POSTED UNDER Invisalign Reviews
31yrs - Journey to a Pretty Smile, Game On! Southeast, MI
ORIGINAL POST
At a young age I just learned to smile with my...
sarahsmilesFebruary 22, 2015
$6,000
At a young age I just learned to smile with my mouth closed, laugh with a hand in front of my face and to try not to take to heart the rude comments ppl would say about my teeth. Believe me when I say, at 31 years old I don’t ever loose any sleep over it, I just think we all learn to move on, and hopefully the good outweighs the bad until you are ready to make a change. This year, I decided it was game time ?
How did I get started? I had to get back on the dentist radar, and found an amazing dentist. I had my teeth cleaned, and it was identified that I needed to get 2 cavities filled, and 3 teeth pulled (baby tooth, wisdom tooth, and a pretty gross molar). I also had the discoloration on my front tooth bonded for a temporary cosmetic fix, and I as so happy to have that spot gone!!! After that I got a referral from my dentist to see an orthodontist, and the journey begins…
Orthodontist, was I really ready for this? The orthodontist was great, and really experienced. I felt in good hands right away, and knew I wouldn’t seek other opinions, unless I felt he was way off. He quickly assessed my smile, and noticed my crowding (super narrow jaw), and bite issues. He had no hesitations to talk about Invisalign, which I was concerned I wasn’t even a candidate. The only nervous part was he did recommend removing a front incisor on the bottom to make room for teeth movement. I did have the front tooth removed, and it was pretty painful. I used the retainer for about a week that my orthodontist provided, until my trays came in, which I got the call exactly 2 weeks to the day.
How did I get started? I had to get back on the dentist radar, and found an amazing dentist. I had my teeth cleaned, and it was identified that I needed to get 2 cavities filled, and 3 teeth pulled (baby tooth, wisdom tooth, and a pretty gross molar). I also had the discoloration on my front tooth bonded for a temporary cosmetic fix, and I as so happy to have that spot gone!!! After that I got a referral from my dentist to see an orthodontist, and the journey begins…
Orthodontist, was I really ready for this? The orthodontist was great, and really experienced. I felt in good hands right away, and knew I wouldn’t seek other opinions, unless I felt he was way off. He quickly assessed my smile, and noticed my crowding (super narrow jaw), and bite issues. He had no hesitations to talk about Invisalign, which I was concerned I wasn’t even a candidate. The only nervous part was he did recommend removing a front incisor on the bottom to make room for teeth movement. I did have the front tooth removed, and it was pretty painful. I used the retainer for about a week that my orthodontist provided, until my trays came in, which I got the call exactly 2 weeks to the day.
UPDATED FROM sarahsmiles
3 days post
Got my trays = mouth soreness and a lisp :-)
sarahsmilesFebruary 22, 2015
I picked up my first 2 sets of trays on Thursday the 19th ? Wooohooo! From my previous posts, you will see that I do have a significant gap in the front to worry about until it closes, so all of my trays will be filled lightly to try to cosmetically make it look less noticeable. It does a pretty good job, however it makes me self-conscious. For example, eating lunch at work with no trays,..kinda awkward. I talk all day everyday at work, so the first 24 hours was rough, I had 3, 1 hour meetings that day, and I wouldn’t recommend that at all. It isn’t my teeth that hurt, it is the soreness of my tongue and inside of my lips on the bottom only. My lisp isn’t to bad, but I do hope it gets better. I have a public speaking event next month, and am a little nervous about how that will sound and feel after a long night of talking.
My initial treatment will be 28 trays. I will get roughly a dozen attachments at tray 3, and at tray 14 I will get some brackets in the back for elastics to help my bite. I was pretty impressed at 28, for the initial treatment. I was assuming I’d have a pretty high number, I know I’ll have refinements, but it makes me happy to think 280 days of initial treatment. I am changing mine every 10 days.
I have had them 2 days…and my teeth are kinda sore. Eating hasn’t been that much fun, I picked up some protein powder to help keep me fuller and less sore. The worst part for me has been the rubbing on my tongue on the bottom. These trays fit like a glove, and I have a super narrow jaw anyway, so I am feeling the pain on my tongue for sure. So here are some things I am curious about - any help from the community is so appreciated! I am excited to be finally writing about my experience here and hoping this helps the time fly by!!!
1. All of the sharp edges on the bottom tray…I am nervous to file them or do anything like that (total newbie) what about dental wax? (what do you use) I feel like it doesn’t stick good for where I need it….any suggestions to help with tongue soreness
2. I have no idea on best practices to clean them…I have used my toothpaste and small brush, but I am wondering what else I should use? I have read a ton of reviews and think I may order the RetainerBrite tabs off Amazon
I will update every week with pictures and experiences, I am hoping that allows me to see the progress. I already feel like, does tray 1 even do anything? Or is it just the, I need to get used this tray, lol – I did seriously have them out at dinner and asked my husband if they looked different, wishful thinking? ?
My initial treatment will be 28 trays. I will get roughly a dozen attachments at tray 3, and at tray 14 I will get some brackets in the back for elastics to help my bite. I was pretty impressed at 28, for the initial treatment. I was assuming I’d have a pretty high number, I know I’ll have refinements, but it makes me happy to think 280 days of initial treatment. I am changing mine every 10 days.
I have had them 2 days…and my teeth are kinda sore. Eating hasn’t been that much fun, I picked up some protein powder to help keep me fuller and less sore. The worst part for me has been the rubbing on my tongue on the bottom. These trays fit like a glove, and I have a super narrow jaw anyway, so I am feeling the pain on my tongue for sure. So here are some things I am curious about - any help from the community is so appreciated! I am excited to be finally writing about my experience here and hoping this helps the time fly by!!!
1. All of the sharp edges on the bottom tray…I am nervous to file them or do anything like that (total newbie) what about dental wax? (what do you use) I feel like it doesn’t stick good for where I need it….any suggestions to help with tongue soreness
2. I have no idea on best practices to clean them…I have used my toothpaste and small brush, but I am wondering what else I should use? I have read a ton of reviews and think I may order the RetainerBrite tabs off Amazon
I will update every week with pictures and experiences, I am hoping that allows me to see the progress. I already feel like, does tray 1 even do anything? Or is it just the, I need to get used this tray, lol – I did seriously have them out at dinner and asked my husband if they looked different, wishful thinking? ?
Replies (5)
gussiemay1884
February 23, 2015
Hi Welcome! I just started Invisalign 10 days ago and am also changing trays every 10 days. I highly suggest using wax on the bottom tray. I have a job where I am required to speak a lot as well and the wax saved my tongue! I I took a piece of wax and just put a line along the back part of the bottom tray where it was rubbing my tongue. It stayed put until I removed my tray. It worked wonders! I did that for the first 3 days, all day. And then for part of the day for a few days afterward. After that my tongue started to toughen up a bit and now I don't need any wax. I didn't need wax by the sixth day of wearing trays. I just used walgreens brand dental wax. As for what to clean your trays with I suggest dial antibacterial soap and a toddler tooth brush. That is what I use every time I remove my trays and it works great. My trays didn't stain and never had a bad odor. Just be sure to rinse them well. My ortho told me to be careful about brushing the trays with toothpaste because some of it can be abrasive and may leave little tiny scratches on your trays that make them appear to be dull and cloudy which makes them more noticeable. I never had to soak my trays in anything. Brushing with dial took care of them.
sarahsmiles
February 24, 2015
Good tip on the wax - it seemed like it wouldn't stay when I put it on my tray, hmmmm. I will have to give it another shot. My lisp seems to be getting a little better, however I hope that my tongue gets used to this pretty quickly. I am finishing day 5, and I cannot wait to change my trays :-) After your mouth gets used to the trays, I am hoping I will just have soreness here and there, thanks for the tips!
sarahsmiles
February 26, 2015
Thanks for the tips about the wax! It helped so much, and my tongue is doing so much better. Especially with all the talking that I do at work, I feel still pretty lispy (if that is a word, lol)
February 23, 2015
Hi, I am about a month ahead of you but I have 35 trays and am only changing every 2 weeks so you will be done way before me. I had planned to do reviews too and was taking pics to post but lost my phone with all the pics a week ago...
Anyways, it is good to finally see someone else who had a front bottom tooth removed. I'm 31 too - my tooth had to go because of advanced bone/gum loss. I have the fake tooth and it too is not as noticeable, though mine is really white compared to my other teeth.
Anyways to answer your question about the trays - I was having the same issues too and read all about it and I was about to cave and buy SOMETHING when the pain finally started easing up. I think it was sometime in the 2nd week. So perhaps if you wait the pain might go away.
For cleaning I bought DentureBrite denture cleaner (powdered kind) and was using that once a day for a while and brushing the trays the other times. But I think I may have been leaving the trays in the mixture too long or not washing it off properly because it had a strong taste whenever I used the cleaner. So after a week I went back to just brushing them every meal and soaking in the denture cleaner once a week. So far that has worked out well.
February 24, 2015
Thanks for the comment, hopefully you can add some pictures as well. I would love to see how your journey is progressing. Have you seen movement in the gap yet? Even after a month? I am curious when mine will close, and so anxious to get it there. That really is my only issue when taking my trays out to eat in public, but it is all apart of the journey. Thanks for the tips on cleaning, I am going to try the RetainerBrite, which I ordered from Amazon to see how that works. I am thinking if I just hold out my tongue pain will go away, and coping with the lisp is getting better. Again, would love to see some pics of your journey. Keep me posted! and I will try to do the same. We have some similarities and would love to hear about your journey.
February 25, 2015
:) - I haven't got a new phone yet but hopefully will get it within the next 2 weeks. The one I'm using doesn't have a proper camera and is a pain to use for anything but calls...but yes, once my phone issue is all sorted, I will try to start posting! I move to tray 4 tomorrow and will try taking a pic with another device, to have for comparison as my first pic :].
As for tracking movement, the main reason I really was taking pics was because I have pretty terrible eyesight and instead of spending too much time in front of the mirror trying to figure out if things were moving I planned to just compare the pics at the end of tray 4, because I figured movement would be minimal til then. I just took a look though and asked my sis who lives at home with me what she thought and to both of us it seems that there is a difference. But without the pics to tell us blind bats, who knows really? lol
Will keep following your progress!
February 25, 2015
Welcome to the world of invisalign! I have written about some of your questions in my review, and if I can be if any further help, don't be shy! I'm on tray 27 of 38, so have been living in plastic for a little over a year. You will find lots of support on this site. Keep us posted! :)
February 26, 2015
Thank you! I am looking forward to sharing my experience on here. I will check out your posts and ask questions as they come up :-)
February 25, 2015
You're going to have a gorgeous smile when you're done! Don't be afraid to get an emery board and file the rough edges - I've done it and it does the trick. I've also had to resort to dental wax and Anbesol to numb ulcerated areas (you can read my review about it!). As for cleaning you can do a search on this site and there is lots of opinions. After reading reviews and watching you tube I decided to purchase an ultrasonic cleaner which is fabulous! I soak in Listerine extreme whitening mouthwash and scrub with a baby toothbrush then put it in the cleaner that I've added a drop of clear soap to and in 3 minutes done! I rinse and put back in. They've never been stinky, grungy, no bio-film and they stay clear with no discolouration!
Good luck : )
February 26, 2015
Thank you! As I get more comfortable with the trays, I think I will have to use a file here and there. I have a pretty narrow jaw, and the tray on the bottom has many spots that rub here and there. Good idea with the cleaner, I'll definitely check out your posts -
February 26, 2015
I'm glad I could help! I am on day 4 tray 2 and I still have a lisp as well. Not a bad one. I am still confident that it will subside though. Even if it doesn't oh well. It's totally worth it!
UPDATED FROM sarahsmiles
9 days post
Tray 2 - Good fit with the exception of my back molar, anyone else have that issue?
sarahsmilesMarch 1, 2015
Made it through the first set of trays, around day 7 I could feel them getting much more loose, which is a good thing. I was anxious to put on the next set of trays, and finally did it. You can see in my pictures there is not any change, which is what I expected. However I do feel my teeth moving around even if it is so unnoticeable. I cannot wait until that gap is closed in the front, I feel very anxious every time I have to take my trays out to eat, only at work. I know I will get more comfortable with it, but and counting down the time to its closure. I do almost regret getting it pulled, but I know it was the best course of action for my treatment plan. No one said it was going to be easy.
I put in my next set of trays tonight, they are very tight :-) Which is a good thing, however I have noticed the the fit on the upper right side back molar is extremely loose. (I have a space where they pulled a tooth and the last molar in my mouth on the top it really isn't fitting at all). I can chew up and down and feel it move on the last molar...wondering if I should call the orthodontist on Monday or not, everything else fits very securely. Anyone ever have issues with that?
I am already thinking about what happens on my next visit to the orthodontist. I am scheduled to get my attachments, and curious if that makes everything more and more sore. After you got your attachments, did you have to deal with any other speech issues? increased lisp, etc. ?
Thanks for reading if you have, hope your journey is going well - So happy to be on tray 2! 1 down, 27 more to go for my initial treatment.
I put in my next set of trays tonight, they are very tight :-) Which is a good thing, however I have noticed the the fit on the upper right side back molar is extremely loose. (I have a space where they pulled a tooth and the last molar in my mouth on the top it really isn't fitting at all). I can chew up and down and feel it move on the last molar...wondering if I should call the orthodontist on Monday or not, everything else fits very securely. Anyone ever have issues with that?
I am already thinking about what happens on my next visit to the orthodontist. I am scheduled to get my attachments, and curious if that makes everything more and more sore. After you got your attachments, did you have to deal with any other speech issues? increased lisp, etc. ?
Thanks for reading if you have, hope your journey is going well - So happy to be on tray 2! 1 down, 27 more to go for my initial treatment.
Replies (5)
March 2, 2015
I have had a "squishy" molar Since tray two. I am now on tray 27. My provider is not worried, as the molars do not move much, and the trays fit well everywhere else. I try to use my chewie on it often, and that sometimes helps.
March 3, 2015
Thanks, I do not think I am going to call. I am going to trust the process, and my tray fits very snuggly throughout the rest of my teeth. Appreciate the perspective
March 2, 2015
I'm on tray 27 of 29 so I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum from you. For me the lisp went away fairly quickly, but I do notice when I talk a lot my mouth really dries out and I feel like I start to lisp again, so I always have a bottle of water handy.
I pretty much hate my attachments. I have a total of 16 - 6 on top and 10 on bottom (2 on the front two teeth). Fortunately my lower lip pretty much covers the lower attachments so they aren't too visible, but I hate them all the same. They make it more difficult to pop the trays in and out. You will get used to it, and as the trays loosen it gets easier, but I sort of have to pry them off and work a little harder to get them on. At times when the tooth movements were really painful I felt like I was going to pull the teeth right out with the trays. Of course I didn't but I grew to hate these those little buggers!
What bothers me the most though is that they are really rough. When I have my trays off they rub against my cheeks and my tongue and are not comfortable at all. I find it's a relief to put the trays back on - the smooth plastic feels much better. Since they're so rough they also trap food, another unpleasant side effect.
Sorry to be such a downer, it's just how the attachments worked for me. Having said all of that though, I don't regret having done this for a minute (okay, maybe a minute here and there...). My teeth are just about straight and I'm really, really happy.
March 3, 2015
Thanks for the candid review. I am not looking forward to the attachments. Kinda dreading it :-( It will make me appreciate the simplicity of just trays....I am hoping that the attachments get things moving though, and that is what will keep me going. A means to an end that is for sure. I as well drink a huge amount of water, and always have it with me at meetings and throughout the day. Thanks for the perspective, I will post after my attachments are on and lets hope they treat me well.
March 5, 2015
How do you find the fake tooth? Have they fit perfectly so far?
March 6, 2015
I didn't have to do anything, my orthodontist put in a substance to fill the spot on my trays, and when I go back next Friday to get trays 3-9, they are going to pre fill all of them so my guess is eventually there will not be a space to fill :-) Hopefully that helps
March 13, 2015
Wow we have almost the exact treatment plan. I had my bottom tooth extracted as well as a top tooth near my molar which will be a dental bridge once my treatment is over. Good luck!!
March 13, 2015
Thanks for reviewing - Our treatment has a lot of similarities. I am happy I am not the only one with a front extraction, it is nice to see other ppl took that leap as well. I felt initially like, did I really just have them remove a front tooth? But, I am so happy to see how the end results will be. It will make it that much more exciting. I am really looking forward to following your journey as well, best of luck and keep brushing, lol :-) I went today to get my attachments and she said my teeth were so clean. First compliment on my teeth ever! Woohoo
March 19, 2015
Hi there. I'm having the same thing done and just had my extraction a few days ago. It's been a bumpy time since then, thinking what madness have I just let happen! I was motivated by my wedding in August and just hoping and praying it'll have closed by then, although I
March 19, 2015
although I won't be fully done with my treatment. Good luck with your journey! This will al be worth it, right? :0
March 20, 2015
Hang in there! I felt the exact same way. I still kinda think, really I pulled a front tooth out? I do feel weird without my trays in especially when lunching with co-workers or people I do not feel comfortable around. I know it is making a difference and all moving in a good direction. I recently pick up trays 3-8, and was amazed to see how much my gap closes over the next treatment phase. That will make you feel great! Everything is perspective, I look forward to following your journey, congrats on the upcoming wedding :-) When I have my trays in with a filled spot I feel just like normal, thank goodness for the filler!
March 22, 2015
Thanks for the lovely reply. I know, thank goodness for the fake tooth. Those first few days especially! I'm super excited to see what starts happening after tray 4 which is all I have for now. It must feel amazing to start to see some progress - makes it all worthwhile. so glad this forum exists so I can see how other people's extraction go. Thank you - I'm excited about the wedding and just hope there is decent improvement in my teeth in time for it. Take care.
Replies (0)