67yr. OLD FINALLY GETTING TEETH STRAIGHTENED. Salem, OR

Starting second week of Tray 5. These trays are a bit different than the first 4. They have an added bite guard on one of the crooked teeth and a tiny little bridge between my "fang" tooth and crooked upper tooth. I presume that this is to help pull the "fang" down into proper position as the crooked tooth straightens out. I am now into an easier routine of taking them out thanks to the little plastic scratch off device provided by the Oregon State Lottery Department! After reading several reviews on how to remove the aligners, I remembered getting this little plastic tool to help scratch off the lottery tickets when we were at the State Fair. It is perfect for aligner removal and small enough to keep in the blue aligner container. I showed it to my Ortho and he was amused. I suggested that he find out where the Lottery ordered them from and get some imprinted with his logo and give one to his patients. I'm sure Invisalign realizes that people have difficulty in removing the trays, and I'm surprised they don't include something like this as part of their treatment. They can't cost more than 5 cents when ordered in bulk. The State Fair opened yesterday, and I will stop by the Lottery display and pick up a couple extra tools. Might send one to Invisalign too. Still have not noticed any pain in teeth or gums associated with inserting different sets of trays. Asked my Ortho if they were actually working, and he said we're right on target.

So far, so good. No pain. Leaving trays in as long as possible every day. Eating large breakfast, skipping lunch most days, and early dinners 5pm (retired so makes it easier to do this). I really love my waterpik and have been using one for several years. This makes cleaning between teeth and gums so easy. I do have a bit of discoloration on one attachment but it's not very noticeable. Removing trays is getting a bit easier also. Have been to two fundraising functions and nobody asked about, or noticed, the attachments, considering I had the trays out at these events. The TMJ pain in my right jaw has virtually disappeared since inserting tray 1, so that in itself is a plus! Tray 3 will go in on Sunday evening, 7/26.

I've always wanted straight teeth. A friend of mine gifted me with a certificate entitling the bearer to a complete Invisalign procedure, so I started this journey of 42 trays on Monday. I have 12 attachments and 1 IPR so far. Do not have a problem getting the aligners into position, but getting them off to eat is rather difficult, so any helpful hints would be appreciated. No rough edges to deal with, and have not experienced any pain. Just a slight lisp on my "s & t's". I did notice that my right jaw is no longer sore when I wake up in the morning. I must have been clenching/grinding my teeth when I slept prior to Monday. And now, with the aligners in place, I cannot do that. I am to wear each tray for two weeks, so it looks like a 21 month process to my new smile. I guess the convenience of grabbing that quick Costco dog, or corn dog at the State Fair, or even popcorn at the movies is a thing of the past for the time being. But, it will all be worth it in the end.