First Aligners

So I finally have my first aligners on. They actually arrived 4 weeks ago. I was so busy the past couple weeks, I didn't have time to get them fitted until today. The process was quite long. Almost 2 hrs! The ortho first started with with IPR on my lower teeth which took longer than anticipated due to a wonky tooth. The process overall was painless although he did hit the gum a couple times which caused a little bleeding. The next step was attaching 12 attachments. The only complaint was how dried my lips got during the procedure.

I was then given the aligners and tried putting them on myself. I thought it would be easier, but it wasn't. Both the lower and upper trays were really tight. It's been 2 hrs since I first placed them in and I can already feel soreness in the front lowers and back uppers. I was expecting sharp edges that would irritate my gums, but luckily I haven't experienced that so far. I was given only 2 sets and I have an appointment scheduled in 1 month because I'm expecting 1 more round of IPR.

Overall, I left the office with a great deal of knowledge regarding my expected teeth movement, general cleaning of aligners, and had all my questions answered. I've read other blogs and noticed all the goodies that people received with their first trays. All I got was the red/blue cases and some aligner chewies. I took some pictures and I will have it uploaded soon.

Clincheck

I had an appointment with my dentist to review my Clincheck yesterday. This was the clincheck with some minor tweaks made by him. After watching the simulation of how my teeth are going to move, I was really impressed by drastic change. I understand that the final product will not always end up looking like the clincheck, but anything would be an improvement. I asked my ortho for a copy of the clincheck and he will email it to me soon. I am expected to have 26U and 27L.. so approximately 1 yr of treatment with the potential of having refinements if necessary. IPR will have to be done in order to relieve the crowding and 9 attachments will be attached mainly on the sides so that shouldn't be a problem at all. My ortho also stated that the aligners should arrive in 7-10 business days.. I wish he didn't tell me. I'm counting down the days til they arrive and I cannot wait to start treatment.

Invisalign Impression

I've always had crowded teeth since I was a teen and I've always wanted to fix it. I have decided to invest in Invisalign to correct my smile and I am pretty excited for what's about to come. Although the procedure is pricey, especially since I am in the NYC area, I think it is worth it and I hope that I will achieve excellent results. I had my impressions taken last week and it wasn't as bad as what I've read on other blogs and forums. It's basically a type of putty that becomes rubbery after it placed in your mouth for a few minutes. It creates a suction within your mouth which makes it a little difficult to remove, but painless nonetheless. I'd say I have a high tolerance for pain so your experience will vary. My orthodontist expects the clincheck within a few weeks so I have to patiently wait for the first aligners to arrive. The anticipation is killing me and time seems to be slowing down.

I hope this blog will provide useful information for others interested in Invisalign and I shall continue to chronicle my invisalign journey.