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