I am 34 years old and have had a crowding problem...
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18 Jul 2016
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Day of treatment
I am 34 years old and have had a crowding problem with my teeth. I'm doing 36 Invisalign trays (2 weeks per tray). Today is my first day and they fit really well. My dentist did IPR treatment - which is a procedure used to create more space between certain teeth so they move better during treatment. It's not the most comfortable procedure but wasn't terrible either.
My first tray is snug and pretty comfortable. Looking forward to this journey!
First Few Days
I am getting used to wearing my trays and had to do a little minor filing of the edges due to some gum irritation. My dentist does offer a way to round the edges so if it continues, I'll speak with them about it. I think I should be fine now though - we shall see.
I can definitely feel the aligners doing what they do - which is pretty exciting.
Also noticing saliva bubbles trapped in the aligners but this has been decreasing.
So far, so good. Adjusting well overall.
Onto Tray 2!
Woohoo! I finished my first 2 weeks. Today is day 1 of my new set. No gum irritation - definitely a lot of tightness. Which is great because my last trays were definitely starting to get too comfortable, lol.
I bought some Retainer Bright last week and I have to say it's really helped with my aligner cleaning routine. I recommend it for any of you Invisalign newbies. Really helped this newbie out. :)
It's still too early to see much of a difference in tooth movement. I can tell they have moved...it's just not dramatic at this point. I'm sure the day I see a noticeable change will be a happy day for sure. Looking forward to it!
Attached a couple photos - one wearing tray 2, one without the trays in.
Invisable
You can barely see these babies in photos.
Brand-New Buttons
I've had my buttons on for about 5 hours and they're not as bad as I thought they would be. Dr. Tucker and his team did a most excellent job getting those little boogers on there and doing a bit more IPR on some of my other teeth. They seem to be moving nicely.
One thing that I really like about Dr. Tucker is how patient he is with me. I have TMJ and it's not always easy to keep my jaw comfortable while having dental work done. But Dr. Tucker is very patient and does everything he can to make things better. And since I like to nerd out on how my teeth are moving, he spent time showing me what my teeth are doing and how the buttons work.
After my appointment today I was pretty excited to be making progress...and I'm pretty sure I'll be getting used to these new buttons in no time. :)
My goal
So I thought I would share a couple pics of where my teeth started and where I'm heading. The final result photo, I believe, reflects some overcorrecting my doctor is planning that will lead to the desired outcome. It will be nice to say "goodbye" to this overbite.
Tray 4 - Wide Open Spaces
Yes that's a Dixie Chicks song but I find it appropriate in describing my teeth at the moment. Don't get me wrong...my teeth don't really have gaps. In fact, they were so crowded when I first started - it was tough to even floss between a few of them. Now I'm noticing slight little spaces forming between my front teeth.
Flossing is a breeze!
I'm 100% used to my attachments now and have gotten over the fear of popping them off whenever I take my aligners out. I'm also enjoying non-whitening regular ol' toothpaste again. Plus it's cheaper...can't beat that.
So far I am an Invisalign fan. The more I start to see changes, the more I look forward to the day my aligners come off for good.
Tray 6
My teeth love Invisalign. Aside from the initial gum irritation with tray 1 (which went away after a couple days), I've experienced zero pain. Tightness yes. But not soreness and certainly not unbearable pain. I suppose everyone has a different experience but I'm in the camp that isn't bothered by a little teeth movement. Which brings me to this good news...
I'm going from changing out my aligners every 14 days to every 10 days. I feel like the super smart kid that got to skip a grade, lol!
Because my teeth are moving just as they should with no soreness, I'm able to progress more quickly.
So now I'm on tray 6, starting tray 7 later this week.
What has changed? Well for starters...I can tell my bite is completely different. Also, if you notice on my lower front teeth...that lower tooth that was originally covered by my top tooth...there is just a tiny bit starting to uncover.
Because my top row is expanding outward, the gap between the teeth is becoming more pronounced. Once my teeth go into their final position, that will be gone.
So happy to see this amazing progress!
Invisalign Tray 17 Update
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29 Jan 2017
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6 months post
I am about midway through treatment. Here are some of my thoughts. Be sure to post any questions you have...I'm happy to answer. :)
