teeth, finished!

I finally completed my Invisalign trays yesterday!!!  I still have to wear retainers for a year, but don't they look great?  I am thrilled to be finished with them.

I've come a long way since my last March 2010, when, frankly, I looked like a monster!

Invisalign... bottom tray #24

Tonight I put in Tray #24 out of 24 trays for my bottom teeth.  The last of the trays!  I have now completed my originally prescribed sets of braces trays for both top and bottom rows of my teeth.

My Invisalign journey, of course, is not over yet -- I still have to await my "adjustment aligners," which will arrive (hopefully) in the next few weeks, to fine-tune the progress.  It has almost been a year since I began the Invisalign process.  Although it has not been always pleasant or easy, I am glad I did it and look forward to completing the adjustments... hopefully not too long from now (but it probably will take a while still).

Here is a look at my teeth at Tray #2 -- on 6 March 2010:

Here is a look at my teeth tonight, as I embark on Tray #24 for the bottom row -- 3 February 2011:

Still a bit lop-side-y up close, perhaps, but my teeth look great and I can't believe the difference!

Invisalign Lower Tray #20

Invisalign tray #20 for my bottom teeth went in yesterday.  I am still awaiting adjustment trays for the upper teeth.  I have 4 more trays for the bottom teeth (for a total of 24 trays).  Come on 2011, let's make it a year without plastic on teeth!

Invisalign Tray #17, bottom only

On Tuesday I began Invisalign tray #17, but only for the bottom teeth.  I finished my trays for the top teeth, but will need adjustment trays, since the alignment is still not perfect.  The dentist took impressions of my top teeth (always a disgusting, gag-inducing process), and I shall receive more trays in about 6 weeks.  Until then, I need to continue wearing tray #16 on top, while I carry on with the bottom trays.  I have 24 trays for the bottom, which is quite intriguing since my bottom teeth don't look so bad, especially compared to my top teeth.  But alas, there's something amiss about my bottom teeth alignment, since I've got 7 more trays (14 weeks) and this new one definitely hurts to wear, particularly left-back teeth area.  And so we carry on.

Invisalign, 8 Months Later

Here is a side by side comparison - before on left, after 8 months of braces on the right!

Invisalign Tray #15 & #16

My Invisalign tray #15 went in a few days after my arrival in Stockholm.  Here are the photos.

And then a week ago, I went to the dentist for my Invisalign tray #16 - photos below.  Technically, I should have finished the original trays for my upper teeth.  But the recessed tooth is still not quite aligned with the rest of my upper teeth, so it looks like I will have to get adjustment aligners -- which I have read is common.  Tray #16 feels really weird on the top and hurts a lot around the tooth in question... so I hope it gets sorted out soon.  I have 8 more trays for the bottom teeth, so my life with braces shall continue.

Invisalign Tray #14 & Other Bits and Bobs

I hadn't posted my Invisalign #14 yet -- here they are, about a week in.  One more week before tray #15.  I also went in for a cleaning today, so these photos are without the Invisalign trays...

Life in Park Slope continues apace.  We continue to organize and try to get through our punch-list items, which we know is a long process that will test our patience; we still have no real place to sit, since our couch arrive late October/early November and we've sold all our old dining chairs.  Everything kind of appears in the "midst" of getting there..... and while I confess to sometimes wondering if we're doing this all wrong, if other "grown-ups" are able to move-in much more readily than us, in the end I am comforted by knowing we're happy in the apartment, in our own way.  It's a new experience, owning a place we will live in for the foreseeable future.  There are no 12-month leases.  This long-term commitment aspect of actually owning our own place prompts me to consider each aspect slowly, steadily and carefully.  Not being fully settled-in with all basic furniture sometimes gives me the sense that the place feels very cluttered, or feeling disorganized, as if I could easily miss something because my systems aren't in place.  But these feelings are off-set by the new-ness and choice in everything.  For instance, I love when we find that perfect little basic, functional item in a form that still seems to capture our spirit and approach to home decor.  Little by little, detail by detail, we hope to put together new home, in our own way.

This is our recent purchase -- James the Door-stopper.  He goes very nicely with our Moby the Whale floor cushion.

The sunsets we see from our balcony are terrifically stunning, and it has become one of our favorite pastimes -- watching the sun go down together.

Invisalign Tray #13 & Moving

Last night I put in Invisalign Tray #13.  They are tight around the recessed tooth, as expected.  It's oh-so-close before that recessed tooth fits over the bottom row of teeth!

In other news, we have moved into our new condo.  This Invisalign update is from Brooklyn!  AMAZING!  So much to do, of course, but stayed tuned... will post photos very very soon.

Invisalign Tray #12

Last night I put in my Invisalign Tray #12.  The recessed tooth is now SO SO close to looking rather normal!  My alignment there is really changing, and it's at once weird, kind of uncomfortable, yet exciting.

Invisalign Difference, Side by Side

I began my first set of Invisalign on February 9.  I am currently on my 11th tray, and have 5 more trays for my upper teeth before the scheduled "completion" -- although according to various blogs by people who have undergone the Invisalign process, adjustment trays are very common and the alignment continues beyond the given number of trays.

I have kept all of my trays, and tonight decided to see just how much adjustment has been made on my upper teeth... putting Upper Tray #1 next to Upper Tray #11, the difference is quite impressive:

On the left is my first tray -- basically, where my teeth began.  On the right is my current tray, where my teeth are at this moment.  Notice that the recessed tooth part of the tray is much more evident in the first tray, while it is less apparent in the current one.

Pretty cool!  Come on, teeth!

Invisalign Tray #11

Today I went to the dentist and had 3 more "bumps" put onto my upper teeth.  These are the final "bumps" to be added to my Invisalign process.  The dentist also "calibrated" my teeth -- since they have moved quite a bit, my bite has to be adjusted so that my teeth fit over each other comfortably.  This calibration process involves slight teeth shaving, which is not the most pleasant experience.  My teeth will have to be calibrated once more at the end of the procedure.

I was also given 3 more trays, or 6 weeks worth of Invisalign.  Looking at these future trays, it seems my upper teeth will look virtually finished... which is hard to believe, because the recessed tooth is still visibly recessed... but here's to hoping for a big leap!

Invisalign Tray #10

Tonight I begin my Invisalign tray #10.  I had a lot of trouble putting on the upper-tray -- the angle seems drastically different, so it took me a while to figure out how to align the tray with my teeth.  They're in now, and will probably be difficult to take off..... hopefully my teeth will adjust a bit overnight, so that I can take them out without too much hassle.  My dentist gave me a special dental tool to ply off the trays if necessary, but obviously I'd prefer not to have to carry such an instrument around and use it every time I eat.

When I go back to the dentist in two weeks, I will get more "bumps" put on, to continue to move my teeth around ("bumps" are fake nodule-type things the dentist puts onto a tooth to help apply pressure in a specific direction/angle to move individual teeth).  It seems that the 11th trays are more tricky and are in two parts... not sure how this works, but more on that in two week's time!

Invisalign Tray #9

Today I put in my Invisalign Tray #9.  I do feel the difference now -- my bite has changed a lot, since the upper tooth has moved.  Of course, I can't wait to be further along in the process so that the recessed tooth is hardly recessed any longer... ho hum, patience.

Invisalign Tray #8

Tonight I begin my Tray #8.  This tray will mark my half-way point for my upper sets of trays (8 down, 8 to go).  I've read various Invisalign-users' blogs and know that additional adjuster trays are not unusual AFTER one finishes the originally designated sets of trays... but this is progress for now!  I still can't see a drastic difference, really, although I suppose my recessed tooth is now more visible.  I am also using special mouth-rinse to keep my teeth and gum in tip-top-shape -- which is great but slightly discolors my teeth.  My dentist tells me I will need to get my teeth whitened after this 1 year+ experience.  Having committed to this process, I can't wait for my teeth to look incredibly and visibly different.

David says that when I first had my stuck baby tooth pulled out, the gap was very visible (although charming, of course).  Now, he says the gap is really not noticeable.

Here's a comparison from Tray #1... where my recessed tooth is INvisible...

...to Tray #8, where you begin to see that sneaky tooth....

Invisalign Tray #6

On Tuesday, I began my Invisalign Tray #6.  I had to keep the last 2 trays for 3 weeks each, instead of the usual 2 -- after already having had to go back to Tray #2, because my dentist wasn't happy about how my teeth had moved... which meant quite a set back in my moving-through-the-trays process.  But I seem to be back on track, and my dentist was happy to note that my problem tooth on the top -- the one recessed -- has moved significantly.  It's hard to tell for me... but looking at the previous photos, I suppose now the recessed tooth is more visible.  (NOTE: If you click on the "Invisalign" tag at the bottom of this entry, you can view ONLY my Invisalign blog entries... and so can compare photo progression.)  I can't wait for it to be more prominently visible, and thereby, entirely different from my previous teeth alignment.

All in all, I have gotten used to wearing Invisalign.  The hardest part is when I am cooking -- it's annoying to have to take them out when I need to taste how the seasoning is, how it's all cooking, etc.  It's a delicate balance, because I don't want to keep the Invisalign out for too long, but it's very difficult to cook without tasting as I go.

Anyway, I don't have to see the dentist for another 6 weeks... in the mean time I have in my possession Tray #7 and Tray #8 to put in myself!  Hoping it all goes smoothly...

Back to the... Tray 2

I am going to London next week, so I went to the dentist today as part of my prep for being away from NYC.  I'd expected the visit to be a short and concise one, in which I pick up Tray 4 and 5 and be on my way.  This was not to be.  It proved to be time that I got attachments for the top (uncomfortable process, but necessary), and my dentist has instructed me to go back to Tray 2 for 2 weeks -- she is not happy with the way my teeth have moved.  BOO.  That's losing 3 weeks, since I'm already halfway through Tray 3.

*sigh*

Good thing I kept Tray 2.

TRAY 3

In an on-line discussion forum about Invisalign, a few people mentioned that it is good to put in the new trays of Invisalign the night before one's start date, as over night the teeth will adjust to the new trays.  I followed this suggestion when beginning Tray 2, and so I repeat this process tonight.  As before, it hurts a lot as I put in the brand new trays.  Although one can't tell much difference between Tray 2 and Tray 3 simply by looking at them, my teeth definitely feel the slight adjustment.  But I'm excited to start the brand new trays.

I'm keeping all the old trays so that I could line them up and see the difference in the end.  Plus, I spent a fortune on them, it feels weird to just dispose of them so readily.

Tray 2 - finding spaces

I know this is a weird and perhaps unattractive photo to post... but as I go through the Invisalign process, I thought it's good to record this experience alongside everything else, to see the changes.

It's hard to see in the photo, but I noticed today that I suddenly have more space between my teeth on the bottom.  I attribute this slight alteration to the Invisalign.  I really feel there is a change -- floss goes through easy and with room to spare, I can see a definitive space between each tooth.  During the Invisalign process, one usually gets one's teeth "shaved."  This shaving process is necessary to make room for the teeth to move.  Basically, the dentist/orthodontist takes a tool and "shaves"a bit more space between teeth.  While I've had my teeth spacings shaved on the top, not on the bottom.  And yet suddenly all this space!  Remarkable.

Tray 3 next week.  I've gotten used to wearing Invisalign.  It's still a hassle that I have to take the trays out each time I want to taste something or drink anything with color, but it's not too bad.  Having Invisalign certainly prompts you to ask yourself, "How much do I really want to eat/drink this?"

The most difficult times for me with Invisalign is when I am cooking, when I want to taste the seasonings.

Invisalign Tray #2

Today marks the start of my Invisalign Tray #2.  It hurt earlier today, I feel a renewed pressure on my teeth all around, but it's not too bad now.  I've gotten used to wearing Invisalign, it seems.  I've overcome my super dry mouth (which was due to my mouth coping with having foreign entities in it).  I learned to use a nail buffer to buff the edges a little, so that they don't dig in or scratch my mouth/tongue, which has been a major improvement.  I have 24 trays for the bottom, 16 for the top.  The journey is long yet, but I'm getting good at taking them in and out and coping with life without random food tasting and nibblings (since each time I eat anything, drink anything with sugar or color, I need to take my Invisalign out).

Can't wait for Tray 3!

Invisalign = SUCKS REAL BAD

Here for the record that I am completing my 2nd day of Invisalign and IT SUCKS.  BIG TIME.  I can't believe I signed up for this, is the vanity/gum-teeth-health really that necessary?  Makes me wonder.  No more snacking whenever I want to.  No more feeling at ease with one's own state of things.  I've got a mouth full of plastic, which never lets you forget that you do.  Second day is pretty much real shitty.  What I didn't blog about yesterday is that there are these "buttons" placed on some of your teeth to help rotate them to where they are supposed to end up -- these are the bumps on the teeth, which you might be able to see upon close examination of the photos.  These bumps suck, like, A LOT.  Whenever I get to take off the braces to eat, these bumps -- some people call them "rices" on your teeth -- cut up your inner lips.  Not cute or cool.  At all.

Luckily, lots of people have tracked their experience on a blog, so I am reading up on it and not feeling too lonely.  And I have the most adoring, loving husband in the world, who thinks I am beautiful inspite of my mouth full of plastic coating, so I am well off, I know.  I hope I get used to this.... and PRONTO.