Tray 14, attachments off and whitening

Considering how sore I was after tray 14, it didn't really result in much movement.

For the most part, Dr. A seemed to be pleased with how things were progressing with my teeth.  The one sore point was that I was hoping to move on to tray 15 by the wedding but given that I wanted to do some whitening (take home kit to be used with my trays) before the wedding and was getting my attachments off in between, he suggested I keep tray 14 on.  I have to admit I was a bit disappointed.  

The removal of the attachments was less painful than I expected though a bit uncomfortable.  It took less than 15 minutes.  While removing my attachments my dentist noticed some plaque build up and suggested that I get my teeth cleaned prior to whitening to increase its effectiveness.  I was kind of hoping to wait until July 1st when my benefits would be renewed to have them cleaned but at this point what's the full cost of another cleaning?  Having said that, I'm kind of glad I did get them cleaned...

Notice the staining around my attachments?  yuck

more of the same

Some staining around my molars too!

So given all the staining that was going on and that Dr A's hygienist had a cancellation, they were able to fit me in and I agreed to it.  It was one of the most uncomfortable cleanings I've had in a while (ever 3 mos for the past year!).  I'm not sure if it was because my teeth were more sensitive after having my attachments taken off or her technique or some combination fo the two.  I have to say, given how much time I've been dedicating to keeping my teeth clean, I'm disappointed I'm still needing such frequent cleanings.  I'll have to talk my regular dentist about this when I see her next.

My schedule for the next couple of weeks looks something like this, 2x daily in tray teeth whitening for a .5 hour each time, 2x daily rinsing with a special mouth wash, same trays until wednesday after my wedding (July 4th).  On the flip side, it's been kind of nice to have a break from wearing the trays as much as possible all the time.  I figure since I've already them on for 2 weeks plus, taking the odd long lunch, or evening out (wedding tomorrow) shouldn't hurt too much.

My teeth after my attachments were taken off

My teeth after 4 days of whitening - i don't really see a difference yet.

my fiance's teeth were a bit jealous mine were getting so much attention so they tried to sneak into a side shot.  silly teeth but so so straight for being post braces 15+ years.  someone's been really good with their retainers.