out and bought some pain meds(Trust me- I NEED IT) and thinking of looking around  for one of those sensitive teeth toothpastes.

What other issues do I have with my invisalign ?
Cleaning them is time consuming and a bit annoying. It's like cleaning two sets of teeth, like one wasn't enough trouble.
I brush them with soap & water, let them soak in a diluted  bleach solution as I can't stand the smell of the trays after they've been sitting in a mouth full of saliva for 20+ hrs, give a good rinse and dry them.

I will be seeing my dentist on July 5th and will keep my readers posted.  Feel free to ask whatever questions.I'm pretty open.

Invisalign Tray #2

Its been two weeks since I've started my Invisalign journey. I've switched trays and started tray #2 of 19.
Let's just say that tray #2 was definitely a challenge to insert. I'm not sure if it's because my teeth and gums got used to the first tray but this one seemed TIGHT.
I managed to snap them in and here's what i noticed immediately:

- Tray #1 focused on my back/inner teeth as this is where most pressure was felt

- Tray #2 seems to focus on my front upper/lower teeth.

- My bite is changing. I'm assuming it's because my teeth are moving.

It took me 2 days to get settled into tray #2  a.k.a it hurt like hell for the first 2 days then all seemed well.

A few questions most people considering Invisalign tend to have:

Q:How long are the trays kept in ?

A: 22-23 hrs a day. I try sticking to this time frame as I want to get my money's worth in the end.

Q:Can you eat with the aligners on ?

A: You could if you really wanted to but it is NOT recommended. Trust me, you do not want pieces of food stuck to plastic.

Q : Can I drink with them on ?

A: Only water is recommended with them but I've had juice, pop, malt with them. I just give them a good rinse afterwards to prevent any type of discoloration. Generally I try not to eat or drink anything with them on as it feels weird. Drinking with Invisalign on  is like having a beverage with plastic ice cubes :)

I also have to brush and clean my invisalign between every meal.
Speaking of cleaning Invisalign, this reminds me of an important point which you don't hear about on the many Invisalign blogs out there.

Invisalign gives you dog breath.... ok maybe I've gone a little overboard  but ... Imagine having a plastic tray in your mouth collecting saliva for 23 hours of the day. Its like having morning breath past morning.  To fight this, I'm brushing way more often and use mouth rinse during the day.

Anyting else will be posted as  it comes to mind and questions are always welcome. Pics will follow.

So... this tray will be on for the next two weeks. I already have tray 3 at home. At my initial fitting I was given 3 sets of trays. I will be back to the dental office  after tray 3 to collect more trays and see if any progress has been made.

Until next time... Give a wide smile as i can't yet :)

Invisalign Gap Journey: Tray #1

Hey everyone or anyone  interested in following my invisalign journey :)

I've had a gap a.k.a diastema for my entire life and I've finally decided to get rid of it so I can be at peace with my confidence or lack there of.

About me.
28yr old female (check)
6 mm gap (double check)
cost of invisalign to get rid of my cursed gap (priceless.......ummm.... not really)
Its costing me $6800 to obtain the perfect smile that i've always wanted. Pics will follow.

Ok here goes. I did my research  etc etc etc and decided this is the route i'm taking. Had impressions, xrays etc done, which were sent to the invisalign lab. Turns out I need 19 upper aligners and 16 lower aligners.

May 31st  was my fitting. I had 7 buttons glued on various teeth in order to help the aligners 'grip' and also help with the rotation of my teeth. Tray #1 was inserted and I was taught how to remove them, care for them etc.

can somebody say P.A.I.N ???    Invisalign hurts like a ?#@$....  Geeze.    For some reason in my crazy head , while envisioning my beautiful end results i.e NO GAP...I missed the part about MOVING TEETH TEND TO HURT. Oh... and i spoke with a lisp. "S" and "F" words  rather difficult to pronounce so i won't be dropping any "F" bombs  anytime soon...joke will be on me :)

I was in real pain,not just discomfort. This lasted for the first 4 days and I had to have pain medication to control my discomfort so I could function at work.

Another issue was eating. My gums were very sore which made chewing quite uncomfortable.

As of now,about 10 days later, all is somewhat well. I have no pain or discomfort with the aligners on . They've somehow grown on me and I hardly notice they are there.

Are they working ???   I think so!   I can't see any difference yet but I can feel a difference in my bite. I can tell my back teeth are not aligned like they were which feels a little weird. That's about it for now. Will be posting as often as I can and will keep updating any readers, if any, as I move from tray to tray.

                               Gap as it appears before Invisalign