Detached Attachment And It Feels So Good!

I no longer have attachments.  Today was the day that I bid farewell to my Invisalign attachments and prepared for the next stage of my treatment - the RETAINER!

It feels so good to be able to run my tongue against my teeth and no longer feel strange bumps! Granted the purple goop they put into your mouth to make a model for the retainer feels a bit strange too!  But, it only take a few minutes and it was welcomed because it meant the end is near.

I was just days shy of 16 months. I started wearing Invisalign on Dec 11, 2012.  Today, April 10, 2014 I am attachmentless!

I'm looking forward to the retainer.  I plan to wear it all day as instructed by Dr. Nguyen (Dr. WIN) and then once he gives me the go ahead, just at night!

It will be so nice to be spontaneous in food courts, at sporting events, and the movie theater! I will be able to drink, and pop food in my mouth without having to "take out my teeth" as I became fond of saying.

I won't miss the brushing and flossing every time I took out my Invisalign trays.  I will miss my new family!  Dr Nguyen and his staff are all fantastic, and I actually looked forward to going to my appointments to say "hi" to them all.

Next week I will start wearing my retainer.  And, that sound so good!

Smiling,
Sylvia

And The Refinement Stage Begins!

Today I went to the orthodontist to get new attachments put on and receive my new trays. I will be wearing ten more trays for approximately twenty more weeks of Invisalign treatment.
Here's my latest video.

Going into Overtime!

Well, the last play of the game didn't happen.  Today I went to my orthodontist expecting to have him remove all my buttons and attachments, and order my retainer.  Instead, I signed up for some refinement trays.  I figure I've come this far I might as well try to get the most yardage I can. So, they took new impressions, and once my refinement trays are in I will establish the new end game. It may be four to five more months of wearing the trays (8 -10 refinement trays), followed by six months of full-time retainer wear.  

I did get my funny tentacles, as my husband called them, removed.  I then proceeded to go to my regular dentist for my six month cleaning.  If feels good to be able to run my tongue over smooth, clean teeth.  I guess I should savor this for the next several weeks while my new trays are being designed. I may need to have some new attachments put on for those trays.  I'll have to wait and see.

I was hoping to be done with this process by my 53rd birthday in November. I guess I will have to find a new Birthday gift!   

Dr. "Win" is hoping to still move the two teeth on both sides of my two front teeth.  

So let overtime begin.  I'm still short of the initial treatment plan that had a lot more trays, so I can be thankful for that!  

Attachments at the beginning stage

Look no funny attachments

They are smoother and cleaner!

The "Almost there" me!

Still smiling,
Sylvia

The end game!

Well, we've established the end game!  I'm almost done with adjusting my teeth. That close-to-perfect smile is inching closer.  We are talking a game of millimeters. I could probably choose to do refinements on my teeth from now until eternity in quest of the perfect smile. I'm choosing to settle for close to perfect!

Today I discussed further treatment with my orthodontist. We decided that I may have to live with my black triangle on my top teeth, but the alternative would require refinement trays and more shaving of both my top and bottom teeth. I decided that my bottom teeth are pretty thin already, and with no absolute guarantee that all the black triangles would close, I'm going to leave well enough alone.

So, what I'm doing now is wearing tray 19 again on the bottom teeth and moving to tray 20 on the top. The Orthodontist is still trying to slightly move my two teeth next to my front teeth inward. I'm going to wear the trays for a month versus two weeks and see where I am. Trays 21 and 22 will be benched. No game action for them!

On October 29th I will find out if I can remove all my attachments and buttons and go to the retainer! Or we may call an audible and come up with a new game plan!

It feels like this process has gone fast and yet slow!  The year has sped by fast. But, I'm actually getting a bit tired of the aligners. It will be nice to just wear clear trays without attachments and buttons.

 My big win for today was that I get to stop wearing rubber bands! Dr. WIN also filed some of my teeth to give them a better shape.

Still smiling!
Sylvia

Tray 20 video

Toes and Teeth, Who Likes Them Anyway?

Toes and teeth are quite alike. At first glance, they seem fine. But, the closer you get to actually inspecting them, the more you find they are not so perfect or pretty!

I have funny toes so I'm used to thinking that my toes are weird. Now that I have been undergoing the Invisalign process, I have become all too familiar with my teeth, and all their imperfections! So I can now say that from head to toe, I'm a perfect combination of Imperfect!

I like to tease that my toe on my left foot is so short because I'm a twin and I was supposed to be a Siamese Twin and attached to my twin by that toe!  Of course that's not true. I just have a funny toe! My second toe is short and likes to go for a ride on my third toe!  My right foot looks pretty good, at least in my mind. The toes are short but at least they are in proportion.

Most of my life I have had a fang tooth that stuck out.  Now with Invisalign I'm reducing that. I wonder if there is a procedure to pull on toes and make them grow?  Just kidding. I wouldn't actually go through with that procedure.  I can hide my toes.  My teeth, now that's impossible!

So I will continue to walk on with my current feet.  My toes will still take me where I need to go. I may have more bunions on my feet, but that's probably due to aging and shoes!  Don't get me started on shoes!  They were not created for the well being of our feet!

My teeth are getting closer to what the Invisalign video showed as my end result.  Of course, now that I look at them more than three times a day while I'm brushing and flossing after meals, I can rest assured that I will still find something wrong with them when I'm done. I now notice every slant, tilt, slight protrusion and discoloration of my teeth.  The more we become aware, the more we can fret!  Dang, I thought I was just moving a fang!

Oh well, I guess I shouldn't really care. As long as I feel better, then it should be deemed success. But, you know what, I still think toes and teeth are really not that attractive!

This little piggy......

Before and at tray 17!

Still smiling
Sylvia

Tray 17 Video

 

Tray 17

Today I started tray 17.  I was also given tray 18 and 19, and made a followup appointment for October 1st.  At that appointment I will find out if I'm going to need to use trays 20, 21 and 22, or if I will not use them, but take new impressions for some refinement trays.

I'm excited to be nearing the end of this adventure. I'm happy to see my straighter teeth and I was told by my orthodontist that I am the model patient.  It really isn't me. It's just being compliant.  I really do wear these trays all the time, except for when I'm eating and drinking.  I also have been wearing my rubber bands every time I have a tray in.  Today I got a little reward for my efforts. I get to ditch one rubber band and only wear one on the left side!  Small victory!  

Look no rubber band on my right side!

Tray 17 is in!

My latest smile!

Taking one tray at a time!

Sylvia

Tray 12 video update!

Today was the day for Interproximal Reduction!

Today was the day I was to insert tray 11 of 22! That also meant it was time to do an Interproximal Reduction! What? That sounds scary!  But, it really isn't. I think I have spent more time using an Emory board to file my nails than the orthodontist spent making spaces in my mouth.

Interproximal reduction (also known as slenderizing, stripping, enamel reduction, reproximation and selective reduction) is a means by which additional space is acquired for your teeth. My orthodontist stripped my teeth by hand (using a flexible diamond-coated strip that's worked back and forth between my teeth) and a dental drill. I didn't feel any pain and it was a super quick fix!  The new tray went in my mouth and I just had the usual tightness.  I did come home and immediately pop a 600 mg Ibuprofen for good measure!


I will wear tray 11 for two weeks, and then once I put in tray 12 I will be officially halfway through the trays. Hooray! That is of course, if no additional trays are ordered.  I won't know if I need to do any refinement trays for some time.

I'm getting used to the nuances of wearing Invisalign and I'm glad that I see results. I see the light now (literally between my teeth!) I have what they call "black holes" but I'm still hoping these will fill in. The black holes are gaps that have resulted from my teeth shifting.  The IPR is supposed to help eliminate or reduce the appearance of these black holes.  Time will tell!

My original smile with crowding!

After IPR and with tray 11 and rubber bands!

I also don't know if I will be wearing rubberbands on both sides of my mouth for the remainder of the trays. It's all a work in progress.

Still smiling!
Sylvia

Tray 8 and Rubber bands!

What's a little rubber band after a Migraine?

Today I found the key to going to the Orthodontist, and not feeling bad about any pain. Just get a migraine about 3 hours before your appointment. You will feel so bad that by the time you go to the Orthodontist and have recovered from your "Hell," you will actually be telling yourself, "I feel so good!"

Now, I hope this doesn't become a routine, but that is in fact what happened today. I got an Ocular Migraine at around 11:00 a.m.  I immediately came home, popped a 600mg Ibuprofen, ate some food, drank a lot of water, and had a cup of coffee.  By the time my 2:00 p.m. appointment rolled around, I was feeling a lot better. I think having the Ibuprofen in my system already helped this appointment as the new tray didn't seem to be as tight or bother me as much as it has in the past.

Today I received trays 8-10 and also rubber bands.  They had to attach two "buttons" to my second from the back lower teeth. This didn't hurt at all and was a rather quick process. The rubber band attaches around the button on the bottom and then is connected to a little notch in the top Invisalign tray.

I actually thought the rubber bands would be bigger and more noticeable. So a small victory. Yay!

I have now experienced the trays alone, with attachments, and now with rubber bands.  On my next visit in six weeks they will file down some of my teeth to help in the straightening. I think that will then complete my evolution down the Invisalign road.

Happy trails to me.............

Sylvia

I've never flossed and brushed so much!

I was pretty lucky that as a kid, I didn't have too many cavities. I had strong, crooked teeth!
Now, I can truly say I have never flossed and brushed so much in my life! I have to brush and floss after each meal and snack. My routine is something like this: Wake up and take out those Invisalign trays before I even start the coffee!  Drink my coffee slowly so I can let my mouth take a break.  Put the trays back in until lunch time. Eat lunch and then put the trays back in. Then if I can't go five hours, I take the trays out around 3pm for a quick snack and coffee pick me up! The trays go back in until dinner time, and then after dinner they go back into my mouth for the duration of the night.  The routine is getting a bit bothersome. But today I looked at my original Invisalign tray and compared it to my 7th tray which I will start wearing this coming Monday.  I can actually see a difference.  This helped me appreciate all that brushing and flossing a bit more.

Left side shows the original trays, and right side is my 7th tray.

I'm about 1/4th of the way to a perfect smile!

Sylvia

So I Got Some Extra Fiber!

Today I made an unplanned stop at my orthodontist!  It seems that my healthy approach to dinner last night resulted in an attachment falling off my tooth.  I had a huge plate of salad with salmon, but I think the culprit was probably the raw broccoli or carrots.  I never saw the attachment. So, I assume I must have consumed it with my veggies. Oh well, extra fiber for me!

The culprit!

The folks at the orthodontist were very nice to me. They didn't make me feel bad, or act like I was a bother.  It seemed so matter of fact. I guess I'm not the first or last person to lose an attachment.  
The process was pretty seamless. They used my current tray to create the attachment. A few cold bursts and drill noises later, I was good to go.

All better now!

It was fitting that I went in today. My orthodontist will be starting his Invisalign treatment today.  I think he will have around 13 trays and some attachments. His plan is pretty straightforward as his bottom teeth aren't too crooked.  Still, it will be nice to have an orthodontist who is going through the process at the same time as me. I joked with him about a "comfort care" call.  After my first day he called to check in with me and see how I was doing.  I'm going to send him an email this evening!

Is everything ok?

Now I'm off to eat lunch. Hopefully I won't be getting any extra fiber!



Sylvia

Start of Tray 5

Will I ever get used to this?

Just when I thought I was getting into a rhythm with my Invisalign trays, the Orthodontist sprung a new surprise on me!  Today I learned that I will get to wear rubber bands probably starting with my next appointment in April. So if the "tentacles" or attachments weren't enough to get used to, I will now have to learn to deal with rubber bands.  Rubber bands have not been my friend in the past. I immediately go back to Junior High where the boys thought it was fun to twist the rubber bands real tight and then let them go in my curly, frizzy hair.  Oh is was so much fun! I had to cut them out.  I hope this time I don't undergo another rubber band nightmare!

I also learned that I will get my teeth filed down a bit probably around tray 11 or 12.  I knew I would have to undergo that procedure, I just didn't know when.

So, now I'm armed with more knowledge and maybe, some trepidation.  All in all, it's going ok.  I'm getting used to taking off the trays to eat and then immediately brushing and flossing my teeth and cleaning the trays.  I see my regular dentist in April so I expect a clean bill of health there. I have never taken such good care of my teeth before!

I also learned today that my Orthodontist is starting the Invisalign procedure. I took some guilty pleasure in that.  I think they should experience what the patient goes through.  I joked with him that I hoped he would get a lot of trays and a lot of attachments!  Oh and maybe some rubber bands too!  But, seriously, his teeth aren't even that bad so he probably will only wear them for a short time. Still, it's good for them to gain some empathy!

Not much more to report so I will leave you with my latest picture and my reminder card. I thought it was cute. I especially like the bit about the smile being under construction.

Smile under construction!
Sylvia

Attachment video

Here is a video I recorded the day after getting my attachments.  I have a total of six on six bottom teeth, and 8 on 7 upper teeth (one tooth has two buttons.)

It looks like you're growing tentacles from your teeth!

Today was the day I knew I would really start to feel like I have braces. The clear Invisalign trays did a good job of covering my teeth and looking pretty natural. No more!  After today I have attachments on my teeth and I really can't hide the fact I am wearing braces anymore.

The attachments (or buttons) are the color of my teeth, but they stick out at different angles and depths on selected teeth. It's not as if I have a nice straight row of them. If that was the case, I probably wouldn't have needed braces.  The attachments help in the rotation and movement of my teeth.  They are unique to me and my teeth issues. No two people will have the same attachments. That reminds me, my twin doesn't have any because she has straight teeth! Ugh!

Oh well, I'm taking steps now to fix my crooked teeth and hopefully I will have many years ahead of me to flaunt them in front of my twin!

The process was not painful, just cold!  I don't know how I did this but I was sweating and feeling cold at the same time!  I guess the sweat was from me being anxious, and the cold was from the tools and water they used to attach the buttons. I felt like a car wash was going on in my mouth. Throw in a few rags and that was about how it felt.  I luckily haven't had too many dental treatments, so this was all new to me!

The process went pretty well, except for a bit of trouble getting the mold out of my mouth. I needed a few refinements so that I could floss between each teeth, but I'm good to go.

I have the trays in my mouth for the remainder of the evening. I had a nice dinner along with a 600 mg Ibuprofen so I'm hoping the worst is behind me!

I really like everyone at the office. I'm not just saying that because they read the blog.  The team is great.  I won't go back for another six weeks, but in that time I will wear three different trays. The current plan is to change trays every two weeks.

I no longer will be counting down 2013 by calendar months. No, I'm counting down by trays. I have tray 2 of 22 in my mouth, and three and four safely put away.

It's going to take some time to get used to these attachments. As my husband said, "they look like you are growing tentacles from your teeth!" Oh well, in only forty weeks or so, I can smile like a human again!

I have seven teeth on the top and six on the bottom with attachments. One top tooth even gets two!

Still smiling
Sylvia

originally recored 1/8/13

originally recored 1/8/13

Invisalign Tray Number Two! A New Year and a new plan!

originally written 1/7/13

originally written 1/7/13

Go ahead and talk about me!

Most people, myself included, don't like to have people talk about them behind their backs. But, I'm smiling big time today because I was talked about.  My new orthodontist, Dr. Nguyen, or as I wish to call him, Dr. WIN, spoke about me to his colleagues and they devised a new treatment plan for me. The end result is that I will get the smile I want a lot sooner!  Who wouldn't be glad about that!  I will go from 38 trays down to 23.

I will probably cut my treatment time down from 1 1/2 years to just around one year!

I just put in my second Invisalign tray and I can feel the pressure has increased. But, no pain, no gain!  I wore the first tray for four weeks instead of two while I waited for the new and improved set.  The first set was getting really easy to take on and off.  I can tell this new tray will be a test for my shoddy fingernails!  Oh well, as I've said before, I want a nice smile, asking for great nails is probably just too much!  I'll put up with the breaking, fragile nails if it means I get the smile I want.

The best news today was that I really like my orthodontist. He really listened to me at our first consultation. I had expressed some concerns about the front teeth not moving for close to a year and the end result showing what they call a "black hole."  I'm sure some orthodontists would have just  listened and stopped there. But, he consulted and talked about my case with others.

I'm glad people were talking about me!

Here's to 2013 and the year of the new smile!

Sylvia