halfway mark!

last night i put on tray 11
so, that means i'm halfway done with the top, and i'm almost halfway done on the bottom!
however, i think my dentist said that maybe at the end, depending on how the space is forming between my front teeth, i might need a few more trays...just to get rid of that gap
but, here's before the first tray

and here is after tray 10

the canine on my right has come down so far! and the 2 teeth next to my front teeth are no longer in the shadow (mainly the one on the right, but the one on the left is coming up too, but still a little behind my front tooth)

i seriously can't believe how much has changed already

i go again on jan 11, which happens to be my bday...lucky me!

i need more ipr...i think on one spot up on the right hand side, and in a couple of spots on the bottom left hand side...

i can't wait for that crooked tooth on the bottom to straighten out more....when i put on tray 11, it was super tight on top, and not so much on the bottom....

oh, and she's thinking of giving me a rubber band...to help pull that right canine down more because it's not coming down like she'd like.....but everything else is on track!

my arch is nice and rounded out now...before it was more angular...things i didn't notice about my teeth and mouth until after starting invisalign.....

and people are noticing more, there are still some co-workers that haven't noticed (or at least haven't said anything) and those that do know keep saying how much straighter they look

and whiter too

but you can see that tiny little gap between my front teeth...it looks small here, but when i look in the mirror, it glares at me...so what's a few more weeks to try and get rid of that...some ipr between there and done...

update

i haven't posted in a while
i just switched to tray 9!
i'm almost half way done!
so far so good my friend

day 1

just before putting on tray 9

omg! can you see how the one tooth on the side there has come down? crazy, right?

dentist says that she thinks we'll need rubber bands on that one to help bring it down more....but i can't believe how low it's gotten already! she thinks it's not coming down enough

also, omg with the tooth between that tooth and my front tooth! can you see how that's come forward more? crazy right?

and my arch is much more rounded

i can't wait til that sideways tooth on the bottom straightens out...it's getting there, but man, i can't wait!

go back in 2 weeks from today to get trays 10-12...then i'll be more half way through

as long as i stay on the 20u 22l....

excited!!!!!!

4/20u, 4/22l

so, i had my first 6 week dentist appointment tonight, and it went well
she said i'm doing great, and the trays are fitting perfectly so i'm obviously wearing them the right amount of time, and my teeth are moving like they should!
i don't get any more ipr until tray 13, and that's on my top teeth, and then tray 16 i get another ipr on the bottom, and tray 17 2 final ipr on the bottom
she thinks that the crooked tooth on the bottom might be an issue that i might need more attachments or buttons...but we'll see...that's why i have 2 more trays for the bottom
i haven't noticed any changes from tray 2 to 3, but we'll see if there's any difference for tray 4
i still feel like my arch is getting rounder....tray 4 looks rounder than tray 1
sooooooooooo we shall see!
i don't feel like uploading pics now, so i will later...
maybe
it'd only be pics of my trays.....my camera died so i had to take pics of my teeth with my phone

first appointment tomorrow!

well, really 2nd, but first since getting my invisalign!
i'm excited, and nervous
and hope she says "omg danielle! (she's young...like younger than me) you're coming along so great! you can wear your trays for a week at a time instead of 2!"
but that's not going to happen
would be super cool if it did though
but, i'm excited to see what she has to say, if i'm coming along nicely, if i'm where i'm supposed to be
the trays are loose-ish, and i had no problem getting trays 2 and 3 on, so i must be on schedule...
we'll see
yay for trays 4-6!

the start of tray 3

tonight is tray 3
had a bit of a time getting them on to be honest....but, the bottom one snapped on good, and then i eventually got the top one on....usually i hear a "snap" when they go on the attachments, but, the top just kind of, smushed on? not smushed, but it didn't make a snap or a clicking noise like normal, but they're on, that's what matters, right?
this time i was smart and took aleeve and then waited a bit before putting them in
they're slightly uncomfortable....to say the least
i almost forgot to take pictures before putting them in!
but i remembered
before

4 weeks (omg! i'm already one month down!)

i think i'm starting to see a difference

i feel like, maybe, the bottom teeth are a little straighter and i feel like my arch is more rounded out now...if that makes sense?

2 weeks i go back to the dentist...hopefully she sees good things and i'm on course

however, there's a little space there at the top between my front teeth....it's there in the clincheck, but i wasn't sure how big it'd be....in the clincheck it's better at the end, and i'm not sure how i feel about that...i'm sure it'll mean refinements....i had said something when i first saw my clincheck, and she said we could always file between the 2 teeth....i'm not sure if she adjusted for this or not, but i don't think so...so i'll bring it up at my next appointment....it's not usually noticeable like that when my trays are out...only when i suck the spit out

maybe it's just so obvious to me because it's never been there before?

who knows

here are more angles of my teeth

and here is tray 1 and tray 3 comparison

(1 on the left, 3 on the right)

i don't see much difference.....
ohwell
i month down! 10 to go! (hopefully!)
2 weeks til my next appointment...can't wait

3 weeks and 2 days down

i think i have a new space in between my front top teeth
they used to slightly overlap on the bottom, and now they don't as much

as much as this set hurt (well, TONS of pressure) when i first put them on, it eased up by thursday
i had had a hard time putting the top one on at first, and was afraid that my teeth didn't move right with the first tray, but it went on..i had to like, pull the tray up and over the attachment on my fang....and now it just slips right on no problem

the first few days, if i had it out for more than 30mins, it was tight putting it back on, but today at work, lunch time and ice cream wednesday, they were out for like an hour....and when i put them back on, they weren't very tight.....i almost want to just to right to the 3rd tray! but no...i can not

my next appointment with the dentist is in 2 weeks from yesterday, just under 2 weeks...right....i think it's going well....hopefully she'll say i'm right on track......

on a side note, i had to go to a dr appt the other day, and i had lost 5 lbs since i was last at the dr (6 weeks ago), so, perhaps due to the invisalign

i really do miss snacking.....but i've been good...i only take out the trays in the morning to brush and stuff to get rid of gross morning mouth, then again later in the morning for coffee and breakfast, then for lunch, then for dinner, and that's it....on the weekend i take them out maybe 3 times....still at about 21.5- 22 hours a day, more towards the 22 hours of that range....

yikes!

holy tight aligners batman!

i really should have taken the aleeve/advil before putting in the trays

i feel this crazy amount of pressure on the front top teet
i almost couldn't get the tray on! that was a worry for me.....but i eventually got them up over the attachments....yikes!

there was some pressure on the bottom, but now it's gone
not sure if it's really gone, or all my attention is being directed towards this crazy pressure on the top!

i can deal with a few days of this...

at least my tongue and lips aren't getting chewed up like last time...i filed the trouble spots before putting them in...not sure if they would even be trouble spots again...but whatevs

here's to hoping the aleeve kicks in soon.....

2 weeks down!

time to change my trays!
i'm going to do it before going to bed
a common theme throughout the other invisalign blogs i've read, is to take a couple of advil, pop in the trays and go to bed....then they're not so bad in the morning
i am a little bummed, not a huge difference between tray 1 and 2

trays 1 are on the bottom, and trays 2 are on the top, upper on the left, lower on the right

trays 1 on the left, trays 2 on the right

i had added some fancy editing on them

but they look the same!

this is from 7/24, i started on 7/25

this one is from 8/2, after having them a week, i guess maybe that top one is a little more forward? but my teeth are definitely whiter...and maybe the front bottom are a little straighter?

this is from tonight

my teeth aren't closed, but this is one of the better pictures...my other pictures have my tongue pressed up against my teeth...as is the way i normally smile for some reason

ok, so, i think my arc is a little more archy? not as boxy as it was? i don't know

before invisalign bottom teeth...my sister said i had shark teeth, cuz i had an extra row....

after a week of invisalign- the front ones look a little more in line

tonight- maybe i'm imagining them being straighter? i do see more space between them

ah who knows what's going on

only time will tell......

it's been one week

no, not the bnl song

it's been one week since i got invisalign
and you know, i was going to post pictures, but ugh....i'm mildly disturbed by all the close up pictures of my mouth area...boo

anyway, one week down, and so far so good! if all i have is a few days of mild discomfort every other week, then it's not so bad.....
i've gotten used to the no snacking already, and water is my new bff

i don't even notice the trays as much anymore...and the bottom one now comes off like a breeze...the top is still a bit of a fuss but that's because i have 5 attachments on one side, and 2 on the other....so as one side will come off easier, the other side is still stuck...and the bottom i only have the 3 in the one spot, so it pops right off

i'm glad i don't feel them anymore...tomorrow night i'm going to pa to hang out with my real bff and then go see toad the wet sprocket! so that worked out well that i didn't have to change my trays before going, and the first trays are so comfy, so it's ok to go out and stuff

so, so far this week, i had pizza night, and the trays were not an issue, we ordered out, and that was ok...we went out for dinner twice, and that worked well...one time i just waited til we got home to brush and put them back in, and the other, i used the ladies room there...not a problem....on sunday we spent the day with lou's family, and they didn't notice at all...well, i didn't tell them, and their eyesight isn't the best, so either they didn't see, or are being too polite to say "hey, what's up with your teeth??"

i feel like there's been some movement...it's easier to get the floss between some of my bottom teeth....but after looking at some before and after pictures (pics from the sunday night before getting them, and after being ones i just took tonight) i don't really see much of a difference...
when it comes time to switch trays, i'm going to compare them...i don't want to take 2 and 3 out of their packages yet....but i'm so tempted to to see if there's a difference between tray 1 and 3

my cleaning regime so far has just consisted of water and a toothbrush...and i only use the toothbrush if i see any especially cloudy looking spots....i just rinse them, and then i smell them (weird! i know!) to make sure they're not smelly, and then put them back in....
i floss brush and mouthwash every time before putting them back in...is that bad? too much?  i probably take them out 4 times a day....i'm averaging about 22 hours a day, give or take 10mins or so
i take them out in the morning after i shower to clean them, and floss/brush/swish
then i take them out at work for some coffee and breakfast, then floss/brush/swish
then i take them out for lunch, and again, floss/brush/swish
and then again for dinner, floss/brush/swish
is that too much?  i didn't swish today at lunch, and i didn't feel gross
just sometimes my mouth feels super gross, and i feel like i have cotton mouth
can i swish while wearing the trays?  can i have breathmint? or use listerine pocket strips? i got some of the listerine things, and used them....i hope it's ok?
i'm just super paranoid about having bad breath...sometimes when i take the trays out (in the morning) they're kinda smelly
ew
i soaked them in effordent on saturday while having breakfast...it didn't seem to do anything special.....but i'll probably soak them again when i put them away and switch to tray 2

so, 1 week down, 43 weeks to go?
wooooooooooooooooooooooo!

day 4

it's friday
i've had my trays since monday night...
the first night it wasn't too hard to take the trays off, but i think it's because they weren't even on for a full hour yet....
then it got harder
but yesterday morning it was a bit easier
and today, easier still
and it's not too tight on those bottom 3 teeth anymore
and i can get floss between 2 back teeth much easier (even though it hurts to floss between some bottom front teeth)
and if i look, where the floss goes easier now, i can see a space...so, my back teeth are actually moving already! my mom doesn't believe me, but it's happening
my teeth used to line up real good and stuff, but now, not back there...because there's movement!
neat!
and weird
my teeth are moving...now i'm weirded out

last night we went out to eat....i was worried, but, i had already had my trays out for a total of about an hour for the day, and i know 22 is the main goal, but my dentist said 20-22
the restaurant wasn't too far from home...so i took the trays out in the car, and we had yummy chinese food...it's still weird to chew....if my front teeth touch there's some pain, so i'm chewing on my molars, but i can't close my mouth all the way yet...and the attachments keep making me think there's food stuck to my teeth (esp the ones on the bottom tooth that's set back, and the top tooth that's set back..bc food gets stuck there normally)
anyway...so we went there, then to a cupcake place next door, and then home
so, the trays were probably out for more than an hour, which puts me over 2 hours for the day....2.5 hours?
that's not bad....i figure if it was too long, i probably would have had a really hard time putting them back in
and i didn't
but it did feel like my teeth were moving back? i don't know
not sure what i got myself into to be honest

tonight is pizza night at my parents....it should be ok...i've had them out about half an hour already today
then probably another half an hour for lunch....then later for pizza....only problem is my mom always has pop ems or some other yummy thing to eat....do i keep them out the whole time i'm there? or put them back in after pizza and then take them out for desserty type things and go through all the fun again?
we'll see
really, my main concern is how i'm going to eat pizza....so far everything i've eaten since getting them has been soft (pasta, rice, hot dogs, bagels, mac 'n cheese, even the chicken and broccoli last night was softish...even though i've been swallowing things kind of whole)....but pizza is also thinner
i am not giving up pizza for anything!

i'm starving and i have to pee!

day 2 and so far so good

well, day 3? i got my invisalign monday night, so....today was my 2nd full day of having them in

we'll start with how i got here

2009- a few months before our wedding, my fiance (now husband) decides to take it upon himself to ask his dentist what he knows about invisalign.....gee thanks sweetie...i thought you loved me the way i am
so i thought about it....growing up i was always told i needed braces, but, with my crazy teeth, i would have needed a few extractions, which, i did not want for anything
no way no how
so, my awesome parents did not push the issue

so, soon after lou inquired on my behalf, i had a check up/cleaning at my dentist, and i asked about it...and this one dentist there i don't like came in to tell me about it....the verdict was that it wouldn't make any difference in time for the wedding, so, why bother
and really, i was fine with it...my teeth don't bother me, and when i look at our wedding pictures, i don't thing "damn, i wish i had done something about my teeth!"

so, fast forward to april 2011, i had an appointment for a cleaning, and now i have a new dentist (same place, but my old guy doesn't work nights anymore) and she said something to me about invisalign, and i told her i spoke to another dentist about it, and was curious, and told her my concerns about extractions...she said that the consultation was free, so i made an appointment to get molds made to see if i was even a viable candidate for it.....a few weeks pass, and the office called saying that the results were back....so i go, and she tells me that they can't do it, regular braces would be best, and something about extractions...i said, thanks, but no thanks

i was oddly disappointed since i am totally ok with my teeth the way they are, if i'm self conscious about anything, it's not that.....but, i do have a tooth on the bottom that is turned almost completely around, and i do bite my lip often with it, and it can be annoying....and i do have a fang where my adult tooth grew over my baby tooth (which was only pulled a few years ago)

so, i forgot about it, which was good, i mean, we couldn't afford it anyway

then in june or so, i get a call from the dentist office again, saying that she re-submitted my case, and they said yes, indeed it is doable, and without extraction! awesome! so i went in, and she showed me my clincheck, and i made her figure out a way to email it to me

my awesome snaggle teeth

so, those reddish things are buttons....they go on your teeth to create friction to help rotate the teeth...and those numbers are where the ipr will take place...that's where they file down your tooth to make room for movement

after much hemming and hawing, i finally decided to go through with it.....so i called and said it's a go....and a couple of weeks later (last thursday) they called saying the trays were in, and i made an appointment for monday night

i get there, they take me right away....she cleans off the teeth where the buttons are going, and starts with that...

it starts with a tray similar to the regular tray, but not as stiff plastic, and they fill the button holes with the composite, fit the tray to your teeth, and then use the blue light to cure the composite....she did the right side first, and then did the top left and bottom left...i have 10 total...after that, she filed them down so that they were smooth, and were the right shape

after that, she filed down between 2 of my teeth on the left side

then, she popped the trays on! and yikes....a little tight, but not too bad...i tried to take them off, but i had hard time with the top tray due to all the buttons (7 on top), and then i popped it back in myself, and had no problem really with the lower one

i went to show my folks, and realized that the inside of the bottom tray is totally irritating my tongue...like crazy

so i get home, lou goes "ok so are they in?" and i know he's just being the awesome husband, because they are noticeable...i have a thingie right on my front tooth!

so i pop them out, and have something to eat...and before i put them back in, i tried to file down the rough spot...and i did...or thought i did....i had no issues taking them out or putting them back in

tuesday morning,i took them out when i got in the shower, and then brushed/flossed/swished when i got out (25 mins out), then i go to work...armed with a toothbrush, toothpaste and some floss.....i usually eat like, yogurt or chewy bars, or oatmeal bars when i get to work, and then have coffee with a coworker, so i figured i'd just wait til coffee and consume everything at once, so that i don't have to take the trays out....only mildly difficult to take them out, and i had them out about 25 mins again....head to the bathroom, brush, floss and pop them back in....felt kind of tight on the bottom by the buttons...then lunch..i decided to go to the mall (i work across from a mall) and bring the food back to minimize the time out....so for lunch they were out for about, another 25-30 mins....the top was tough to get out, but, after brushing and flossing, both top and bottom snapped back in no problem....but again, the bottom was uncomfortable by the buttons

but it went away...just a lot of pressure....i think total time out yesterday was just over 2 hours...

same for today....i notice them in my mouth less...i had to file down a few more spots this morning, but all in all, not bad......

i had to go to target last night and pick up more things for work..i didn't like the small tube of toothpaste i had at work, so i got a new thing of that, and some mouthwash for work, and some of the flosser things....i'm all thumbs when it comes to dental floss

i also picked up a water bottle since all you can drink with them in is water...and, like i said to my boss "if anything, i'll loose weight just from walking to the kitchen to get more water, and walking to the bathroom to pee"....so i got a water bottle bc it holds more than the cups at work, so i'd fill it up less....and it wouldn't end up tasting like paper cup at the end of the day

i filled up the 24oz bottle 3 times....and man i had to pee so much!

and this no snacking thing is going to kill me...i've never been so hungry! i suppose it's for the best...i do snack a lot

and it's not worth it since the buttons are annoying, and it's a pain to take off the trays, and brush/floss/swish every time.....

so, i've been caught twice in the ladies' room, once yesterday, and learned that she too had invisalign before (she's now in retainer stage), and she had it since i've known her......i would have never known....and today, and she told me she's been dying to get her husband to get it.....

i don't plan on telling a lot of people i'm doing it, but i'm not going to sneak around with my stuff...if someone says something, i'll tell them...i'm not embarrassed

anywho, i'll leave you with pictures for now

(we took pics the night before on my other camera, but, i can't find the cable to load 'em up)

my first set of trays

first night with the trays! can you see them?
(they may or may not be in, i dunno)

 

most of my buttons

and the other side

and from today

it's really weird...

no change yet, but, the dentist said that the tooth on top that's behind (on my left, but on the right in the picture) should be almost to the front by the 3rd set of trays

it hurts to chew when i take them out

my front teeth are sore

i feel this constant pressure like something is stuck between all my teeth

i have this crazy urge to bite down really hard

but, so far so good

i have 20 upper trays and 22 lower trays, so, as long as i don't need any refinements, it should take 11 months

i was quoted 11-16 months

it's been a while

hi
i haven't posted in a long time
but, i'm going to try and blog now about something else
i just started invisalign last night, and i'm thinking about blogging about it
we'll see
i might just let it fall by the wayside like my knitting blog or blogging about my pictures, or whatever else i tried to blog about

but, i'm at work now, so we'll see if i add more later