Crazy Grandma Three Quarters into an Invisalign Journey! - Dothan, AL

Not new to RealSelf but very new to Invisalign. Like several others here, I decided to share my experience because of my age and the reviews I read here were a major deciding factor to go with Invisalign. I'm 53 years old and have had only one dental issue in my life (root canal & crown of a top third molar that was cracked in an auto accident) - until recently, that is. Since my late teens, I have had a slight rotation of the top right lateral incisor but never any overcrowding or spaces. My dentist did suggest braces when I was in my late twenties (probably should have done that) but my husband, mom and friends said the incisor rotation made my smile unique (they were probably just being nice!). Jump forward twenty years. In a matter of five years, two close family members suffered critical medical issues which resulted in requiring me to become a full-time caregiver....extremely difficult both physically and emotionally. That lifestyle can force a person to neglect personal care and, believe me, STRESS absolutely affects your body and health. I never believed that when I was younger. Life returned to normal (whatever that is :-)) a few months ago - and I finally realized that old lady that kept standing in front of me when I tried to look in the mirror was actually, OMG, ME! I nearly fainted when I saw the gap between my front teeth - did that happen overnight?!?! I had to admit that my hygienist and dentist did mention it a couple of years ago but I blew it off - no time to worry about that! I had also caught myself clenching my teeth many times - an alternative to the proverbial "bite your tongue" I suppose. And I'd noticed in pictures that when I smiled my right-side bottom lip drooped somewhat - weird.

So....for the first time EVER, I saw an orthodontist. I was heartbroken to discover that I'd most likely been clenching and grinding my teeth for most of those last years and the result was, not only the gap, but four rotated/crooked top AND bottom teeth and crowding. ALSO some wearing away of the jaw bone on the left side which definitely was causing the right side of my mouth to droop - WOW, what?!! Now, I am certainly no wimp and have had doctors to remark about my positive attitude and high tolerance to pain but I was just crushed! But....we do what we have to.

Apologies for the "this is my life" dissertation. I myself like to have a little info and background knowledge before I make any suggestions. Most sincerely, if anyone has any suggestions, I will sooo welcome it - I'm a "virgin in these here woods, y'all!" And southern, very southern...did I mention that already? Wait now. Being southern does NOT imply ignorance; however, yep, in this particular area, I was not so educated. Until I came here. I've been reading reviews for the past month or so and have learned so much. I'm so greatful for you guys!

Okay, finally to the point: I started with my first tray on July 29. I have the thorny buttons (HATE those) on 12 teeth, some have two! That's a boatload, right?! They tore my mouth to shreds so keeping the aligners off for too long is not a problem. I'm on day 4 of tray #2; halfway through week 3. Whew, it's gonna be a looong year. My treatment is scheduled for 24 trays (I mistakenly told someone else here it was 22), changing trays every 2 weeks. I've had IPR on two teeth; will have more around the 13th tray I believe my doc said. THAT freaked me out a bit even though my orthodontist was very informative before she began. I came home and inspected it with a magnifying glass! I have OCD. I hate to admit what a cry baby I was those first few days, it was shameful. I did cry, literally and deeply regretted my decision to go with invisalign. I felt claustrophobic, for the lack of a better word and the sores in my mouth were horrible. I lost a few pounds very quickly which didn't suck but I missed my usual coffee breaks throughout the day. Whine, whine, whine.

I got over the panic and regret by the fifth day....I felt guilty. I mean there are folks out there who wish they had the money to do this and, more than that, there are folks out there who have to wear prosthetics...they have something to cry about, I do not. And I prayed (thank You, Lord). My husband is amazing, so supportive. I've been fairly successful keeping the aligners in for at least 20-21 hours a day. I'm diligent with brushing, flossing, using my Waterpik. I've worried, though, about all the brushing; especially since I read on another site that brushing then putting the trays in right away does not give the pH in the saliva time to do its job. IF I GET ANY CAVITIES, I WILL HAVE ANOTHER MELTDOWN! I read on someone else's review (a pre-dental student, I believe - I don't remember you but your information is fabulous - I'll find you again!!) about rinsing with baking soda. I did and will continue to do some research about that and remineralization. I am a novice at using essential oils...still learning all the amazing benefits of those - several can play a role in acquiring and maintaining good oral health. OH!! THIS is a great time to share something wonderful that I found. I was so desperate to find something to just relieve the pain of my "thorny button" sores. By the sixth day, those were getting worse. I had five, one almost the size of a dime where two buttons are, plus I had a couple of "cuts" on my tongue. It was a mess. I found "HealThy Mouth Blend" by Ora Wellness. It has a blend of several essential oils...another chance to see if these "hippie oils" are help or hype. Within 3 days I had ZERO pain and even the worst dime-sized sore had shrunk down more than half its size!

I've had just a bit of teeth soreness, nothing an Aleve didn't take of. I swear I don't think it's my imagination...I think the gap has closed just a teeny bit. The one thing that has really really made me happy about this decision is that in the picture my husband took of me and our grandbaby yesterday I was smiling huge, my bottom lip has NO droop whatsoever! I don't have a clue how that is possible but the proof is in the pictures - my husband was shocked, too. So, I'll keep praying for the diligence - and patience - to stick with this and make the best of it.

Hopefully I'm gonna be around here for a minute, sharing with you fellow Invisalignees! I sincerely hope my story will help someone as much as all yours have helped me! I'll try to post some pictures. Oh, if you find any typos or misspelled words, kindly overlook....it's not easy to go back and proofread everything in this tiny box! Keep smilin' ;-)

I put in the third trays last night....hard to believe tomorrow will be my one month mark! There's not any huge differences in teeth movement so I won't post pictures. I'm having a little more pain with these trays than the first and second but only in two teeth. This past week I've experienced dry mouth/chapped lips that I didn't in the beginning....I'm going to have a drawer full of lip treatments because I've tried so many different ones! Annoying but kinda funny: I drool at night (oh yeah, I'm a sexy old broad!) but then my mouth feels parched during the day.

Since I was so negative about this experience the first few days, I have to tell anyone who may be considering Invisalign and reading my review: For me, while it certainly is not a day at the beach, it is very doable. I suppose like most other things, there are ups and downs. The moments when it starts to get the best of me, I stop and close my eyes for a moment and imagine my straight teeth. Keep smilin' ;-)

A word of advice: Invest in and religiously use a Waterpik. Years ago, I used one and loved it but it was damaged in a move. Since considering Invisalign I remembered how amazing the Waterpik was, I purchased a new one. I would NOT dream of doing this without it. I'm a floss freak but no matter if I floss 'til my hands hurt, I am always knocked out by the remaining blueberry/strawberry seeds, little flecks of pepper, etc. that would have stayed in my teeth/gums if not using the Waterpik.