Tray 3 of 27 / Day 1 of 14

SAVE YOUR OLD ALIGNERS

Each set of aligners comes with a small plastic zip lock bag. I took tray 1 out of the red invisalign case [the case I designated as the "old aligner" carrier] and putting it into the zip lock bag labeled "U1 L1" [Upper 1 / Lower 1]. I put the 2nd set of aligners into the Red carrying case [as of today U2 L2 are my Previous aligners] and I put on U3 L3 [which I use the Blue carrying case for - my Current aligners].  You always want to keep your old aligners incase you lose your current set [hasn't happened to me YET] and need to go back a set. You should call your dentist right away if you lose your aligners and he/she will tell you what to do. When I picked up the first set of aligners, they kept telling me NOT to put it into a napkin if I leave my case at home because people ALWAYS end up throwing it out. I always go back home if I leave the case... But in a year time, I'm sure I'll forget it at some point.
 

TRAY 3

Same story with Tray 3. Feels just as tight today [the first day] as it did on the first day of tray 1 and 2. One thing I changed is that I use to change into a new tray at 9 in the morning [because that's when I picked up my aligners for the first time]. Now I change them at night on the same day [every Wednesday at 9 PM] because you have all night to get used to them while your sleeping, and you don't have to take them off to eat / drink for at least 8 hours after putting them on for the first time. It makes it a lot easier when you're changing / getting used to a new set of aligners. Below are pictures of my progress. Here's what I'm getting out of the pictures. The gap looks smaller because the bottom teeth are moving up, not the teeth top. The top teeth don't look like they have been moving. The open bite was bigger on the left side than the right side [see set1 day1]. With the bottom teeth coming up little bit, it mad the gap smaller. The gap, although still there, is more even now, meaning the amount of space between the front teeth on the left side is almost identical to the amount of space on the right side.

BURNED BY LISTERINE

Don't let those happy faces fool you. I stopped using listerine. I've been brushing my teeth so much, I think my gums are irritated. When I listerine, my gums BURN. I had to stop using it. I continued doing salt water rinses. I also eat often and with finals last week, I have been taking my aligners off to drink coffee / Redbull and brush afterwards (therefore, brushing a lot more often). Honestly, I would rather have my gums irritated from brushing too often than have them irritated from gum disease (by not brushing enough). However I recognize that too much of a good thing can have it's consequences.

PHILIPS SONICARE DIAMOND CLEAN
Brushing aggressively causes "gum recession." You're suppose to brush at a 45 degree angle and spend 30 seconds on each quadrant. If you're worried that 30 seconds isn't enough, you're not suppose to brush harder, brush longer. Hold on a second ... while I take my own advice. I've had the Sonicare spin brush for the past few years [maybe longer]. My dentist said that since my gums are really sensitive and I brush aggressively, I shouldn't be using a spin brush at all. So I went and bought the Sonicare Diamond Clean brush. Same brand, newer edition, just not a spin brush [in fact I think Sonicare stopped making spin brushes]. A brush head is the part that's changed every 3 months [see left] and the brush handle is the part you can use for a long time, which has the controls [see right]. The Philips Sonicare Diamond clean brush came with 2 handles, 2 brush heads, 2 carrying cases, 1 portable charger and 1 @ home charger with an UV Sanitizer attached. Cost $149. I got 7 additional brush heads [separately] to get it out of the way now [brush heads are changed every 3 months for optimal results but you can change it every 6 months max]. Cost $49.99. I realized that I do brush aggressively and too long. The brush handle has a timer on it that times 30 second per quadrant [2 minutes total] and an extra optional 30 seconds for extra whitening for your front teeth. The first few times I used it, I would repeat the 2 1/2 minute cycle 3 times [7 1/2 minutes total] just because I feel like my teeth aren't clean enough after 1 cycle. I gotta get out of the over brushing habit. Working on it. Overall I do recommend this toothbrush. My teeth are noticeably whiter, but I'll update after using it for a little bit longer to let you know if it's worth the investment. 

Tray 2 of 27 / Day 1 of 14

TRAY 2 DAY 1

The first time I put on the first set of trays, they felt really tight, my jaws hurt and my gums felt tender. Over the course of the last 2 weeks, they felt more and more comfortable. I thought it was me just getting used to the trays in my mouth. On the contrary, it wasn't me; it was the trays that were tight in the beginning. As time progressed, they felt looser and more comfortable. When I put on the second set of trays today, they felt exactly as it did when I put on tray 1 for the first time. You realize how comfortable your last trays have gotten after the first time you try on your next set of trays. I tried to take them off to eat and I couldn't get them off. When I finally did, I ended up hitting my bottom lip against my lower teeth and cut the inside of my lip. I know these trays will become more comfortable over the next few days. The fact that they are really tight right now just means that they are working. Physically I havent noticed much of a difference in my teeth after the first set of trays. However from the clincheck video, I know my back teeth are doing most of the movement (slight / minor movements) in the beginning and my front teeth will be doing most of the (drastic) movements at the end. The only way I know it's working is because set 1 is more comfortable now than it was when I first tried it on. lol Im starting to wonder if anyone reads this thing.  

TRAY 2 DAY 3 [UPDATE]

Good news is I was wrong. Remember how I said I haven't noticed much of a difference in my teeth since I started invislaign? Today I took my trays off to have my morning coffee and I noticed that the front gap (my open bite) is smaller.  I guess you don't notice the difference until you see the before and after pictures side by side. Recall you are supose to wear each tray for 14 days (2 weeks). So when I say for example, "tray 2 day 3" that means it is my 3rd day (out of 14 days total) wearing tray 2 (out of 27 trays total) . I have had this problem for a long time. I never smiled. Now i smile in pictures and in person. I dont close my bite because then you can see the space but I smile without biting. Thats an improvement from not smiling at all. People always thought I wasnt a happy person or I'm just really serious [which I kind of am - but is it that my smile shaped my personality? That's another question] but in reality, it was the fact that I didn't want anyone to see my open bite. Can't wait till the end of treatment. Im going to be smiling all the time. 

Drinking Alcohol During Invisalign Treatment

THE RULES

As I mentioned in earlier posts, you cannot drink anything aside from water when you have your aligners on. You also need to wear them 20 to 22 hours a day, optimally 22 hours. For me my dentist said no less than 22 hours. I found that the amount of time I spend taking them off for eating, brushing, & my morning coffee comes very close to 2 hours a day (plus or minus a few minutes) ... and that's because I rush to eat and brush sometimes to meet my time regiment.

SO WHAT ABOUT THOSE SATURDAY NIGHTS OUT DRINKING?

You are suppose to take your aligners out to drink anything aside from water. But you need to wear them 22 hours a day. There is NO WAY both these objectives can be accomplished simultaneously. I went out with my friends one night and we're at a lounge. I had all three of my meals that day, a process that took up about 1 hour and 30 minutes. I had 30 minutes to drink and brush. So what does that mean, I can only have 1 drink? That's no fun! Especially for someone like me who has a huge APPETITE FOR LIFE. I ordered my Pinot Griggio and thought to myself:

Option 1: I could take them off, have 1 drink, brush my teeth, and hangout.

Option 2: I could drink with them on, and just take them off to brush when I'm done drinking for the night.

Either way, you're getting sugar on your teeth and you're going to brush it off at the end of the night anyway, so what's the harm? So I proceeded with option 2 and ever since then, I drink with my aligners on. After a few drinks, I brush my teeth, brush my aligners, rinse my mouth RIGHT AWAY. No harm so far ... but if my teeth start falling out, I'll let you guys know so that you don't make the same mistake lmao. 

[UPDATE]

Thanks to Xtina [http://xtina81.blogspot.com/], I want to point out one thing. The only alcoholic beverage I drink is white whine. If you guys are vodka cranberry drinkers, this will stain your aligners. If you don't want to take your aligners off to drink, stick to non-colored or neutral colored beverages ... & have a great Saturday night out on the town. 

Invisalign Helps You Lose Weight !

THE RULES

As I mentioned in earlier posts, the only thing you can drink with invisalign on is water. The only thing you can eat with invisalign on is NOTHING. You will find yourself drinking a lot more water and a lot fewer juices / other beverages. It's healthy to drink 8 glasses of water a day but most of us don't even come close that. When you wear your aligners, that's the only thing you can drink! So ofcorse you're going to be drinking well over 8 glasses a day. Another reason you will find yourself drinking more water is because your mouth gets dry with the aligners on. A lot of people experience this (or so I've read on Bracereview). I have become so accustomed to drinking water that I don't even feel like drinking anything else aside from my usual morning coffee (with equal and soy milk yumm). I think after one or two years on invisalign, water will become second nature and sugary drinks will be out of the picture permanently.

HOW DOES DRINKING MORE WATER AFFECT YOU?

1) Drinking a lot of water fills you up. You'll be fuller when you start eating.  You''ll find yourself intaking less food and getting fuller faster.

2) You'll be drinking sugary juices less frequently. I don't drink soda but for those of you who do, you'll stop,  you'll probabaly get use to it, and you know what ... you'll probabaly like it. Water is the best thirst quencher. Suagry fluids make you even thirstier. It becomes a developing habbit. After invisalign, you'll probabaly never want to put soda in your mouth again. By the way, sugar decays teeth and is bad for your gums. So not only are you losing weight by way of less sugar intake but you are doing your gums, your teeth and your overall oral health a huge favor. If you do drink soda while you're on invsialign, make sure you brush after. Left over sugar in your aligners / on teeth = Toothe decay.

HEALTHIER CHOICES

Since you have 2 to 4 hours a day to eat / drink / brush, you have to make sure you don't go over that amount or the treatment might be less effective (if at all effective). Not to mention, by not wearing the aligners for the reccomended amount of hours per day, when you put them back in, it's painful. Your teeth have to readjust all over again. I found that my jaw hurts a lot more and I have to take advil to relieve it (and I am not one to take pills for minor pain relief). I started planning and coordinating my meals to make sure I split that time evenly  for each meal. Most people rush and eat what's in front of them. Planning and coordinating your meals helps you get an overall picture of what you eat throughout the day. You might indulge once in a while but you'll find yourself making healthier choices. For instance, if normally you would rush and eat burrito while you're at work, come home and have steak and some other snacks in between, you havent put a lot of thought into your meals. When I started wearing my aligners, I said to myself "okay, today for breakfast, I'll have a banana. For lunch I'll have tuna fish with an arugula salad ...  and save my indulgence for dinner. How about skirt steak?" Effectively planning and coordinating your meals helps you see a bigger picture. You might have 1 meal where you splurge, while making healthy light / choices for the other ones. When you are on the go and grabbing food without putting thought into it, you don't realize it but as humans, we mindlessly go with food that tastes better and not necesarily food that is good for us.

FASTER METABOLISM

If you are just someone who eats too much in one sitting, you're going to have a time constraint now. You will eat less per meal but you will be fuller after eating less than you normally would. Why is that? Since you are effectively planning your meals, you're not skipping any. This speeds up your metbaolism when you eat in small portions throughout the day as opposed to big meals in a few sittings. Furthermore, the overall 4 hour a day time constraint leaves you reserving those 4 hours to your planned meals instead of wasting them on snacking. Speaking personally for myself, I used to snack many times a day just because it was in front of me or because I was bored. Having your aligners on makes you think twice. You have to take them off, eat, then brush and floss ... and you have to do this EVERY TIME YOU EAT. You're going to be putting less snacks in your mouth to reserve that time for your meals, all while planning your meals more effectively.

Smoking with Invisalign Braces

WHAT ALIGN TECH SAYS

The instructions that come with your starter kit say that you cannot smoke with the aligners on. According to invisalign this stains the aligners, making them no longer invisible. Non-smokers are quick to say "just quit" and although this would be ideal, it's not realistic. Smoking is a hard habbit to break. It takes mental preparation and does not happen overnight. So for those of you who smoke and are contemplating starting invisalign, don't hesitate because you don't always have to go by the book.

SMOKING WITH ALIGNERS ON

I took them off the first day to smoke. After that I realized that if I take them off to smoke every time (in addition to eating, drinking fluids other than water, and brushing), I would not meet the 22 hour regiment my dentist emphasized. I started smoking with them on. The aligners don't get stained more than any non-smoker's aligners would. You just have to be hygenic and clean them dilligently [see below]. 

HOW SMOKERS CLEAN THEIR MOUTH

I read a lot of reviews by non-smokers who said that their aligners started to smell towards the end of the 2 weeks of having each set on. I did not have this problem. My invisalign aligners do not smell AT ALL. My breath is always fresh and so are my aligners. Perhaps it is also dependant upon what kind of toothepaste you use. I use "Colgate Advanced" toothepaste / "Reach" floss by Johnson & Johnson. I use salt water to rinse (because this is soothing for your gums) and Listerine to rinse a second time (because it gets rid of more plaque germs than brushing & flossing alone and it helps fight gingivitis).  I also drink a lot of water. Every time I smoke I feel like drinking water helps to clean them. Maybe it's in my head but that could be a reason why I have not had a staining or odor problem. I brush my aligners with toothepaste every morning after I brush my teeth. Once a week, while I am eating, I soak them in clorox bleach, and they are as clear as day 1 (btw the invisalign instructions say not to clean them with anything other than Retainer Bright and toothepaste ... but I read someone's blog who said this did not hurt the aligners and it was a great way to clean ... so I tried it, loved the idea & continued to implement this cleaning technique). I also clean them with retainer bright once a week when I have NOT soaked them in Clorox Bleach the same day. 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Do I condone this? I don't challenge Aligntech. The rules are the rules. Every individual is different. I am simply sharing my experience with smoking with my aligners on and I have not had any problems as far as staining and odor is concerned. If you are skeptical about deviating from the instructions, test it out a day or two before you are suppose to switch to a new set of aligners. That way, if anything is out of the ordinary, you can switch to the next aligners a day or two early. This probabaly won't effect your treatment. Reason? Most of the teeth movements occur within the first week. The rest of time is for your teeth to settle in. Thats why the first few days on a new set of aligners cause minor discomfort and during the rest of the two week time frame, it's relatively comfortable.

I would love to hear other people's experiences with smoking while undergoing invisalign treatment. Advice? Thoughts? Ideas? Questions? Please share, thanks.

Tooth Fairy recommends Invisalign for Anterior Open Bite

MY STORY

I have an anterior open bite. This is where the front top and bottom teeth do not touch. It makes it harder to eat because of a bite that does not completely close. It makes it harder to brush & floss. It has stopped me from smiling in pictures as well as in person for many years. I did extensive research on invisalign for anterior open bites, as well as traditional braces and jaw surgery [very invasive]. Although align tech explains in detail of how invisalign may be better at maintaining the results than traditional fixed applicances and jaw surgery, I wanted to see results of patients who had a similar problem as mine. I came across one before and after photo but I wanted to see more. I wanted to see the progress in between and hear the stories or blogs from patients who went through the process. That is why I decided to be the first. I am sure there are many people out there that want to do something about their open bite, but are not sure about which direction to go in. Afterall it's a big investment as far as (not only) money (but) time, effort and an opportunity cost (where another option may have been more feasible). You want to make sure you are going to get the results you are looking for. I am going to post pictures through this process so that some of you who are still debating about correcting your open bite have a solid background on invisalign and you can see the results for yourself. For all I know, it might not work. Let's find out.

FIXED APPLIANCES / TRADITIONAL BRACES

I was told fixed orthodontic appliances cannot guarentee that the gap would be closed. It's a big investment and not having security that the problem would be fixed leaves little desire to take the risk and go ahead with the time consumption, uncomfort and unattractiveness of traditional braces. Furthermore, the retainers are not clear either so you're stuck with metal retainers after your treatment.

INVISALIGN

With invisalign, your dentist will be able to show you your ClinCheck. This is a customized computer simulation of your teeth movements over the course of your treatment. You have more security about the results after treatment. Additionally, invisalign is removable, clear, and virtually unnoticeable. The Vivera retainers are also clear and unnoticeable, and you only have to wear them at night when you go to sleep, after your invisalign treatment is complete.

THE BEGINNING

Initially I went to my dentist who took an impression of my teeth and sent it to Aligntech Institute to create my trays. They arrived relatively quickly (approximantely three weeks). I live on the east coast so timing may vary for people who live closer to the west coast. When I put in my trays for the first time, it felt very tight (as I am sure set 2 will feel when I put it on for the first time this upcoming wednesday). This is because your teeth are not made to fit each set of aligners perfectly. They are made to make a small adjustment in your teeth with every new set. After wearing them for a few days, you become accustomed to it as your teeth start falling in to the shape the aligners are in.

MY EXPERIENCES: PITFALLS OF INVISALIGN / GREAT BREATH

My gums feel tender. This is an adjustment. With both traditional braces and invisalign, any kind of tooth movement will cause gum tenderness. There is no need to become alarmed. Just rinse your mouth with a teaspoon of salt in a cup of water. This is soothing for the gums. I found that the plastic does scratch my toungue. I get very minor cuts or scratches on my tounge and lips. This beats traditional braces any day because they will do the same thing, if not worse. I use to think about the aligners a lot because it was something new in my mouth and it takes time getting used to. However in no time (less than 2 weeks) I have become accustomed to wearing them and brushing my teeth everytime I eat or drink. Which brings me to another point. I am a religious gum chewer because I never want to have bad breath. With invisalign you cannot chew gum with the aligners on because it will get stuck on the plastic. But guess what? You don't need to. You'll be brushing your teeth & flossing everytime you eat, cleaning away those plaque germs that cause bad breath. This will significantly improve your oral hygiene and you can throw that pack of gum out because you won't be needing it anymore.

PROGRESS

I am on set 1 of 27 aligners. I will be starting set 2 in two days. Each set of aligners are usually worn for 2 weeks (as it is in my case). Some people will be told to wear it a few days less and some people a few days more. The invisalign instructions say to wear the aligners for 20 to 22 hours per day however my dentist insisted that I wear them no less than 22 hours a day. You can only drink water while wearing them. Everytime you eat anything, you must brush AND floss. Everytime you drink anything aside from water, you must brush.

The first of the two pictures is a picture of my open bite without the aligners on. The latter of the two is a picture with my aligners on. I want to point out 1 thing. Notice how my open bite is actually bigger when I have the aligners on than when I don't. This is due to the plastic material on your teeth. My posterior (back) teeth now have plastic in between them when I

bite down, creating a bigger space in my front teeth. I will just have to wait until my back teeth are moved further back & more room is created for my toothe movements in the front. Secondly, because you are seeing both pictures (with and without aligners) side by side, you obviously notice a difference. You can see the plastic on the 2nd picture when you compare it to the first picture. However, people will not notice that you have them on when they see you because they wont have a side by side comparison. So far none of my friends have noticed. It was only after I told them that I had them in that they were aware. My mom didn't notice for three days while I had them in until I told her that I had started the invisalign and I wanted to see if she noticed. I have many acquaintances in school, work etc. So far my closest friends and family did not notice and none of my acquaintances noticed with the exception of 1 person, who has a tendency to look at people's mouths while they talk instead of their eyes (wierd, I know). Wish me luck and I hope I answered some questions for those of you who are either new to invisalign or considering treatment for yourself. I will keep posting updates along the way. 

I'll be happy to answer questions /  hear your thoughts.

 

Update December 2012 (started invisalign 5 months ago)

See my new posts for updated pictures