Ortho Visit

I went to my dentist this morning for a check up and to get trays 11, 12 & 13. I asked to see my last trays to compare (I wanted to see "final results" up close) and low and behold, there was only 1 tray in the bag! EEK! I stated to the assistant that they have to order me passive trays since there is a 4-1/2 month difference between when my uppers are done and my lowers are done. That these trays are not meant to be worn that long. I don't know about anyone else, but no matter how great I am at cleaning my aligners, by the end of two weeks they are worn and slightly dingy looking (they look even more dingy in the photo!) Strangely my upper tray more than my lower tray. I drink water 80%+ of the time and diet coke or crystal light the other times. I always swish with water after drinking it though.

 

                                                        Old Tray                   New Tray

 

 

 

They said, sure no problem, we can order those at a later date. When the doc came in, I also mentioned to him and asked that they have the attachments bubbles removed from the passive trays so I can have a break with my upper attachments while waiting on the lowers (before refinements if they are needed.) He said no problem. I don't think they are used to people knowing so much about their treatment. The assistant seemed irked a little bit. No matter to me, my money out of pocket and my teeth! I plan on reminding them again in 2 visits, so that there is enough time to get them in from Invisalign before that 3rd visit when I will be done with my uppers!

 

We also discussed what I plan on doing with the spaces in the back that will need to be filled, and after discussion both agreed that bridges make the most sense. He said that there is a great deal of bone loss (being the teeth have been gone so long,) which would mean a larger bone graft than normal, in order to place implants. I have done some research on both, and implants are EXPENSIVE. As in could be upwards of 4-5k PER TOOTH and I have 4 that need to be replaced! No can do!  

 

My next visit is the first week in September and I will also get a cleaning done. I am actually looking forward to that - I expect that my teeth will be pretty well clean being I brush and floss 3-5 a day! Maybe the very back molars might need a little help, but I have been very diligent with my cleaning and checking for plaque build up etc.

 

I have had tray 11 on for about 6 hours now, and can already tell it won't hurt like tray 10 did. Slight pressure but it is nothing like the previous tray. I had zero pain when I removed them for lunch, and have no aching at all. I will give a full update in a few weeks.

 

 If anyone has any questions, feel free to leave me a comment! Have a great weekend!

Trays 9 & 10

Tray 9
Moderate pressure that lasted until I reached about day 12 on the wear cycle. Normally by day 10 they are pretty loose so this was a surprise! I guess maybe it just depends on what manuever is being made to the teeth... I really don't know. :) Nothing of else to note. I've become somewhat bored with the process and am not as obsessed with it. I figure after 4+ months of wearing them, I'm pretty much into a set routine and I've done (and continue to do) so much research I am not sure anything will surprise me at this point (knock on wood!)

Tray 10
Holy tightness Batman! This set has been the tightest yet. The first 2 days I thought I was going to rip out my lower teeth every time I tried to remove the aligners and it actually hurt to try! I also felt my teeth were a little more loose when the trays were not in my mouth than they normally seem to be. Maybe since they were so sore I just had that impression. By day 3 they were back to "normal" and the soreness and extreme tightness was relatively gone. They are already feeling pretty loose and I am only on day 8 of this wear cycle.

Great news, I am halfway through round 1 on my uppers. Whooo! I would like to find out if my dentist ordered passive trays (without attachment spaces would be ideal) for when I am done with the uppers while waiting for my lowers to complete. I have 4.5 months longer on my lowers than the uppers and I can't imagine wearing the same upper tray for that length of time. By the end of a regular 2 week wear they are pretty worn out. I would also like to get rid of the attachments on my uppers for that length of time and get a decent break from them before refinements (if needed at all... of course I would like to think they will not be needed but that's doubtful going on the general percentage of patients who need them.) I am going to mention when I go see my dentist next Friday.

 

I've also noticed a small gap between the aligner and my tooth on my upper left tooth (one with the attachments) and am going to keep an eye on it to make sure it isn't going off track. The aligner fits over the attachments correctly, so it may just be the way this pair was manufactured, but to be safe, I will be extra vigilant watching it. I'll see if the next set fits properly. I do not want to extend the treatment time if I can help it!

I'll leave off with a comparison photo:

                                            Before Invisalign                 Tray 10

Tray 8

This will be a short note as tray 8 was very uneventful! I had the standard snugness the first 2-3 days and no pain and no sore teeth at all. I didn't notice too much of a difference between tray 7 and 8, so I won't bother posting any pictures. I ran low on my Retainer Bright and after reading other's experiences on cleaning their aligners, I bought some Polident 3 minute cleaner and it works just as well, if not a tad better than the Retainer Bright. Not to mention, it's much easier to obtain as Retainer Bright can only be purchased online.

Cheers until next time!