refinement tray 18U/12L update with pictures

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been really busy these past couple of weekends between hosting and attending bridal showers, helping with a friend's wedding, and starting a new job. This is supervain but I'm really glad that my teeth are so much straighter now and I feel pretty comfortable (despite all the attachments) smiling widely whenever I meet someone for the first time. First impressions are important and I think mine is much warmer now thanks to invisalign.

I'm at bit behind on posting as I'm on upper tray 20 right now (out of 23 trays - last 3 trays are over correction) and will be seeing Dr. A in about a week and a half but I have feeling that I'm going in for new molds since I've been booked for a full hour rather my usual 15 minutes in the chair. I kind of wish this was all over with but at the same time I'm not quite happy with my teeth right now and will probably go for second refinements if that's what Dr. A suggests at the end of our next appointment.

Pictures (sorry my front teeth look a bit gross around the front attachments, they seem to stain more easily):

Refinement tray 16U/11L update with pictures

Since I've gotten my new front attachments, my teeth have felt really sore with every tray change. It kind of reminds me of my first series of trays. Hopefully, this will result in some big changes! I'm not sure what's going to happen after this current series

I had a chat with Dr. A about retainers as well. He usually puts in a bonded retainer on the lowers and an essix retainer on top because apparently having essix top and bottom takes some getting used t0 (too bulky?). Given that my regular dentist is strongly recommending removable retainers. I'm going to look into my insurance coverage to see if it will cover Vivera for the first year and then maybe I can just get the essix retainers once I'm into night time wear only. Anyhow, I think he's going to take a close look and determine if I need to go for another round of refinements after tray 20.

Pictures:

Kids do say the darndest things

So I was in between flights at the Seattle airport, brushing my teeth in the bathroom and generally minding my own business when a little boy (6 or 7) came up to me.

boy: what are doing?

me: brushing my teeth

boy: why are you brushing them?

me: to keep them clean

boy: but in a public bathroom?

me: that's because i'm not at home

boy: oh ok

Well that seemed to be sufficient explanation for him but it makes me wonder how many adults wonder but just don't ask...

Refinement tray 14U/11L update with pictures

I'm still here but I have to confess I'm getting lazier and lazier with my updates. In case you're wondering, I'm now changing up my lower trays (in my last 3 overcorrection trays) more slowly than my top ones to avoid wearing the last on for months on end. I've gotten a lot more questions about my invisalign (after close 1.5 years of wearing them!) since I got my new attachments. Mostly people are just curious or considering getting them themselves.

I've been a rather bad girl with my trays... Especially this past weekend since I was at an engagement party and a wedding. I managed to nurse a glass of wine, squeeze in a few courses without rushing and discretely brushed my teeth at the wedding and put my trays back in a few hours later without any trouble. What a far cry from the beginning of my treatment when I was hopelessly neurotic and on edge!

I've noticed since I've gotten my new attachments that my teeth are a lot more sore after each tray change and there seems to be some more visible changes in my teeth. For the most part things are pretty uneventful. Sometimes I feel like I want things to be over with and slow down at the same time (so that they can just as I want them before I finish this round). Most of the time, they're part of my everyday routine and I don't pay that much attention to them anymore.

Some photos:

Refinement tray 12U/10L pictures and 3 new attachments

Update photos from the end of tray 12:

The new attachments:

Trays on - the new attachments are a little wider than expected. My right lateral incisor has been so so sore.

Trays off

(picture here removed Sept 2020)

Goofing off with my new mitts during a trip to the mountains.

My eyes are nowhere to be seen but at least my teeth look pretty even!

More attachments

So today I got 3 more attachments for a total of 12 attachments (7 upper/5 lower). The three new ones are on my upper front two teeth and right lateral incisor. To be honest, I'm not too crazy about them. For one thing, they're much larger than I had anticipated and to me, they catch the light in a way that makes my invisalign much less discrete. Having said that, they're probably still slightly less obvious than having ceramic braces without the wire and you still have to get pretty close to see them. It felt a bit odd eating lunch just now and they're still a bit of a stranger to my top lip but I'm sure I'll get used to them.

I guess this far into treatment, I'll just try to focus on being positive and the fact that I'm pretty close to being done my first set of refinements. Hopefully, the look of the new attachments will deter from "cheating" too much with my trays so as not to prolong treatment anymore than I have to.

I'll post update pictures when I get a chance!

Can I get any sicker?

After being struck with a cold and then allergies I figured I was probably done with being sick for a little while. Lo and behold I woke up on Thursday with a toothache reminiscent of my post wisdom tooth extraction days (bottom ones were fully impacted). I was so uncomfortable I had to take a tylenol to get through the work day but I was still somewhat hopeful, figuring that the most likely explanation was nightly teeth grinding. I had been wearing tray 11 at that point for about 10 days so it didn't make sense for the pain to be from my invisalign.

When the pain returned on Friday with a vengeance, I decided it was time to action. I gave my dentist a call and managed to book myself in to see her the next day. I was a bit anxious as I left the house for my appointment - hoping that I wouldn't need a root canal or filling. Luckily, after taking a good look at my teeth and some xrays, my dentist determined that there doesn't seem like anything was wrong with my teeth.

So, after a lot of research and the onslaught of a number of other symptoms. I think what I had was a sinus infection. It's just so odd - I could have sworn it was a really bad toothache. Anyway I'm just glad that I'm not sick anymore and happy that there's nothing wrong with my teeth.