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.