Early Allergic Reaction, Better Now - New York, NY

I started aligners 7 (of 16) two days ago. So far, this aligner doesn't seem as bad. The last couple were very tight and bothersome for days before they settled down. As pretty much everyone else here has suggested, it's vital to begin each new aligner at night so that you can have continuous wear for 10-12 hours. If you try starting in the morning, you'll be taking the trays in and out multiple times during that very important period when the teeth are first adjusting. I like to have dinner around 6:30 p.m. so that the trays will be in from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. without interruption. That's made a big difference with my new set.

I'm just over halfway through aligners 6/16, and I've seen a huge difference in my teeth. I've switched to an electric toothbrush, and that does a MUCH better job of removing little bits of food stuck to my molars. It gives me a lot more confidence that I'm not trapping food particles against my teeth for many hours at a time. That's a recipe for cavities. I'm sure I was flirting with cavities when I was just using a regular toothbrush. Hopefully, I made the switch in time to prevent too many from forming. Any orthodontic treatment is associated with cavities, but the hope is that the long term hygienic benefits of straighter teeth will more than trump the short term superficial harm.

Note: I'm still having several days of headaches and poor sleep quality right after switching to new aligners. This is part of the process, but it isn't a picnic for me since I already have issues with sleep. The second week of the trays is much easier...I feel like myself again. Overall, I'm still rating this as "worth it," but there is a price to be paid for the benefits achieved.

Some learnings:
1. I use one half of a Retainer Brite tablet twice a day to clean my trays, and they are staying very clean. I've read everywhere NOT to use toothpaste since it causes microscopic damage to the trays that facilitates bacterial attachment and growth. When using retainer brite, just be sure to use cool water. Hot water will warp your trays.
2. Be careful when you floss. I have eleven attachments, and one of them came off when I was flossing my teeth...popped right off. Another fell off before that, but I don't know when or how. Just be sure to go in to get a replacement attachment ASAP. Your button attachments are there for a reason, and you don't want to get off track.
3. Always set an alarm when you take your aligners out to eat. I give myself 18 minutes for breakfast, 18 minutes for lunch, and 30 minutes for dinner. After the alarm goes off, I immediately start flossing and brushing my teeth. If I'm at a party, I'll give myself up to 60 minutes with the aligners out, but that's only once in awhile. The vast majority of days, I have them in over 22.5 hours.