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