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!