Starting Invisalign - 51 Aligners, Buttons and Elastics Soon

I started Invisalign on 1/3/2017. 51 aligners are expected according to the Clincheck, six of those being refinement trays. I will have buttons and elastics on the left side starting on tray 2. I'm on my first set of trays for two weeks, and felt pressure the first day and a half. Now they are starting to feel looser, but a few teeth are starting to hurt deeper into my gums. Maybe that's root movement; not sure. My doctor said I might be able to wear the trays as little as one week each, depending on how my teeth track. I would love to wear them only one week, but definitely not if my teeth might be negatively impacted in the long run.

I've included some pictures of with my first aligners. Thank you to everyone who has posted their stories; they have been very helpful to me. (Note: I actually am being seen by Dr. Dana Busciglio, who practices with her brother Derek Busciglio. I couldn't find her in the database, which is why I selected Derek.)

I'm 10 days into the process, and, of course, there have been challenges, most of which have to do with eating (ha!).

1) I'm a slow eater. I haven't managed to eat and complete my cleaning "rituals" in less than 40 minutes - ever. I'm thinking I might start setting a timer, cut up my food before I start eating or something.

2) Public bathrooms. I hate cleaning my teeth at work. There is no private sink in the handicap stall, so I have to do it at one of the regular sinks. Because of this, I now eat my breakfast at home, brush, waterpik, rinse, etc. I try to only eat once at work, so I only have to clean my teeth once. Not all restaurant bathrooms are great, either. We went to a restaurant that was packed and had a tiny bathroom with three stalls and one sink. It was so busy, I couldn't even get time at the sink for anything but washing my hands to take the aligners out. I did not try to go back after dinner - we just went home, so I could do my cleaning and put the aligners back.

3) No more snacks. I used to eat six times a day. This is great for your metabolism (IMO). Now. I'm only eating three times a day, and trying to get the appropriate calories in. I'm hungry a lot, and I drink a lot of water.

4) No more tea all morning. I used to drink my green tea from about 8 am to 10:30 am. No more... I drink as much as I can with breakfast and water until lunch time. At lunch I drink another cup of tea.

5) No more sipping wine while I cook, or even tasting what I'm making! I love wine and love cooking. I'm used to sipping on wine while I make dinner, and also tasting sauces, soups, etc, while I cook. How else am I supposed to decide if I need to add salt, another herb to the sauce, or some wine vinegar? I'm not a recipe follower. So now, my hubby gets summoned to the kitchen when I think the sauce or broth is finished but want a taster. He's a great sport about it.

6) Yellowing aligners. I don't know why my aligners are yellowing. It became noticeable to me on day eight. I don't drink anything but water with them in. I brush them with a toothbrush and soap each time I take them out, soak them in a diluted bleach bath morning and night. Could the bleach be doing that? Maybe there is residual tea on my tongue, or cheeks even after brushing, flossing/waterpiking and rinsing? Maybe it has to do with drinking red wine with dinner? I have noticed the inside of my cheeks and tongue get stained, but wouldn't the aligners turn purplish or gray instead? Again, I clean my mouth super thoroughly before putting them back in.

7) Sharpness of edges. I didn't expect to have an irritated tongue due to sharp edges. There was one very painful spot for the underside of my tongue that I filed down on day three with an emery board. (Thank you to other Real Self people for the idea!) By the next day, my tongue felt better.

8) Grinding and nightmares. I am apparently grinding my teeth/aligners most nights. The third morning with them in, I was afraid I had broken them, but I hadn't! I'm also having nightmares about my teeth falling out, complete with bloody gums, feeling the teeth pieces in my mouth, etc - really scary! In my last nightmare I remember wondering, "What do I do now? I won't have any teeth left to straighten!" I was trying to put the teeth back in. :(

Despite the challenges, I AM happy about undergoing Invisalign treatment. I'm sure it will be worth it to have a great smile with easy-to clean tooth alignment!

Has this happened to anyone else? Any ideas on how to prevent my aligners from yellowing? Are you facing any other challenges?

Not bleaching aligners anymore!

When I went back to the orthodontist's office for my two-week check and buttons, they advised me against bleaching. By that time, they were not only yellow, but had some build-up. They said Invisalign crystals or RetainerBrite is fine, but not to leave them soaking longer than the prescribed time.

With my second trays, I am brushing with only water and then placing them in a 1:3 vinegar bath for about 10 minutes twice a day while I brush, waterpik and rinse. I also got an ultrasonic cleaner for around $40, and put them in for 5 minutes with a little vinegar only once in the past week. I have sample Invisalign crystals I am considering placing in the ultrasonic cleaner with my aligners, but I am honestly afraid of changing anything I'm doing, since they are still clear on Day 7.

As a test, I put my old trays in the ultrasonic cleaner for 10 minutes with RetainerBrite, and then let them soak for five more minutes to make the recommended 15 minutes. That did not remove the buildup, at least not visibly. HOWEVER, 10 minutes with vinegar in the ultrasonic cleaner, and the build-up is mostly gone, but they are still yellow.