OH NO!

So I have just been bad. I have just been wearing the new bottom one and the old top one still. Last Thursday I came home completely tired and forgot to put my retainers in before I fell asleep. I woke up and my teeth felt fine so for the next 4 days I wore NO retainers to bed. Then Monday my teeth were so sore. I couldn't figure out why. I was randomly watching youtube videos about teeth whitening and it dawned on me why my teeth hurt...they were moving BACK! I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. I put my bottom retainer in and it fit great. The top one, which was the invisalign one, didn't fit at all! It hurt to snap in, which clearly showed in 5 short days my teeth had moved enough to not be in place. I was freaking out. SO I forced myself to wear my new top one to bed. It was so gross because the saliva problem, but I just forced myself to do it. It was hard! I tried to keep my tongue from moving to the top, and after about 15 times slurping up my spit (gross I know) and 3 times taking the retainer out to dry it, I fell asleep. When I woke up my mouth was still saliva-y, but it stayed in all night. And my teeth feel so good this morning. My bite feels great. I don't know if I totally ruined my progress, but I will be forcing myself to wear those retainers from now on and night.

I read it takes you mouth muscles or whatever 9 months to realize their new position. I'm hoping to wear these for awhile and correct my bite for good. (Also hoping the saliva problem will go away when my mouth gets used to them) Then I really hope I can get new molds and get invisalign retainers for night because they are so much more pleasant to deal with, but we'll see. My orthodontist hasn't called to check in since 2 months ago when I was there last. So it's all up to me I guess.

Bad me!

I have been SO busy. So busy that I have not yet gone to the orthodontist to figure out how to wear my top retainer. I know, I know. It has been weeks since I got them. But it's hard to make time. I tried Friday, but they were closed. Like legitly closed at 11 am. I have been wearing my "new" bottom retainer and have no problem with it. I have tried my top one for days and days, but I just can't. I can barely swallow with it in and I basically choke on all the excess saliva. I'm wearing my old top retainer and it feels tight by the end of every night when I put it on. Meaning, my teeth probably move a lot during the day. Which is a good thing that I wear it. My bite feels better, but I'm sure I should be wearing the new top ones too. I just need it to not go back as far onto the roof of my mouth. I would try fixing it, but the material it's made out of doesn't look like anything I can safely alter. I will seriously have to make time this week because next week college starts again and then I'll really have no time.

Determined!

I have tried several times wearing my new retainers to no avail. I really was ready to give up, but my dad told me I need to use it, which is true. And my bite has really been bothering me. I can handle the bottom one. I wore it for probably 5 hours today. The top one just isn't working for me. It goes back SO far it traps saliva in between the roof of my mouth and the retainer and I choke on it. It literally doesn't let me swallow it. I'm thinking the only solution is calling the orthodontist Monday. There doesn't seem to be a reason they can't shorten it. Or hopefully offer some sort of solution. I have been trying and it's just not right.

Raise your hand if you're disgusted

So I got a call from my orthodontist that my new set of night retainers were in. I went in yesterday to get them. I sat down and when they opened the retainer case, I died inside. They were old school metal retainers. The kind you see on tv. I tried them on and they were super uncomfortable. I couldn't talk in them and my orthodontist told me it would be common to wake up with them out of my mouth until my mouth gets used to them. I tried to have an open mind.

I tried to put them on last night and just couldn't do it. My mouth was creating way too much saliva and it was very uncomfortable. I couldn't stop gagging. So I decided to wear my old retainers. I'm not supposed to wear them once I start the new ones because my bite is supposed to be corrected by the new ones. I don't want to be a baby, but I'm not sure I could get used to them. I wouldn't mind my bite off that much. I possibly may ask if there are other options. At this point, I'm going to keep trying but I'm not sure if I will be successful.

A little pic of the most disgusting retainers out there!

Quick Update

Nothing new on the retainer front. It's weird to get in the habit of wearing retainers only at night, but I'm doing fine. Haven't missed a day or anything. When you go a long time and don't put them on until late (like 1 am late), you can feel the tightness, so I'm sure they will move back fast if retainers aren't worn. My bite is still towards the middle and no thte back, which is annoying to get used to, but I'm doing alright.

The main thing I wanted to write about was the whitening. I noticed my teeth were feeling pretty sensitive, which worried me. So I only use my whitening toothpaste once a day (at night) and brush them in the morning with a normal toothpaste. I don't brush any other times during the day because I don't think my enamel is strong enough for that. If needed, I chew gum after I eat. But otherwise I try to give my teeth a break. I don't want to damage them in the process of whitening them!!

Going Good!

I got my teeth brushing schedule down. It is working really well for me. I also have made it a habit to wear my retainers part of the day as well as all night. It seems to help them not feel tight, which means they aren't moving. I'm getting used to my bite, but the new retainers will come within the month and they should fix it. I like the retainers with no bumps for attachments. They're smooth and you can barely tell they're on. But the new ones will cover my teeth more and go into the roof of my mouth, so I hope they don't scrape. Anyway here is my teeth schedule:

MORNING
-Wake up (depends on the day. Some days it's later than others which means I'll wear my retainers longer)
- Brush my retainers with normal non-whitening toothpaste and place in a cup of clear mouthwash (the Crest mouthwash I've been using to soak my retainers through this whole process)
- Go downstairs & eat breakfast
- Brush my teeth with my whitening toothpaste for a full 2 minutes
- Rinse my retainers out and put them in their case (which I carry in my purse)

*after eating*
- Brush my teeth with normal toothpaste AND
- Chew a piece of gum
OR
If I'm somewhere I can't brush, I chew 2 pieces of Orbitz whitening gum

NIGHT
- Brush my teeth with crest whitening toothpaste for a full 2 minutes
- Put retainers on right after brushing and keep on for the night


My teeth felt slightly sensitive so I tried to go easy on the brushing. I think any constant brushing is hard on the enamel. My sister noticed my teeth were whiter after 2 days of my toothpaste routine and so did I so I really think it's working. I'm not sure if this is something I will use daily just because I worry it's harsh on my teeth. But only time will tell.

Night time retainers

So it hasn't been long since my last post, but enough has happened that another post is warranted! First of all, I put on my night retainers and they were TIGHT! They weren't that bad this morning. (Well the top is tight, the bottom is my old bottom) I guess in the course of a day, my teeth started to shift back?! I'm not sure, but I think I will make sure to wear these retainers during the day tomorrow. It doesn't seem like they're ready to go all day without them because they are very uncomfortable right now. Not to mention the fact that the top retainers seem to go out a little more so the bite is just weird and awkward. I'm thinking I will allow myself to take them out for a cople hours in the day, but try to wear them otherwise a lot during the day.

Another slight thing I noticed was my teeth rest very oddly and sort of painfully in the side middle. I think because my bite is off, this is why. When you bite down, you should have your back teeth touch. Mine don't right now. And they do on the side instead. But I would think the new retainers will help with that.

As far as whitening, when dinner came I ate and then brushed my teeth with normal toothpaste, since I don't carry toothpaste with me (which I will now since I have travel ones anyway from couponing AND I don't think it's good to use whitening toothpaste multiple times a day) Then afterwards I tried my new whitening gum. It's Orbitz White in Bubblemint. It says on the package after eating and drinking, chewing 2 pieces are supposed to remove stains and whiten teeth. I think this may be a good option if I'm out to eat or somewhere where I can't brush my teeth. It tastes really good and has no sugar. I'm sure any sugar free gum is good to chew after meals, but I thought I'd give this a try since I saw it at the register. Then I brushed my teeth before bed with my Crest 3d white toothpaste for the full 2 minutes of my Sonicare again. It fits in nice with my regular nighttime routine of washing my face. The package said in one day it's supposed to brighten teeth and I don't want to seem presumptious, but I seem to have noticed a different already. I think the key to this product is to use it twice a day and keep using it. Which shouldn't be a problem I can understand if I end up sleeping over someone's house or something I might miss it one day, but it likely won't happen and it doesn't appear that would create a problem.

Once I get this schedule down, I plan to add mouthwash occasionally (just for mouth health, no whitening) and a schedule of flossing. Because flossing is always something I've been bad at. My flossers make it lots easier, but I still have no rhyme or reason to when I decide to floss and when I don't. Maybe start out 3 days a week or every other day? Every single day would be nice, but isn't fully necessary I feel.

Well guys...looks like I'm done

That's right. I had my last (well not technically last, but last major) orthodontist appointment today. I couldn't sleep all night stressing about how I was going to tell them my concerns. I hate confrontation and normally prefer to keep quiet, but this was a big deal to me. I told them about my bite problem and then the center lines (idr what they're called!) not being lined up. As far as the bite problem, they agreed that was an issue and offered to order me some retainers that actually cover more of your tooth and mouth to kind of make my teeth settle together. So I agreed to that because an off bite could be an annoying problem. Which meant I had to get new molds. Oh molds, how I loathe thee. I almost three up 2-3 times during that process. But breathing through your nose helps. My tongue never knows where to go, but luckily the molds only had to be on for a minute each and they didn't need to be repeated. Phew.

Then the problem with the line not matching up. I told him and he said, "It's not going to. No one's does these days. Tom Cruise's is all the way over and he had braces 2 times" Ok, not what I was expecting. "You can fix it, but it takes a long time because every tooth has to move over" So the solution? Ignore it. That's right, I'm going to ignore my need for perfection and just try to live with it. It's not that bad. But I wished it could have been fixed. However, I've come to realize my teeth look better now, so that's the main thing to focus on.

I got my attachments off, which I think he just filed off with this electric tool. It didn't hurt at all, and went pretty fast. It feels great not to have bumps sticking out! Then he gave me my new retainers. I will eventually switch to the new ones they're ordering, but that won't be until they come which will be a few weeks. So these ones I'm supposed to wear as much as I can the hygenist said. I asked the orthodontist and he said they usually say 2 months, but my mouth is fine so just at night is good enough. I tried them on and the tops fit fine. But the bottoms didn't. Not that they were right, no. They literally were not the right fit. There was no way they were going on. SO I have to wear my old bottoms. Which are old and have the bumps in them from where my attachments were, but he was with another client and I guess that was the solution the hygenist came up with.

So when they call me, I will get those new retainers to wear at night to correct my bite. Maybe more than at night? I'm not sure. And then after like a month I believe, I'm supposed to come in to make sure everything settled. It's so weird not wearing my retainers! I'm not used to it, but I'm beginning to like it. It's weird because this morning I was sad about it. I was hoping they'd give me longer treatment. How weird, I know! But the last year this has been a constant when everything else has been crazy. And it was nice improving something I always wanted to.

And I've also started the whitening process. I used my Crest 3d white luxe glamorous toothpaste for the first time today. I'll use it morning and night, with dry brushing and gum is between. At least that's the plan. The taste wasn't bad. It didn't foam weird like some reviews of other whitening toothpastes claim. I spent the entire 2 minutes my Sonicare runs really brushing good and spending time on each area, mainly focusing on the front and sides, which are the teeth you'll see mostly.

Now that it's said and done, I'm not as grumpy as my last post. I'm pretty happy with it. Not perfect, but I guess close enough for now.

Anyway here are some final pictures:

BEFORE

AFTER

NOT happy (& pics)

So since it is TWO days from my appointment where I get my attachments off and essentially am done with treatment, I thought it would be a good idea to get a good look at my mouth to see how everything looked. And let me tell you, I am not happy. First pictures:

Basic front overview. I noticed today (yes this is the first time I've noticed this) my top teeth line is not aligned with my bottom teeth line. It wasn't like that before treatment and I'm actually very, very upset. Little things like that bother me & this is pretty obvious. It's like the top row of teeth is shifted over too far, so it looks funny that it's not aligned.

This is my bottom teeth. They are pretty straight, minus the sideways tooth you can't really see from this angle

These are my top teeth. They are crowded still and not completely aligned. But they certainly don't bother me near as much as the actual tooth line situation. I'm sure invisalign can't do the intense movements that would be needed if I would have gotten braces.

This is another view where you can see the tooth line misalignment.

I'm not entirely sure what to do about thi problem. I guess I can ask my orthodontist. At this point, I am very upset with them and their lack of communication. Obviously my teeth have improved, but I feel like this isn't what I was promised. I should have shopped around for orthodontists, but I was very taken in by what they told me. I could deal with minor imperfections, but last time I saw him was RIGHT before this set of retainers, which was 4 weeks ago. And he said things looked perfect. There were more trays I COULD wear, but he said I didn't need them. And I'm thinking I may have. I hate to waste more time, but I am not very happy with this. I certainly don't want to waste money.

It's not even just one issue either. It's the misalignment, the weird bite in the back right, the crooked side tooth, the crowded tops... I'm not sure if there is anything they could do, but I sure hope there is. I waited so long to be proud of my smile, and I want to be completely happy with it.

ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In one week from today, I will be going to the orthodontist to get my attachments off and get my new retainers (to wear only at night I believe). I am sooooooo excited. There are three minor issues I have at THIS moment, but overall I'm very pleased with the results. Those three issues are: 1) my front teeth (as in top & bottom) seem to grind together which sends chills through my body. It's so horrible when it happens. But it doesn't happen often and I think with some getting used to, I could prevent it. 2) a side tooth seems to not be turned all the way, so it's sort of on its' side. But I don't really notice it unless I stare at my mouth and it doesn't look bad. and 3) the back right still seems to not bite down right. That's the only part that actually bothers me a lot. I will probably ask about it if it's not better. It's not that big of an issue, I guess, but I constantly notice it when my retainers are out...which will be permanently soon.

Anyway, in preparation for next week, I have already purchased the new whitening toothpaste I will be using. I did a lot of "research" and found a semi-new product (thanks commercials) that upon further looking into seems perfect! It's called "Crest 3d white luxe glamorous flouride anticavity toothpaste" It's supposed to remove 90% of surface stains in 5 days! And it's also very safe on enamel, which is important when it comes to whitening products because a lot of them are so harsh. It was around $4-5 I believe, but with my couponing and savings (which I could write a whole separate blog about), I got it for $2.75. Which I think is very, very reasonable for toothpaste, let along whitening toothpaste! So as soon as these attachments are off, I will be able to use it...and report how it works!

YIPPIE!

It has been 2 weeks with these retainers so I normally would be changing them. But since this is my last set I have 2 weeks left. TWO WEEKS!! And then the official unveiling will occur. I couldn't be more excited! I have been looking closely at my teeth and they surprisingly have REALLY straightened out in the last 2 weeks. I only have two minor areas of concern. 1) my bite seems a little off AND 2) my front teeth still don't look completely centered in the middle. Now these are things I could live with, but my perfectionism makes me VERY aware of them. Right now I'm just getting super excited to get my attachments off, be done with retainers (during the day at least I believe), and whitening! But I also am nervous about the whole getting used to not wearing retainers. Because now when I have them off for awhile, it feels weird. I can only imagine how weird it's going to feel not wearing them all the time. I'm very ready to add my new teeth brushing/flossing/whitening rituals into my daily and nightly routine. I know I should already have been having these rituals down by now, but my retainers are enough of a ritual for me to deal with. (cleaning them, keeping them clean during the day, etc.)

I don't think my teeth will be moving anymore because the 2 week movement period is up, but things really need to set into place. So all I'm really looking at is two weeks wearing these retainers that already fit until these attachments come off and I'm done with normal treatment.

Update Part 2

In a couple days it will be 2 weeks of these retainers. My teeth are used to them it seems. Since the last time I wrote, my teeth have gotten to another position where my bite seems off. I'm hoping it will correct, or else I get used to it. I'm very eager to start teeth whitening and have looked into different products. I will try to write about how that goes as well. I have read a lot of online reviews (which I recommend doing for ANYTHING you are thinking of buying) that white strips can cause tooth sensitivity, so I'm thinking I'll stick to whitening mouthwash and toothpaste. But that's not for a couple weeks anyway.

I have been almost religiously chewing gum to keep these retainers clean. 4 weeks is a long time wearing the same set of retainers. I also keep some flossers in my purse so I can easily and quickly clean my teeth anywhere I am. I did eat some sausage today with them on out of pure laziness, but otherwise I have been very good. I actually haven't had much of a chance to look at my teeth. I have been super busy, so tomorrow I will have to take a good look at them. I'm kicking myself for not taking more before pictures, but the ones I have seem to show my progress is definitely big.

I have been thinking and am pretty sure the reason my teeth aren't PERFECT is because invisalign could only do so much. I remember years and years ago when I got a traditional braces consultation the orthodontist said I needed a spacer and the procedure was a lot more complicated. My invisaling treatment has been very low maintenance and not hard at all besides the moments of pretty bad pain. No tooth pulling, or tooth sanding. Really just attachments and retainers. So for what I've been through, things look really good. And I suppose nobody is really going to see the back of my teeth and judge that they're not perfectly straight. I'm definitely more aware of my teeth than other people are. Especially because I've seen how great of a change could be made. But I also feel like I paid a lot of money for my results to be perfect. Sometimes being a perfectionist is very thought consuming!

Here's where we're at

So it has almost been one week on my last set of retainers. And I'm becoming more at peace with the idea that this is my last set. At first my bite in the back was very uncomfortable, but it seems better now. My teeth will not be perfectly straight in the back, but the more I think about it, the most I seem to remember the picture they showed me didn't have the back perfectly straight. So I am beginning to think this is the best invisalign can make it. I'm sure braces could make things even better, but it would be more complicated, more expensive, and I didn't want traditional metal braces. I think I will be happy with the look of my teeth once the attachments are off, but only time will tell.

I'm actually kind of sad I won't be wearing retainers anymore. So weird. I was ready to be done (the cleaning part is gross), but I really don't like the feeling without retainers. I'm so used to them, it feels weird when they're not on for awhile. Like my teeth aren't being supported. I'm sure it will take getting used to just like it was getting used to wearing them.

But I am excited to start some teeth whitening. I have about 3 weeks to go until I have my attachments taken off and I'm done. But I will definitely be monitoring my teeth and addressing any concerns I have before that happens. I wonder how they get the attachments off? More researching for me!

I'm...done?!

That's right. I am apparently done after this set. And I'm happy/sad about it. I went to my check today and the hygienist told me I had 3 sets of "pluses" that the doctor would see if I needed to use. Which I wanted. How weird to WISH for more retainers?! But I'll explain. He came in and looked at my mouth and was really pleased. He said I didn't need to use the extra ones because they are just to overcorrect things that didn't come out. And he said mine look great. Which confuses me. I have to wear this set for 4 weeks. Which really isn't going to do much. Each tray individually barely moves your teeth. It's a very small difference ONE tray can make. Then I will get my attachments aka bumps off!! And he said he will order my retainer today. My number one complaint at this point is communication. I'm not sure why I need a separate retainer, if I have to pay, etc. I guess it just had the bumps gone so it will snug to my teeth once I get the attachments off. Otherwise, it seems to be done.

Now on to the good/bad feelings. GOOD is that I'm soooo ready to be done. I won't have to worry about eating and constantly cleaning them, how I eat in public, the gross feeling or dirty retainers, or new pain. BAD is that I don't think my teeth are near perfect (maybe I'm just being overly critical because I've seen how much they CAN change and how much I like the change) (I'm also not sure if they're making me done because they think I'm done or they just don't want to waste more time on me. That's my cynical nature to question motives.), I don't want to be unhappy with my smile ever again and really this was a big investment. I have said I would be happy if my mouth stopped in this position. And I kind of would, I just really had my heart set on everything being PERFECT. They didn't really make it easy for me to ask questions and they were very pleased with how things looked. My teeth from the front look really good, but the back teeth are NOT completely straight. Is that normal? Aren't back teeth supposed to be straight too? I'm going to look into it and then try to post some pictures!

Quick Update

Haven't had much time to write & seriously every picture I try taking turns out horrible. I was just going to wait, but I thought I'd write quickly. I go to the orthodontist n 4 days, so at this point in my current trays my teeth aren't hurting. Things are fine that way. My retainers have gotten so dirty and it's pretty much impossible to clean them back to normal once you let them go. I half don't even care at this point since I'm almost done with this set, but know I need to focus on better habits.

I have been doing some research because I was very worried that my teeth weren't where they should be and apparently it's quite common to need refinements. Which from what I've heard is just new retainers because things didn't go as planned or for whatever reason aren't perfect. Which I believe includes new molds (ick) and new trays. Which can be a lot depending on the case. I've read some blogs where people needed 2 different cycles of refinements, which can easily add up to 6 months or more. Which is both discouraging and nice. I want perfect teeth. But I am sick of retainers and was very much looking forward to being done. Plus I have to wear this next set for a month. Which seems wasteful if I'm going to get new molds. AND then the molds take time to be sent away so I can be making NO progress for like a month. That seems like a waste of time. And I'm unsure about payment. I read sometimes 1-2 refinements are included in the cost. But I'm not sure. I would hate to have to invest more money into this process when I'm trying to save for other things! I'm guessing I will learn about this when my teeth are "done"  and the orthodontist realizes they're not perfect and will require more work. For now, I guess I will just wait.

I've been meaning to write...

I've been meaning to write, but I was waiting until I took some pictures (which I never did...oops) so I figured I should at least write. I changed into my (so-called) second to last set of retainers 2 days ago. My penultimate set of retainers. Haha never thought I'd use that word when I learned it in college prep senior year of high school. Ohh the good old days. Sorry this is turning into a non-tooth related blog. The bottoms hurt a lot, as usual. And I find that weird because the bottoms look almost perfect to me. The tops actually hurt a tiny bit this time, which I feel like they should hurt more because they have more moving to do. I don't possibly think in one more set of retainers after this one my top teeth will be completely straight. And I want them to match the bottoms and also look good. I guess I can talk to my orthodontist about it, but the appointments are so quick they really don't give me time to talk about anything and I don't even get to see anyone but the hygenist. But this is a big deal (and investment). My worrying is getting the best of me. I'm trying to trust in the plan they made for me, but I can see my tops not moving like I expected them to.

I have been very good at brushing my teeth after everything I eat, and in the event I can't (like the recent roadtrip in which I was starving) I at least floss. I put a couple flossers in my purse so I'm good to go anywhere. I have been trying to do my best to get in the habit of keeping my retainers clean because after this set, I will have to wear the next set for a month. And if I let them get dirty/gross, it will be unpleasant. Plus if they're my actual last set (which I'm unsure of at this point) they will probably be the ones I'm supposed to wear at night. Not that they told me I would have to wear them at night when I'm done, but I've heard you have to and I don't want my teeth to shift back.

My teeth are still semi sore as of now, but a lot better than they were 2 days ago. And not enough pain to need ibuprofen, but this headache I have right now may break my day free of pain medicine. And I still haven't learned to stop biting down on the areas that are sore to check if they're still sore (which make them hurt more, but I can't leave them alone!) I will TRY to add pictures soon. It's just very hard to take quality pictures that show my teeth with my cell phone's crappy camera!

Lazy & Unsure

Yes, I have gotten extremely lazy...when it comes to my retainers. 75% of the time I don't chew gum and I haven't been brushing after meals. I rarely floss. I have actually only been brushing in the morning. I wake up, throw my retainers in a clear mouthwash rinse (at least I do that) and then brush my teeth and retainers. I brush them pretty good. My sonicare toothbrush runs for 2 minutes and it usually stops before I'm done, so I know I'm doing it long enough. I just really need to get the energy to brush before bed. I've gotten myself in the habit of washing my face nightly. I know I could get in the routine of brushing, too. I just have to try. Flossing, there is no excuse for. It is so easy with my flossers. I also have been drinking with my retainers in. I know that's a big no no, especially the red gatorade I sipped last weekend. It's not good cause it can stain as well as get in your retainers and wear at your teeth. I am going to really focus on bettering all these things. It will be easier when I don't have retainers anymore, but it's best to start those habits now.

I still feel weary that my teeth won't be perfect in the time frame they've alloted. And I'm pretty sure after the last tray which I'll wear for a month, they'll be taking off my attachments. Which I'm not sure how that will go. Hopefully it doesn't hurt. I think getting them on was alright, but if I remember correctly, it was a bit uncomfortable. Anyway, if the attachments come off, I would think that's final that I will have no new retainers. I have been really looking at my mouth and will definitely make sure things are good before my attachments come off. I hope they will talk with me more, even if I have to prompt them for answers. I still never know what happened with the tooth filing which was supposed to happen around tray 17.

As far as pain, I've been in this set for a week and there is no pain. I have one set after this until I go in for my supposedly final set. So I'm really not expecting much more pain, but you never know. Maybe the last one will be drastic. I can't imagine that, though. From what I understand, every week is a very small change because your gums can't handle huge changes suddenly. I guess we shall see. Trying to remain hopeful, despite my cynical nature.

The Countdown Begins!

I had another retainer check (aka they just give me new retainers) today at 8 am...yeah I wasn't pleased it was that early, but I had to work later in the day and when I called to reschedule, that's what I got stuck with. Nonetheless, I went back to get my new retainers and....they said I only had 3 sets left!!! So they gave me 2 of them instead of the usual 3 and I will come back to get the last pair in 4 weeks. The hygienist told me the last pair I'm supposed to wear for 4 weeks to make sure everything is in place and they like to give that to me separately.

So as the title states, the countdown begins. I noticed I have 3 more retainers in my set so I guess if I want to fine tune my teeth? Not entirely sure. Based on the progress so far I highly doubt in 3 new sets, my teeth will have enough time to correct themselves all the way, which worries me. I want my teeth to be PERFECT! The bottoms are very close. Just a few need to turn more and then the teeth in the way back need to line up. The tops, however, need quite a bit of moving. My smile has really improved, but I want more than improvement. I want perfection. I'm very nervous that they won't be everything I want.

What also bothers me is for the last couple months my top teeth have really NO pain. The bottom teeth are the ones that have the mild pain. I'm assuming pain equals progress. So if my tops aren't in pain, are they not changing much? Or is it just enough to do its' job? I really don't know. The tops don't hurt at all since I changed into my new trays today. I changed at about 8, went shopping, came home, ate breakfast, took a nap, and when I woke up from my nap at 11:30, my bottom teeth were quite sore. And still are. I took ibuprofen 3 times today I think. Come to think of it, I may have accidentally taken my last doese too soon. I took 800 mg at about 5:45 and then just a little bit ago at probably 11 took another 800. Yikes. Should be fine. Hard to go to sleep when  you're in pain.

I do like the whole process and my progress so far, I'm just a little I guess disappointed with my orthodontist. I have seen him maybe 3 or 4 times the whole time. They haven't kept me informed about what was happening. I was supposed to get my teeth sanded, they said, but they never mentioned it again. They never look at my teeth when I go in for check ups. They told me 10 months and now it has turned into a year. I really just hope things are where they should be. I know the retainers fitting should be a good sign, but I wish they would have been more involved. I'm the kind of person who likes to be very involved and know what's happening every step of the way. Having had teeth that made me so self-conscious, I really want and expect teeth that are beautiful and just how I was told they would be when I signed up for this invisalign treatment. I don't want to look at my teeth and say "they look better" I want to look at them at say "they look amazing!!"

Quick Update

Just wanted to quickly update this and say that all my minor pain is gone! It hasn't even been one week in these trays. I have about 9 days left until I go back to the orthodontist to get my new sets. I'm very much enjoying the lack of pain. Quite nice I must say. And my gum chewing obsession is in full force. I now literally chew gum after everything I eat. I went through almost all the gum I had on hand from B.R. aka before retainers (when I was a big gum chewer). I bought some more today with a nice coupon I had that was expiring. It gets all that hard to get stuff out of my teeth. Stuff brushing misses. Which in turn reduces the amount of plaque (spelling?) that will settle on my teeth. Which I believe will help keep my teeth clean and reduce any staining. It's so low maintenance too. Just pop in a piece after eating and chew. Can't get much easier. Now I just have to a way to motivate myself to floss more regularly. But progress is going very well. My retainers fit so perfectly that I can't even tell I'm wearing them. I've literally had to check a few times to make sure.

I have to admit, that is a little weird that a few weeks ago I was in the worst pain and didn't think 2 weeks was enough on my trays and now on these new trays after a few days it feels perfect and no pain. It seems inconsistent, but at this point, I'm giving my full trust to my orthodontist. Because if things don't turn out how I was promised, you best bet I will not give up until I get my teeth perfect.

Yes!

So I've gotten very uncreative with my titles. Pinterest is sucking my creativity in other directions. On to the teeth! 2 days ago (on Thursday) I changed into my 22nd set of retainers!! They didn't really hurt at first. Later in the day, it felt like the bottom might need to be sanded because it was slightly digging into my gums, but it ended up not. The bottom right was sore again like it has been lately just for the fact that the turned teeth are moving. And the tops were fine, like the last few times as well. Now 2 days later, pain in 98% gone!! It's very exciting to get out of the pain phase so quickly. And even the pain in the first 2 days was mild compared to the past. Makes me very hopeful!

Now for the promised pictures:

Here's a look at the bottoms. They're almost perfectly straight from what I can tell. The ones in the "corners"are the ones that need to kind of swivel to sit upright.

These are the tops, which obviously have more work to be done. When you see them at this angle you can tell they need to align more. Which I find weird because I haven't felt any pain from the top retainers in months.

And here is probably the number one thing that bothers me. If you look where the middle of my lips are, you can see the middle of my teeth are not aligned there. Which isn't a huge deal I suppose, but it looks funny to me because I really notice it. I definitely hope that this fixes itself or I will say something to my orthodontist. My top teeth do have lots more to do, so hopefully it won't be an issue.

And here is a general look of how my teeth are doing. They look far better from this angle than they do when you see the teeth in back. Even though I rarely will be showing my back teeth (if at all) I want everything to be straight and perfect!! I'm very pleased with the way my smile looks, but that's not all the teeth my mouth has. I also want my bite to feel natural.

Anyway that's all for my teeth news. Thankfully there is no complaining of pain in this post! Let's hope it stays that way. Or for the sake of progress, relatively pain free!!



Unexpected in a good way

Sorry for the delayed updates. Due to not having my own internet, and therefore not being able to use my own computer, things of that nature have been difficult. I suprised myself by remembering what website my blog is hosted through as well as my user name and password. The things you take for granted when you have everything automatically signed in on your laptop.

Anyway for the past month or so I have felt totally not ready to move on to my next set of retainers. But I still have a few days until changing them again and I've felt ready a couple days ago! Which I think is a very good sign. I'm eager to change because I know it's progress. I'm hesitant because I know it will involve at least some pain. But overall I'm excited.

A rather unfortunate thing happened last weekend. I was out of town and got some new makeup. After I got back home, I realized my lips were very dry and painful. I woke up one morning to notice they were huge and swollen. Looked like I got lip injections. NOT cute. I had an allergic reaction to my lipgloss! My lips are still dry and itchy. Which is very frustrating. I did affect my eating for a couple days. And I was so drooly. Yuck. I'm hoping the new retainers won't be a problem with my already sore lips. I even noticed today almost a cut on the inside of my lip. Which my tongue will not leave alone. Ah! Makes me so angry.

Otherwise my teeth look fab. I took some pictures I will try to upload somehow without my own computer. They show the view as a whole with my mouth open so you can see the alignment. I have gotten at least 3 comments just this week about how much straighter my teeth look. Which is such a confidence booster. I'm glad others can see the difference I can. I seriously reccommend invisalign to anyone. Despite the instances of pain, I am totally focused on the good they have done. And my teeth continue to get straighter everyday!

Eek!

So I decided to get away and go out of town for the weekend. My teeth hurt, but they were decent. By the end of the day Friday, the bottom part of my lower gums was so irritated, it was literally driving me nuts. I had to actually sand down the retainer with sandpaper, which I haven't had to do in awhile. And luckily I brought oragel in my makeup bag, but I ended up numbing my tongue almost and started mega drooling. It was just gross. And painful. But that has passed. The actual teeth on the bottom hurt a bit, but otherwise things are fine. It's weird to have soreness after the first few days of a new set because the majority of the time that hasn't been a problem, but these last few weeks have just been painful. I'm excited to get this process done and hope the pain stays relatively painfree, but I understand why it's hurting. I just wish they could do more about the pain.

Update

So I was thinking to myself this afternoon "wow it's nice to have a set of retainers than actually fits and doesn't cause severe pain" I have been used to such pain the last month, it was such a change to not feel any. It was a good change, though. However, it wasn't long before some pain came around. I took my retainers out to eat something for dinner and I experienced a weird, sharp pain. It was the second time in my treatment it felt like the root of my tooth was close to the surface of being visible. I looked in the mirror and saw it was at a very weird angle in its' process of moving. (This was a tooth on the bottom towards the side that was tilted) My back tooth also looked like it wasn't lined with the others. I can tell they are in the process of moving. I will try to take a decent picture to show this change. The bottoms are pretty sore, but nothing unbearable. I did have to take out my retainers once tonight for 15 minutes just to let my teeth have a break. And there is a part of the retainer on my bottoms that is digging into my gums a bit. If it continues, I can always file it down. But I'm assuming it won't last long. Still the pain is better than it has been so I'm not too discouraged. I'm gonna keep on keeping on! Just wanted to make a note that it isn't as ideal as I earlier thought. It definitely isn't a concern, though.

PS...It's now a couple hours later and had to add this: Oragel=miracle. My sore gums are now semi numb. If you need relief from sore gums or tooth pain (I once used oragel when I had a bit of tooth decay that wasn't a cavity yet but hurt. the dentist ended up drilling/sanding it off without having to numb me since it was on the surface, but that day of pain before i went in was made better by oragel. which is why i luckily had some on hand!) oragel is my favorite. I'm so glad I just remembered I had some.

Mind over matter

So I changed into my dreaded new trays today. And they were not even half as bad as I expected! The previous 2 or 3 trays were ridiculously painful. I tried these ones on last night to see how they would feel and if I was ready for them, and they felt tight and the bottom didn't click in like it hasn't been lately. So I was so nervous. But today I figured I better bite the bullet if I want to continue to see progress. So I ate some breakfast/lunch consisting of cookies and nachos (healthy I know lol) because I knew after my teeth started to hurt I would not be able to eat hard things. Then i took some ibuprofen and brushed my teeth. I popped the topped retainer in, which was a little more snug than normal, but not uncomfortable. And my bottoms didn't fit as easily, but after a few seconds they were pretty secure. The right back was a little up, but by an hour it's mostly all the way down.

I'm not sure if this set is just not as painful (minus the minor pain in the area where the retainer on the bottom is digging into my gums) or the ibuprofen is that magical. Regardless, it is far less painful than I was expecting, which makes me very happy. When they don't hurt, it makes it much easier to wear them as long as you should. When they hurt, you take longer breaks with them out, which doesn't help your treatment. I feel like my jaw is at an unnatural angle and when I smile my teeth don't touch because of the bottom retainer! It looks funny with a gap. And I have a mild lisp. But I'm sure in a few days it will be corrected, as per usual. I guess it goes to show, things aren't always as bad as you make them out to be!

Slowly...but surely?

So in a couple days I am supposed to be switching trays. But it definitely doesn't feel ready. Usually by the first week the teeth fit in the retainers good. It's been 11 days and they still don't feel to fit right. It took a couple days to click down into place correctly. And I think it's such a big change it's taking some time. The bottoms are just not having it. They have been pretty sore the past couple weeks with all the moving. It makes biting with my front teeth a bit difficult. My tops are fine, but they go together in sets. So if I don't feel ready on Thursday (and I will try the new set on to see) I am thinking I will be wearing these an extra week. It will set me back, but it's better to give my teeth the proper time to move. It will cut down my pain, as well, because I won't be pushing it. If that's the case, I will likely call my orthodontist. They have told me that's an option in the past, but better safe than sorry. I paid for their assitance anytime I need it, so might as well use it!

I've gotten very good about brushing after I eat. At least a dry brush. It really, really helps. Another amazing trick I just discovered is...GUM! As in chewing gum. Not gums. lol! If you are out and can't brush, or are too tired/lazy to brush your teeth after you eat, just chew on a piece of gum for a couple minutes. It helps clean your teeth and freshen your mouth. Sugar free of course because sugary gum would be counterproductive. I'm loving Extra Orange Dreamsicle or Creamsicle. Whatever it's called. I haven't chewed gum much during this process, and I have missed it. So I did it on a whim and found out how beneficial it can be. I also saw orbit makes a whitening gum. So when my attachments are off, I will be checking that out for sure!

I've done lots of research and it sounds like whitening mouthwashes don't have strong enough of ingredients to do any real whitening. They may just harm your enamel. So I think I will be staying away from them. Or using it every other day or something. I have tried whitening mouthwash before prior to invisalign, but I didn't use it long enough and I always rush through brushing my teeth. So I will give that another try. Crest 3d white is a great brand. I also would love to do some kind of whitening gel or strip. Probably will end up with Crest whitestrips. I would like a cheaper option, but I don't want to ruin my teeth with less than good products. We will see when the time comes what my options really are. It looks like that will be at least 3 months away anyway.

Hanging in there!

Through the use of ibuprofen and aleve I have made it through the past couple days. My retainer finally slipped into place and the air gap is gone, so it's formed around all my teeth. And the mid-back teeth on the right side can surely feel it. They were sort of forced sideways so I believe they are being kind of lifted upright right now. Which is quite painful. But it seems like the pain is gone for the most part. (thankfully!) I kind of wish all the pain would have been in the first 8-9 months of treatment so by this point I can just do some fine tuning. But it seems the majority of the stubborn teeth are the ones moving now. So it will probably be Pain City for awhile.

I have gotten even more impatient because I'm so eager to do some whitening! Which I can't do until my attachments are off, which will likely be when treatment is fully done. Since my good report at the dentist, I am- however- more conscious of brushing after I eat because I want to maintain my good habits.

Something that has really gotten me through the last few days (besides medicine) is my tooth role model: Bree Essrig. She is a youtuber who I love watching. She's funny, creative, and very real. If you don't know who she is, totally check her out on youtube. She even made a video on her tips to teeth whitening! Anyway, she has the most beautiful smile. It's straight and super white. I idolize her smile. So when things were painful and I didn't feel like wearing my retainers and dealing with the pain, I thought of her teeth and how mine can look like that if I keep up my treatment. And it totally motivated me. Weird, but it worked! Since I couldn't find a good picture, I just snipped one from one of her youtube videos. She's acting in it (playing her hilariously dumb character Scout) so her mouth in kind of at an usual position, but you can see how pretty and white they are.

People losing weight have thinspiration. This is my teethspiration! So I will keep on keeping on until my teeth are where my orthodontist thinks they should be. Then I will take over on the whitening department (since they charge $500 for whitening at my orthodontist!!)

Holy teeth week

Yesterday was a check up for my invisalign. In which I expected they would tell me I was almost done. That didn't happen. They gave me 3 new sets. I put the new ones on. Again this time the bottom set didn't fit right, but the tops did. The hygenist helped pop it in, but it still needed a day or two to settle like last time. It hurt, but I tried to stick it out. I asked the hygenist if I was almost done and she said after these 6 weeks, I have 6 more weeks and the last set I'm supposed to wear for 4 weeks to make sure everything is in place. Which means at least another 3 months! So that's probably into July. Which is not what I was expecting. That will be about a year of treatment, not 10 months. Which is still not horrible, but I'm getting ready to stop wearing these things! It's kind of annoying sometimes, especially now because these last trays have been painful. And my naughty tongue, who likes to play with things he shouldn't, couldn't stop popping my retainers off in the back right because it wasn't down all the way. It was very unnatural feeling. When I pressed it down, it HURT. And it even made me talk with a lisp, which was very gross and weird sounding. (thankfully it's better now. this morning I was disgusting by my voice) I was quite annoyed, I just medicine and went to sleep.

When I woke up this morning BOY were they sore. I brushed my teeth and actually kept my retainers out while I showered. I needed a small break. I put them back in and they immediately ached. So ibuprofen it was. I was nervous because I had to go to the dentist for a cleaning and my teeth were so sore as it was. But the ibuprofen helped, and the gentle hygenist, because it was not painful. I got a new hygenist at my regular dentist's office (which by the way I was excited to go to besides the pain. My alarm clock went off and I didn't even press snooze! I jumped outta bed! I love the dentist. Call me weird.) She was SO nice! We chatted and she actually stopped a few times so I could legitimately answer without her hands in my mouth. And it was so easy to talk to her. Usually I'm at a loss for words aka socially awkward, but she was welcoming. And I told her my teeth were sore, so she was extra careful. It was nice. Plus she said I was doing great with cleaning and flossing. There was very little plaque. AND this was the first time ever I didn't get "yelled" at for not flossing enough. I'm psyched. I must be doing something right.

Anyway then the dentist came in and said I was doing good. He became interested in my invisalign. So he asked if he could see them in. I told him they were saliva-y, because they were. Which is gross. Every time I switch trays, the first few days my mouth views it as a foreign object, so it super produces saliva to try and break it down I guess. But he didn't care. I showed them to him and he told me to put them in cause he was curious. Which was sort of funny. Then I was on my way. Clean teeth and retainers mostly fully molded to my teeth like they should be.

What I gathered from the last few days is: my teeth are not as far along as I thought. They have come a LONG way, but there still is a significant amount to go. I was rushing things I guess. So I will try to be more patient because even a year is nto that long to wait to have the smile I've always wanted. To prove my teeth are far from "perfect" as I thought they practically were, here is an extreme close up:

Obviously as you can see, the top AND bottom teeth need to line up a little better to get on the same level. And the bottom teeth need to stretch out a little more so they're not as crowded. But still an improvement nonetheless. And I've noticed today my lips are fuller. The orthodontist said that might happen. And it looks very nice considering my top lip was always smaller than my bottom one!!

Looking good!

So I am on week 2 of this tray. Wednesday would be the day I go to get my new trays (after forgetting one day a few months ago, my day was originally a Tuesday). However, the doctor leaves early on Wednesdays and at the time I scheduled the appointment, I needed a later time. So Thursday will be the day I go in. Since last time my trays hurt so bad, I'm actually thankful to be a day behind in case they hurt again. Because this way my teeth should be really set in these trays. They certainly feel comfortable and like they fit perfect now so I'm not anticipating any trouble. But you never know.

My retainers feel super duper dirty right now. I really need to take better care of them. I haven't flossed a whole lot later, either. But I seriously have had zero time. I've made a big life change, or I should say career change, which I'm hoping will lead to a more flexible schedule. I am attempting the start of many changes in my life. So straight teeth will be the first real change of the series. I'm excited to go to my appointment. I'm pretty sure I don't have much longer left. I can really see there isn't much more movement needed. I have had several moments recently where it was awkward to take my retainers out, but really they feel like a part of me now. It will be so weird to NOT have them in. But I think I still will wear them at night. I'm fairly certain that's the procedure. And I don't mind that. It has been an intense, yet not too hard journey. Hard to explain how it was easy and difficult at the same time. But I will not allow my teeth to go back. I have heard many people who didn't take care of their teeth after treatment for braces and decided not to wear their retainers and their teeth started shifting back. NO way, Jose! I didn't go through this time and money for nothing. And I'm very pleased thus far :)

Update

So as I said yesterday, I was in the worst pain. Today was a lot better. But still very painful. However it's bearable. Especially compared to the pain of yesterday. The backs on the bottom still don't fit perfect, but after a few minutes they settle into place. I probably would be upset with the pain I'm in if it weren't for the fact that it's a huge improvement from the pain I was in yesterday. I called the orthodontist to let them know so they don't have to check into it. I will just put up with this pain until it passes. I go in for a check up in 2 weeks anyway to get my new couple sets of retainers.

I thought I would take some pictures since I haven't added any in awhile and things are really moving into place now. This first picture is my current retainers. I have never shown them alone, so this is what they look like. (The top picture is the bottom retainer and the bottom picture is the top retainer) You can see the alignment of where my whole set of teeth are. The front teeth have really moved down as I noticed when looking at my first set of aligners, they stuck out a lot. As you can see from the top, there is one tooth that needs to be pushed in a little more, which I'm assuming will lead to the closing of my small front tooth gap the process has created. The bottom ones are moving a lot too as you can tell in the picture they look pretty even and fluid.

This next picture is one I just took a few minutes ago of my teeth how they currently look with no retainers on. It's a little blurry because my cell phone camera isn't the greatest, but you can get a general feel of how things look. They obviously have made big improvements. So looking at this picture really helps me deal with the pain that these bottom teeth are giving me.

Worst pain so far :(

So today it was time to change into tray 19. I was SO ready to change. My teeth felt ready after about a week. So I was eager. This morning I put my new set in and the top fit like it should. The bottom immediately felt wrong. It was sticking up in the back very much. I tried to bite down, but it was so far away from being on my teeth it would have broke it. So I had to click it down with my hands and move by jaw to keep it down. After awhile, it mostly formed to my teeth, but felt like it was not a good fit. I took ibuprofen and went on with my day.

It did not get any better. In fact it got worse. When I took them out to eat, my teeth were so sore. Eating with my front teeth hurt. Then putting then back in was torturous. Hurt so bad I wanted to cry. After work (which was about 8 1/2 hours of wearing them) I made an impromtu trip to my orthodontist to have them check it out. Luckily they were able to squeeze me in. Unluckily my dentist had gone home already. My favorite hygienist took me back to take a look. She said it looked normal and that it would probably fit better after awhile. She said if it still hurt tomorrow to come back in. She told me the orthodontist would take a look and see if this was a set of trays where my teeth were moving a lot, which would explain why there's more pain. If worse comes to worse, I may have to go back to my previous set of trays for a week. Which will make me behind. I really think it's just a matter of the bottom tray is not right. It is too tight and hurts so, so much. Ibuprofen isn't helping. And I'm sad they couldn't help me either. But I'm trying to ignore the fact that it hurts so bad.

The thing about me is, if something hurts or I'm not supposed to be doing it, I automatically play with it more. I keep biting down and observing the pain. Seeing if it's getting better. But it just ends up hurting me more. I need to leave it alone and try to distract myself. Hopefully it will correct itself so I can go forward with my treatment. I know it's the right set because it's the last one I have in my possession before I get more from the orthodontist. And it was labeled. Plus the top fits good. Such a weird situation. But I guess those bottom teeth are getting their crap together and finally "straightening" out. lol!!

HUH?

So about 2 days ago I noticed some pain in my gums. I thought something may have been stuck in there and felt something hard. Upon further inspection, it looked like the root or part of my tooth was coming through my gums. My tooth was tilted pretty sideways in its' quest to get to its' new position. So I was really worried it traveled too far. It was kind of late, so I didn't think the orthodontist was open. I figured if it still hurt Monday I would get it checked out. It was uncomfortable, but not awful.

Well I don't feel the hard part anymore. My gums are a tiny bit sore, but otherwise I guess my tooth was fine. If there is any problems, I will call the orthodontist tomorrow. They are very good about getting me in quick if I have a concern. My teeth are pretty used to these retainers now so they don't hurt much at all. The backs/sides are a little sore as of now, but I think that's due to the fact that I clench my teeth together so much without realizing it.

I told my dad about my tooth gap because I was concerned and he told me it makes sense because the front side teeth still have to be pushed in a little. I hadn't realized it, but when I looked at my retainers, it's true. So that should push the front teeth together. Which in turn should make them lined up with my lips. So I feel relieved about that.

Several people lately have told me how much straighter and better my teeth look now. Which is great to hear!! I'm glad others notice too. I certainly see the difference comparing them to before pictures. I can't believe I'll be done soon. And then I'm very excited to start teeth whitening. I will have the best smile!!

Now THIS is real pain

Forget my complaining a couple days ago. Today I was reminded what real pain is. Ow! I changed into set 18. And immediately I knew it was going to be painful. They fit very tightly and the backs didn't seem to be quite fitting yet. Less than an hour later the backs snapped into the proper place, but as soon as I put them in they hurt. That was 6:30 this morning. It's now 11:30 pm and they still hurt. A lot. I took some ibuprofen before I left the house. And after 4 1/2 long hours of wearing them, I took them out for lunch. Chips wasn't the best lunch plan with sore teeth. But the break from them out of my mouth was lovely. Take short breaks. I'm telling you it helps. You definitely don't feel like taking them out because it hurts to take them in and put them back when they're still new. It's painful. But it's much more painful if you don't give your teeth a break. Trust me!

I got to thinking it's weird that teeth can hurt. Because they're aren't like skin or muscle. But I'm quite sure they do hurt. I have a HORRIBLE habit of biting down hard when I'm thinking or concentrating too hard. Which further hurts my teeth when they're already in pain. And I'm totally the type of person who notices something is not right or painful and then constantly pokes at it. So all day I have been biting my teeth together at various angles observing what parts of my teeth hurt and from what direction makes it worse/better.

I tried taking them out several times for breaks, forcing myself to eat here and there. (I've learned not to take my antibiotics on an empty stomach or I get queasy. At least my ear infection pain is gone. One pain at a time, please) At work they passed out popcorn cups to everyone on the floor (which is hundreds of people) and it was super awkward to take my painful retainers out to eat, but I took my time eating and it was a nice unplanned break to give my teeth. I took some more ibuprofen about dinner time, but it really didn't do much for the pain. I think I'm becoming immune to it I use it so much. Is that possible? Please say no.

So currently I am in quite a bit of pain. But I know it won't last. The first few days should hurt. That makes sense. I guess I've just gotten spoiled because I haven't been in pain every time I change trays. It's nearing the end so teeth are getting back into place. I'm sure braces would be far more painful. I just do not like any kind of pain. I know it will be worth it in the end. 10 months of treatment. I'd guess I probably had under 20 days of pretty bad pain. So it's not horrible. I just would prefer no pain. Yeah, not realistic.

One more observation I've noticed: when you first change sets and the first time you take the new set out to eat, drink, etc. it instantly feels very weird. Because the retainers have already kind of gotten your teeth used to where they will be moving. And it feels unnatural because that's not how you have been biting down for the last week or so. So it's a weird feeling. My suggestion is to go with what your mouth is doing. Don't try to correct it back to what it was. You want progress so in this case that means change. It will feel more natural by the end of the day. And you'll like the way it feels better. During this process there have been times where my bite really bothered me because it made teeth rub against each other that never did and it was uncomfortable. Now they're moving back to a more normal position. And it's weird to get used to. But it's also a lot better of a feeling once I get used to it. They fit a lot better.

It honestly amazes me that plastic on my teeth can make them straight and perfect (to me). I'm so excited about the way my mouth is looking. Just a few minor improvements and they will be excellent. So yeah, it hurts. But name one treatment that doesn't. My smile, my confidence, my bite... all will be changed for the better. So really, I can't complain. (not that that will stop me :P)

Ooouch

Not ouch. oooh-uch! That is the main feeling I'm dealing with right now. There are a couple reasons for that. One) for the past 2 days I'd say I have had a very sharp, irritating pain in the back, top right side of my mouth. Like where my wisdom tooth used to be before I had it painfully removed a few years ago. Anyway I assumed there was something in my wisdom tooth empty area. But then I started to think it was a sharp part of my retainer cutting into me. I couldn't take it today, so I felt around for awhile and found a popcorn kernel stuck. So annoying! I've brushed my teeth several times since I've eaten popcorn. Those suckers get stuck. And it's right where the retainer rubs against my upper gums.

But the most painful part two) is on my lower bottom right (what's up with the right side?) there is a large-ish gap where my tooth is really moving. Those side teeth have been moving lately. Anyway my gums are super sensitive in that area because they're exposed in places they haven't been. So in that little area, my gums are puffy and really hurt. I just flossed and ay-karumba did it ever hurt. Since I'm currently still feeling my ear infection pain, this is just another added pain. So I may take some pain reliever so I don't overdose on pain.

On a gross note, my retainers are ready to be changed. I clean them, but they are just done for the count. There is only so much you can do. I need to start doing mouthwash rinses again. Reminder to self: buy clear mouthwash!! Tomorrow is my last day wearing this set of retainers. Then Wednesday I get to change to my new set! Which I'm nervous about because I will be wearing them for a long time at my new job. But also excited because I'm very ready for a new set. This set is feeling like it has done its' job. So I'm eager to move on and possibly get these side teeth moving even more. And (fingers crossed) close this gap in my front teeth. As for now, getting through sensitive gum pain!

Update!

So I have started a new job and we cannot leave for lunch during the first 5 weeks of training. Which is weird, but whatever. Having to take my retainers out to eat when the lunch area is set up like a high school cafeteria is really awkward. I'm sure it grosses people out. It would gross me out if someone did that in front of me. Then I don't really have the time or resources to properly brush my teeth and clean my retainers before putting them back in. So that whole situation has been annoying.

Then on top of everything, I have been really sick lately. And the last couple days, I have been extra sick. On top of a severe ear infection, I have some sort of flu. I realized I need to eat food with my antibiotics or I get really sick. Which the first day I didn't, so I was so nauseous. And the thought of throwing up with retainers in both scares and digusts me. So that has been annoying to deal with. I don't feel like taking care of my retainers when I feel awful. And when you're sick, you wake up with horrible tastes in your mouth that are just gross. And the retainers add to that. Plus having to make sure I have time to eat.

(And let me just tell you, the sound your retainers make when you wake up shivering and chattering your teeth is less than quiet)

My tooth gap has gotten very annoying to me because it's ugly and I want it to get back to normal. Seems to be taking forever. I'm eager to change into my new set in 4 days. Otherwise, I haven't noticed any changes or anything since the last time I wrote.

Hmm..

So I have been wearing this set for 4 days. I am finally used to the alignment. And I like it so much better. My teeth on the side feel like they're finally not in the way. Which makes chewing a lot easier too. However one thing I've felt today was pain. The lower mid-right side is pretty sore. It makes sense though because that's the one area that hasn't done too much moving yet. I don't have enough pain to take medicine, so I'm not awfully worried about it. I would expect it to be fairly better by tomorrow. Which I hope is the case because tomorrow I start my new job so I will have very long periods of time where I cannot take out my retainers. When you are in pain with your retainers, short breaks with them out really helps. So if I can't take them out and I'm in pain, I will grow even more in pain the longer I keep them in. And sometimes the pain doesn't strike until it's too late.

I have been trying to remember how many trays I'm supposed to have in total for my treatment. But I can't remember and it doesn't look like I wrote it down. My containers say 24, but I know that is not correct because I remember he told me we wouldn't use them all. There are extras just in case I need more improvement past what he thinks my treatment time will be. Since I'm already on tray 17, it can't be much long. 22 maybe? I guess my focus should just be on wearing my retainers and continuing to do as I'm told. It will go fast, I'm sure. The rest of treatment has. My teeth look so much better already. I noticed today that my mouth is fuller and my teeth kind of fill out my mouth more. Which I think makes my lips look better as well.

I surely can't stop smiling every time I pass a mirror to look at my new smile. Such a great investment. Anybody who has ever been self conscious of their smile knows how much fixing their smile makes a difference. In my case, the dentist had been telling me for years to get braces because my teeth were crowded. But my parents didn't. They put it off. And soon enough I was 18 and not their responsibility. I took it into my own hands purely because I hated my smile. Little did I realize at the time, it was a lot worse than I thought. Looking back at pictures now and seeing the improvement, I can see how bad they really were. So it definitely was started by cosmetic reasons for me. But now it's helpful for my bite and my gum health. Parts of my teeth I couldn't reach before are now accessable for brushing and flossing. So overall, even though it may sound super cheesy, for me this was one of the best decisions I've ever mad.

New alignment?

So today (ok past midnight, technically yesterday) I changed into tray 17! Seems like such a big number. I've come a long way. And they felt like quite the step up. All day they have felt a little funny. Even when I take them off, my teeth feel funny. And I think I've figured out why. The retainers are placing my teeth in a more natural position. Throughout this process, my side top teeth used to kind of hit awkwardly on my bottom teeth. Something that annoyed me, but I got used to. Now those top teeth are pushed in a more normal spot. Which is now weird to get used to! But when I smile, my teeth feel like they should. The tops and bottom ones fit together like they used to. Except now they're straighter. So I think this is a good step. My teeth must be getting ready to go back to their normal spaces. Only straighter than ever before! I will just have to get used to this new feeling because it's strange, but feels natural.

I haven't heard anything about sanding my teeth down. Which I think was supposed to happen late March- early April. And my next appointment is late April. I believe I should be all done by the end of May. So really not much more time left. And I think my teeth are starting to work their way towards way they will be staying permanently!!

Easy Breezy

Today I had another 6 week check up to make sure everything was going according to plan. One thing I've been forgetting to mention is that the back of my bottom row of teeth where my wisdom teeth used to be were pretty sore. Like the retainers were rubbing against something back there. But it feels fine now, so I'm not too worried.

Anyway I went in and got my favorite hygenist. She always makes sure the dentist gets to see me. And yes, he is a dentist. Who does orthodontics as well. So not sure what his official title is. Besides Doctor! The other hygenist just asks me how things are. I like the dentist actually looking because he's the expert. I tried on my new set even though I'm a day behind. They felt like they are going to be causing me some pain, but they seemed to fit like they should. Then my orthodontist came in and made me smile. I never had to sit down during this process. These check ups are super quick. He said things looked good. Then he smiled and said that it's hard. Which I laughed and said it was so much work. It really isn't that much work on my part, but it definitely does take the dedication to make sure you're wearing them as much as you should. So don't think it's all a piece of cake.

I got 3 new sets of retainers and then scheduled my next appointment. Since I will be starting a full time job soon, my training schedule will be pretty demanding. So I will not be able to go in until after 4. My nice hygenist wanted to switch my day to Wednesday, which makes sense because I'm a day behind! But apparently my dentist leaves early on Wednesday. So we had to schedule it for a Thursday. Which means I will be 2 days behind. BUT that will be perfect because after training my schedule will give me Thursdays off. Perfect timing. And right after my next check up, I have my 6 month cleaning at my regular dentist. So excited for them to see my progress! Last time I was there I had just started treatment. And I hope I will find out my more frequent flossing has been good for my gums. My hygenists and dentist have always yelled at me for not flossing. But since my invisalign, I've definitely been better at it.

Things seem to be right on track. Now just have to switch my retainers and breeze through the rest of my treatment. Kinda sad it's going to be over. As weird as it sounds, I like the retainers because they support my teeth and it feels like they almost keep them in place. But I'm also really excited to be able to whiten my teeth, eat whenever I feel like it without having to worry about taking my retainers out, and having the best smile!!

Funny Story

So my little sisters have been very fascinated by my invisalign. They just turned three, so they don't understand what orthodontics are. But I try explaining to them. They understand I am not taking my teeth out, which is what they seemed to think in the beginning. Today my sister Karis pointed to my retainers and said "those aren't your teeth" then pointed to my real teeth and said "these are your teeth" so they obviously understand. They are very observant so always notice when I take them out. While they were sitting on the table (as I was having a quick bite to eat) they humorously referred to them as "rainbows" because they are shaped like the arch of a rainbow. It definitely made me laugh out loud.

They were very interested in them today. I don't think they knew why I was using them. So I told them that you put them on your teeth to make them pretty. I think that's a good explanation that they can understand. Sure enough, my sister Klara immediately reached for them and tried putting them in her mouth. "They don't fit," she laughed as she realized they were too big for her mouth. Karis, of course, had to take a turn so she tried as well but didn't seem to like the experience. It was just the cutest thing. They understand things so well. And wanted to put them in their mouths just like big sister.

This really had nothing to do with my progress, but I thought it was so funny I just had to share.

My teeth...

HURT!! Not bad pain, but they still hurt. Which is sort of weird because I have been wearing these new retainers for over a week. I have been wearing them a lot, too. So I wouldn't expect my teeth to be hurting. They still are a bit tight, too. I can get them off now without using my shirt, but it sometimes takes a couple tries to grip it right. Maybe this set is really moving them? I have noticed the attachments are in different positions, so my teeth definitely have moved. (Not like I was questioning the movement)

I have also noticed there is now a small gap between my front teeth! As well as the teeth right next to the front teeth. Still unsure why. Makes me feel self conscious. And honestly I think my teeth look funny without the retainers. But they look kinda funny with the retainers now too. With the retainers off, my front teeth look big and boxy. With them on, the attachments stand out a lot. And I think that's because I haven't been taking very good care of my teeth.

With embarrassment, I am posting this picture of my teeth without retainers. I have a side by side picture of me in real life and me with some edited teeth whitening. Because my teeth really seem to have gotten yellow. I think my habit of drinking pop and other beverages while wearing retainers has taken its' toll. Because they get in the retainers and just sit on my teeth basically. So I am going to make a big effort to stop that. And also I'm going to make a big effort to brush my teeth everytime after I eat/drink. I want to use teeth whitening, but I don't think it's a good idea with my attachments on because then the part of my tooth that is covered by the attachment will not be reached. So as soon as my attachments are off, I will be using whitening toothpaste, whitening mouthwash, and some kind of whitening strips or those trays you put the goo in. So in an effort to motivate myself, here is the cringe worthy picture.

Now I'm sure it's not common to have teeth as white as the computer software allowed me to edit them, but my teeth could definitely use some work. Which honestly, from looking at these and other pictures has gotten a lot worse in the last month. So my new goal is paying more attention to taking care of my retainers. I want to be proud of my smile! Soon they will be aligned and straight all the way. So all I have to do is make them whiter. I get so lazy with brushing, I know I just speed through it because I have an electric toothbrush. But no more shortcuts! My motivation is all in the picture!!

Progress

Found an old picture so I decided to put it side by side with a picture I took in my car a couple days ago. You can clearly see the difference. Much straighter and aligned better. And you can get a closer look at my attachments (the white bumps on my teeth that encourage hard to move teeth to move) Seeing them side by side, I can't believe a matter of 7 months could create that change! Especially solely with the use of retainers! Thought it was worthwhile to share!

P.S. The wonderful photo editing program Picnik may or may not have been utilized for a little teeth whitening ;) After invisalign is all done, I'm very excited to be able to use a real teeth whitening system.

Really?

Well I sure had a blast from the past. I changed my retainers yesterday. Now I'm on tray #16. That sounds so far into it! And I guess it really is. I think I'm supposed to have 24? Or somewhere around there. Anyway when I changed into these new trays yesterday they were pretty tight. I guess that was to be expected. Certainly shouldn't have surprised me. But what did suprise me was they got stuck! I couldn't get them off when it was time to eat. I literally had to use my shirt. Something I hadn't had to do in quite awhile!! They literally felt like they were clinging to my teeth. I figured they would be fine by the end of the day. But nope, over a full day later and they are very difficult to get out. I still am using my shirt, or a napkin. It's not a huge deal. It definitely gets frustrating when I want to take them out quick. But I'm sure it won't last too much longer. I have my appointment in two weeks where I'll get my next retainers. I should be finding out soon when (and if) I'll actually be getting my teeth filed. Sort of hoping I won't have to have that done because I don't want my teeth to be very different sizes. I'm sure they'll do it so it looks good, but I'd rather not have to deal with it.

Something that I have been aware of is it looks like (at least to me) that my front teeth are not perfectly centered in the middle of my lips like they used to be...and like they should be. I know my teeth aren't in their permanent positions right now so I'm trying not to worry. But my sister told me when she had her consultation (she didn't go through with treatment because she didn't want to take on another bill as she had several others she had to pay off) the orthodontist told her at the end of treatment her top teeth wouldn't be aligned with her bottom teeth so that the line between the front top and front bottom teeth wouldn't be in exactly the same spot. But they said it wasn't a big deal because no one would notice it. But to me, that is a huge deal. I am very critical of myself and that would bug the crap out of me. So I'm hoping everything will come out aligned. I'm pretty sure if things aren't perfect they can tweak them. I know if for instance right now things weren't going as planned they would have the company make refinements to correct the future trays, because they make all the trays at once. So I'm not too worried about it, just keeping it in the back of my mind.

The more I think about it, the more I stress about flossing. It makes sense that if your teeth are only moving millimeters (or less?) during a set of trays, that tiny things make a big difference. So if your teeth are not clean and there is food or anything in between your teeth they probably can't move like they should. And althought I am fairly good at flossing, I don't do it daily. Which my regular dentist has been yelling at me for years about! I'm definitely better than I used to be. My invisalign has really made me more aware of that. But I should be better at it. I'm only going to get what I put into it. If I don't wear my trays the reccommended 22 hours, my teeth won't be where they should. So I make sure to wear my trays. If my teeth are not clean, they will not move like they should. So my point is I really need to force myself to do it. I use floss picks so they are so simple. There is no reason for laziness. I keep seeing invisalign commercials and I'm so proud to be among those who have made the choice to better their smiles. It means a lot to me as I have been so self conscious for years about my teeth. I would hate for this all to be for nothing. So I need to step it up! But don't think I will stop drinking pop with my retainers in. hahaha. I really should stop that too, but that is not always easy.

Quick Update

Ok so I was going to wait until the next trays to write, but I thought this was a legitimate thing to make a post about. I change my trays Wednesday the 15th. It's the 13th now, and for the last probably 4 days at least my current retainers feel like they fit perfectly and I'm ready to switch to the next set. But I can't because I have to wait the full 2 weeks. They feel so ready to change there have been several instances where I freaked myself out thinking I've been wearing them for a week longer than I should have. But after my last missed retainer change a couple months ago I have been super strict about writing down on my calendar what day I am supposed to change them and also making sure I have the new ones next to my toothbrush so I see it's almost time to switch. Very weird it feels so ready so soon. If I'm remembering right these were pretty tight in the beginning. So that's one fast improvement.

Another thing I think it's interesting to mention is today at work we got to eat, but I wasn't in an area where it was safe to take out my retainers. There was literally no place to put them and it wouldn't have been sanitary. Anyway I had to eat my pasta with my retainers in. Thank goodness I didn't need to chew! But still that's generally frowned upon. So is drinking pop with retainers in, but I do that all the time at work because I can't take my retainers out and I get free pop while I'm working. Hasn't caused a problem yet, but it's probably not the best idea. I bought more flossers to make flossing easier and have been really trying to make sure to floss more. It really makes a difference when you have small gaps between all your front teeth. Which I still don't understand, but whatever.

I feel like my teeth having been moving much lately. But I also have sorta lost track of time, so I will have to pay better attention. I have a check up in 2 weeks to make sure progress is going good. I still am very pleased with my smile. I find myself smiling all the time! The other day I was thinking about how I'm halfway done with treatment and have been wearing these for 5 months and I was like wait I have been wearing them for like 7 months! I have about 3 months left I think. So that's really fast!

Phew!

So the pain has gone away and treatment is back to normal. THANKFULLY! Because that was the worst pain. For probably 5 days my teeth were really sore. I took them out for a couple of hours the first few days so I hope that doesn't work against the progress. If needed, I can always add an extra day to wearing them. I'm already a day behind as it is. And rushing now is not going to help me any.

One very weird thing that I've really noticed and have NO idea why this is happening is random spacing. My teeth were super crowded. And now all the teeth in the front have small gaps between them. If there was no room for my teeth to fit in correctly, how is there room for gaps? It makes no sense to me. Plus it looks really funny. You can't tell with my retainers in, but when I take them out you sure can. I've tried to make it a point to floss more because now there are gaps for food to get easily stuck in, but I am still very curious as to why this is happening. I would expect spaces in back as the teeth were moving forward. I just don't know.

Otherwise things seem to be good. Next week I change to a new set, and two weeks from then I have an appointment to get things checked and receive a couple more sets of retainers. Seems to be going pretty fast. I'm anxious, yet still super thrilled because the change as of now is great. Here's a quick picture I just took. Not the best quality and the attachment is sticking up on one side, but definitely straighter!