susiesunshine:)

Optomistic - Dillsburg, PA

Sarah~ don't give up (or lose the will to live:)! I'm on my 16th set of trays and I only have 3 more to go. I'm so happy with the results!! Getting them off the attachments is a challenge. I still just loosen them with my finger nails. I have also split mine a few times. But the whole experience has been so worth it!!! As for cleaning, I am a fanatic when it comes to keeping my mouth clean!! I bought some retainer bright (just google it) and it does an amazing job of keeping my trays clean! I'm kind of addicted to having a clean mouth...haha!!:) Hang in there!!!

So, I just put in my #8 trays (of 15 total) and I guess that means I'm half way through my treatment!! I'm still very happy with how things are going and it only makes it better when my friends look at me (especially if I haven't seen them in a while) and say, "Oh my gosh, you're teeth look great!!!" This has happened several times in the last few weeks and it just thrills me so much!!!!:)

When I first got the buttons on my teeth, I had a terrible time getting the aligners out. In just a few days, though, it became much easier. I found that the plastic tool the dentist gave me did not really help much. It was easier just to get under them in the back with my fingernail and pull them out and away from my teeth and then they popped out. I did pull my fingernails away from my fingers those first couple of days which caused a bit of discomfort, too!:) With each subsequent tray since those first days with the buttons, it's gotten easier to get them out without much fuss. Maybe I've just gotten used to it!!!

One of my front teeth is also discolored. It's the one that I had the root canal on. My dentist said he could do some type of "internal bleaching" process which sounded alot like a root canal to me but where he inserts something to bleach the area inside. He said I would have to have it done before treatment or after (before I get my permanent retainers). I opted for after as I am very nervous about that tooth's integrity and I don't want it to break off! But now since I look at my teeth 500 times a day, I see the discoloration and it bothers me more than ever!!!:/

Thanks!:)
I'm not exactly sure how many more trays, but when they showed me my clin check a few weeks ago, I think they mentioned something like 15 trays or around 6 months. I keep forgetting to ask, but I think at that point, I would be getting retainers to wear full time, because it looked like my teeth would be straight by then. My treatment isn't terribly complicated, just an overbite and some space on the top and a little crowding on the bottom.
The pain has been minimal, except for the first week or so, when I ate mostly pudding and yogurt:) They've been a little more sore this week since I got the attachments, maybe because things are tighter? I still don't totally understand the reason for the attachments. But it all seems to be working. It's getting a little easier to get the trays out. But overall, the pain has been tolerable!
Pics to follow!!!:)