Sheesh!

Time flies when you're using invisalign. Hadn't realized it had been so long. I had my second check up to see if things are moving along correctly. And they looked great. I believe the correct words were "good job. keep it up. you have a long way to go" ahh. It does seem like a long way away, but I feel like I have already come so far so I'm sure it won't seem long. It takes getting used to, but once you have your system down it's fine. One thing I haven't quite figured out was how to unobviously take out my retainers in times when I need to quickly. For instance, today I was shopping and they had free samples. I got some broccoli cheese soup and attempted to eat it with my retainers in, but the broccoli and carrots made that too hard. So I had to weirdly take out my retainers and put them in my sweatshirt pocket. It was awkward. I wish I had a better way, but I still have to figure that out.

I have been SUPER duper good about flossing. I got those little disposable flossers so I can use the small little heads and floss in between my ever moving teeth. I have really been able to see the movement of my teeth better as I floss in front of a magnified mirror. I can see little gaps indicating my teeth are moving since they weren't there before. I think flossing is important because your teeth are moving and there are surfaces visible you didn't have visible before. So you want to keep them clean. I also like to see the progress up close and flossing allows me to do that. I have not found a great way to clean my retainers. It seems like no matter how hard I scrub, they're never as clean as I wish they were. Not dirty or anything. Just not spotless.

My teeth are a little annoying right now. I'm almost ready for new trays. I've gotten to the point in this set where my teeth are basically all moved, they just have a little bit more to go. The trays feel clingy and my mouth feels like it wants to stretch. But I know this feeling all too well and it doesn't last long. I love that people can see progress. I definitely can, too. It keeps me motivated to take great care of my teeth. I'm spending all this time and money to get the smile I've always wanted, so I definitely want to take care of my investment. (Although, personally I guess I don't have that much invested in it haha)

My attachments occasionally bother me because they are noticable, but I try to keep in mind it's worth it AND it's a lot less visable then braces. I'm not usually talking right in someone's face and no one has ever mentioned anything about them to me. It's probably just me being self conscious because I noticed things on myself more than other people do. I'm still unsure if they will have to be on the entire duration of my treatment. I did learn that around tray 17 I will likely need some tooth sanding (eek!), but I'm only on tray 8 I believe so I have time before that. Otherwise, nothing new on the invisalign front. There isn't that much to it most of the time. Wear your retainers, that's the main thing.

Whoa!

I have been SO busy. Haven't wrote a post in quite awhile. Here's your update! Last I wrote, I didn't think I was ready for my new set of retainers. But it's been a week since I changed retainers and things feel fine now. I guess my teeth were tough to move. It feels like everything is back on track. I have a check up next week to see if everything is moving correctly so I will find out for sure.

Treatment is going fast. I still have quite awhile to go (estimated to be done in May '12 so 7 more months) It is going to be so weird to not have to wear retainers. I'm so used to wearing them. I like the feeling of my teeth being supported. It also feels so gross since my teeth are currently not in their permanent positions, when I chew sometimes my teeth bite my attachments and grind on them. I can't imagine not having my retainers to protect things like that.

Also, great news....thanks to some help, I was able to pay off my remaining balance of what I owed for my treatment!!!!!! It is the most amazing feeling to know my invisalign is taken care of. I can now finish my treatment without worries. My new smile is paid and full. I can now enjoy watching the results of my smile transformation.

Is it that time already?

Almost time to switch trays, and it definitely doesn't feel like it has been almost two weeks. My retainers seem to fit a little more tightly than they should this far into the tray. It doesn't seem like it has been this long. I guess I will just see how it goes. If I have any problem, I can call my orthodontist. I calculated I have spent just about $1000 so far in treatment. The payment plan definitely helps me not realize how much money I'm spending!! But it's so worth it. I think my smile is an amazing investment.

Things are pretty boring on the teeth front otherwise. So I'll keep this post short. I'll write more when more teeth developments occur. And post pictures soon.

All's good!

Had a dentist cleaning today at my normal dentist. I love my dentist and have been going there since I was young. Since they don't offer orthodontic services I had to go elsewhere for my invisalign, but I still go to my normal dentist for cleanings. This was my first time there since I started treatment. I got x-rays and a cleaning. I was worried my attachments would make things complicated, but it was just like normal. My dentist was happy I was getting treatment and said he couldn't wait to see my smile progress. He's such a nice guy!

Anyway, my hygienist gave me some tips and really made me think about it differently. I have been drinking cream soda with my retainers in because it's clear and won't stain.(I didn't tell her this! lol) But she brought up the point that anything with sugar can get under the retainers and if it sits there it can eat away at your teeth. So definitely not a good idea! I will be buying more bottled water for sure. Otherwise just have to work on my flossing, especially with my teeth moving. I love going to the dentist!

I'm on my 6th set of trays so things are moving along. Just made another payment today. Definitely nice to see my balance going down :) A good smile is a great investment to me. Just have to take good care of your teeth to make it worth it! One of my bottom teeth towards the front that was pretty crooked was very sensitive the last couple of days and experienced a lot of pain while taking my retainer out of brushing so I can tell it's moving. Yay! My teeth are all pretty much shifted forward now. Which is what the plan was.

Here are some new pictures I took:

Ehh!

So I have been majorly slacking in the maintenance department. Please, please, please take my advice so you never have to deal with this. It gets very gross. So take care of those retainers! Brush them thoroughly every morning and night at the very least. After every meal is ideal. Two weeks is a long time with the same retainers so keeping them in good condition is really important.

My finances are not amazing right now, so I need to get on top of that! I have enough to make my next payment, but will be very stressed if I don't start getting more money in soon. The payment plan is nice, but you still do have to make the payments. So being super organized (unlike myself at the moment) would be very helpful.

Otherwise my treatment has been pretty normal. Just chugging away at my retainers. Almost ready for set 6! Lip ring is still in, but hasn't been a problem. We will see when I decide to take it out, because I guarantee I eventually will. One thing I have been slightly annoyed with is not being able to eat whenever I want. People have often offered me food, and it's awkward to be like "oh can't. have my retainers in" I wish I could eat with them in. It's nice to be able to take them out when I want, though, so it's not a big complaint. Overall, things have been good. Just have to get better with the cleaning!

Me and my kitty showing off my progress so far. The more my teeth improve, the more I smile!

Changing smile!

I'm a couple days into my 5th set of retainers. This means I've been wearing invisalign for 2 months! That's a fifth of the way done with my treatment!! I'm definitely on the road to my dream smile. I have noticed my top teeth are noticeably straighter. My "hidden" tooth is no longer hiden. My top teeth look great! I can't stop smiling! It's something I have been so self-concious of for years and now my smile is looking so much better. This has been the best decision. I've even decided to take my 6 month old lip piercing out because I want the focus to be on my smile! I can't believe how quickly I could see results. My bottom teeth need some work, but they're also coming along really well. I can totally see the difference my retainers have made so far.

When I'm eating and have my retainers out, I've noticed it feels so weird if I don't put them back in right away. I'm so used to wearing my retainers it feels odd not to have them in. I bet it's going to be a transition to get used to not wearing them when my treatment is done!

I have had some pain since switching retainers, but it wasn't anymore than usual. I took ibuprofen the first day once and it was fine. I have noticed when taking my top aligners out there is a bit of discomfort. I'm guessing that it's because I have quite a lot of attachments on my top teeth. It's not horrible pain or anything so I'm not too concerned.

My teeth have moved to a strange location again. One of my top teeth is rubbing up against the inside of one of my bottom teeth. This sort of thing has happened several times and the teeth have always moved within a couple of days so I'm guessing it's just the moving process. I'm pretty used to everything that comes along with the retainers so I don't have much concern. This time my retainers fit perfectly, with no air space.

This process has been very interesting. I can't believe how retainers can do so much. I'm a big fan and although I've never had traditional metal braces, I totally recommend invisalign over anything. The treatment is low maintenance, you can eat/drink/brush your teeth/floss like normal by simply taking out your retainers, the pain is relatively low, the treatment time is fairly short, the price is cheaper (at least in my case) and is manageable in payment plans, and the results are great!! I'm so happy with my progress and am very eager to continue to see how my smile improves!

Chugging along!

It has been awhile since I wrote, so I suppose it's time. I have a few days before I put in my next set of retainers. For the majority of my treatment, I have felt minor pain in my back or side teeth, which is expected since my treatment is designed to push all my teeth out and then force them back in in the right positions. However, this time I felt some pain on my front teeth, so I think my teeth are making their way up. Progress is very exciting.

I have noticed some more annoyance as some of my teeth are in a strange location, but it's pretty minor. I have gotten a little lazy about washing my retainers after meals, which is apparent. You really can't skip that step. So thank goodness for clear mouthwash. It's nice to freshen them up. A quick soak every morning and sometimes at night has been helpful. I also brush them at least every morning and usually every night. I would recommend brushing after everything you eat, but I understand it's not always possible on the go. At the very least, I rinse my mouth out and make sure no food is stuck anywhere. (If you have food stuck to your back teeth, for instance, it will not fit properly and you will be able to feel it)

As far as noticeable difference, I can really tell my bottom four front teeth have moved closer together. They always had a tiny space between them that was hardly visable, but now it's even less visable. Eventually, these teeth will be sanded down a bit to make room since they will be getting very close, but I'm unsure exactly when that will be happening.

I am very happy with my decision to get invisalign. The only part bothering me right now is paying for it! It's definitely not an unreasonable price, and is more cost effective than traditional braces, but as a college student, money is tight. I've been fine making my payments thus far, so hopefully that trend will continue!! I am very eager to talk about and recommend invisalign. It has been a great treatment and things have been moving along just as they should.