A Walking Talking Text Book of Dental Issues - Matthews, NC

Im 41 years old. I've never had really straight, straight teeth, but they never bothered me- Still don't. Around 1997-98, I had a second molar extracted and a bridge put in. I was 22-23 then. My wisdom teeth started to act up around 2004. They had no room to erupt, so they started to push against my molars, which led to my bridge popping out. So I had them surgically extracted. There were complications, some damage was done to the bone. Around this time was when I developed pretty bad acid reflux and would throw up several times a week- That started me on recession and pockets in the gums. In 2011, I got a deep cleaning, and Arrestin injected into the periodontal pockets. It stalled things for a while, but I ended up in the same place in 2014, so I opted to have laser periodontal surgery instead of another round of Arrestin. That really helped- I haven't had any pockets get deeper than 4mm since. So far, knock on wood! Last year, my Periodontist suggested getting my teeth straightened. They had gotten worse, and the two front teeth (upper) had rotated away from each other, and the four front teeth in the bottom had gotten pushed upward because of the pressure from the wisdom teeth. It was affecting my bite, and she said that my teeth could get loose because they were only being supported from the top (or the bottom), not on the sides. I also had what is called a 'Tied Tongue"- I had additional, unnecessary tissue tying my tongue to my lower gums, and my lower gums to the inside of my lip. This was contributing to the recession along my lower gums. So I finally saw an Orthodontist in September 2015, and based on his projected treatment plan, it was decided that I needed a periodontal graft before I got my Invisaligns. I got a Chao Graft, let it heal, and finally got the Invisaligns put in May 19. Two more days to Tray #2- There was some soreness, there was quite a bit of irritation- Nothing a pain killer and Anbesol couldn't deal with. I have no idea how this'll proceed, but I thought I'd put this up here, because I searched a lot to see if anyone had succeeded after going in with so much stuff going wrong- And if someone else is looking for answers, well, I don't have any, but I can certainly update my progress!

The rotated upper front teeth, which were causing the extreme gum recession. And the lower teeth which were pushed upward from crowding.

It's going- The most frustrating part is the fact that I cannot eat whenever I feel like it :( :( I am aware that I'm 41 and should not whine about not being able to graze- Probably for my own good! Not much change that I can detect, but my teeth do look like they are protruding a little bit when I close my mouth- Which is what they are supposed to do. Just started with Tray # 3, so I go back to see Dr. S in four weeks for IPR. I thought Tray #2 was tighter, and made my jaw hurt a lot more, or maybe I'm just used to this by now?

What concerned me the most before I started was hygiene: I've found that brushing the trays while they are still on is really the best way to clean the outside part. Water/ vinegar combo soak at night while I have dinner. Overall, the constant brushing leaves you feeling really, really clean! I am loving that part!