So far It's been worth it! :D

Hello again RealSelf! Been a busy time for me in my life, and I haven't really updated as much as I would have liked too! So last time I updated you all with a photo I was on tray #19! switching to #20! Well now I'm on #31 and close to switching to #32.

Let me start out by saying I've seen my last tray and I'm really impressed, I will confirm that I will need refinements my right front tooth isn't quite tracking as planned so I'm guessing next time around they will place an attachment to help it rotate better, which is fine with me , I expected to have them on my front teeth in the first place considering those were the two worst teeth I had.

I've recently purchased the Crest 3D white strips 2 hour express, And I can say they are so worth it! They hurt while they are on, just a little bit, and sometimes they burn your gums, but nothing you can't handle if you've been through orthodontic treatment. I'd recommend them to anyone looking to whiten their teeth, they are quite costly, Approximately $60 but I'd say it's worth it if you aren't quite happy with the shade of your teeth, if you look at the picture I posted noted Aligner #19 My teeth look yellow, Well I'm proud to say they are no longer yellow. The attachments kind of prevented the tooth underneath from being bleached, but nothing I can't fix before refinements.

I'll end the update with pictures. Take care everyone, thanks for reading . Looking forward to posting the end results for you all to see.

Tonight I am switching to # 20, which make's me an invisalign adult, as I'm no longer a teenager "#19" .

Just a quick update..

First I lost my attachment on the bottom arch, (Thank god I'm done that arch) however I'm not sure if this can cause the tray to seat differently resulting in my teeth shifting, I'm not to worried on account of my bottom teeth not yet being in the alignment I want them thus requiring refinements.

I'm really satisfied so far with the results It's just misleading to me because I have so many chips and wears in my teeth which makes it hard to in-vision them looking really great at the end.

Other than that every thing is fine, I'll be switching to tray 21 on the 7th of February which I believe I will require IPR.
( Personally I love IPR because without it my teeth may have required two extractions which wasn't an option for me as I'd rather have crooked teeth then no teeth, also people say IPR damages enamel making it easier for cavities to form, I'm sure this is true to some extent but I'm under the impression that once my teeth are in better alignments the contact point will be harder to intrude with cavity causing agents.)

I'm going to mention refinements on my next visit, I don't think my bottom arch will need a lot of trays, and as I'm not yet finished with the top I'll have to wait to see if they'll even require much tweaking, I'm sure they will and I will get refinements as I'm trying to get my teeth as close to perfect as invisalign will allow them to go as I understand invisalign is a technique rather than a product meaning if my treatment provider isn't as skilled as another invisalign can only take me as far as how knowledgeable my provider is in Orthodontics.

Sorry for the delay in the update everyone , I've been really busy with life in the last 6 months I'm currently on 17/39 top, and 14/14 on the bottom. (My bottom teeth will require refinements. I don't think I got enough time in on aligner 13, and aligner 14 didn't fit as accurately, They do however look great!!!)

Invisalign has changed my confidence because I'm not thinking about how bad my teeth look. I'm thinking about how they're getting better and moving into more comfortable positions.

I wish I knew that because I have 14 bottom trays as apposed to 39 top, I'll have to wear the same aligner for the rest of my treatment, although I've ordered a replacement already as a result of cracking the aligner. (When the aligner cracks there is no longer pressure to retain teeth in there position.

I've received more IPR to the right side of my mouth this time, When I get IPR done it allows my teeth to move back and allow my front teeth to have enough space to move into alignment.

I've decided the Pro's are simply the following.

*Better Oral Hygiene .
*The temptation to eat unhealthy (sugary) foods is lowered as a result of having to clean in-between created spaces.
*Teeth have become a lot whiter.

Cons.

*Aligners break. ( Replacements take a while to ship out to your treatment provider )
*Aligners are hard to keep clean
*Only able to drink water. ( You can choose to drink other beverages (*NOT RECOMMENDED*)
*Refinements ( If you slack on wearing your aligners as many hours as humanly possible your teeth can not move into proper alignment and you will need refinements, Although however your teeth could just not move as planned.)

It's motivated me to become a more hygienic person IE As a result of brushing my teeth constantly I'm always washing my hands as well as remembering to wash my face before I go to sleep because I've made it a routine along with brushing.

I'm still debating which would have worked better, Invisalign, Or traditional braces, Although I'm hoping I'll never truly learn because I want this treatment to give me my desired result.

I never ended up making a video but I'm going to make one some time in the future, I just never got around to it.

If you're considering treatment. Weigh your options.

Do you want to have to brush instantly after eating to put trays back in?
Do you want to risk delaying your treatment by not wanting to comply to the 22 hours of wear a day requirement.
Is it suitable to your lifestyle, and can you adjust your lifestyle to it's very needy demands.