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.