Here's the Deal: Invisalign Hygiene Update

I spent a much needed 4 days in the California desert attending the Stagecoach country music festival over this weekend. It was awesome and we had such a blast - however, I have many things to share for Invisalign users!

Let me just start by saying that festival food (and snacking in general) SUCKS when you have Invisalign. I have to be very strategic on when I eat and then floss and swish and ughhhhhhh. Now imagine doing that at a festival with stinky portable bathrooms, no running water, and fatty foods. It was the worst. I stopped fussing as much as I usually do just because it was too hard finding water that I didn't have to pay $10 for. One of my snacks was a pretzel with mustard and now my trays are YELLOW. Like, really yellow! 

I also didn't bring my denture cleanser with me because I thought it wasn't a necessary packing item. For the first time since I've had my aligners, I can say that I see that "foul odor" everyone talks about and it makes me realize just how important my denture cleanser really is. I brushed my aligners twice a day and rinsed them whenever I could and the odor was STILL really bad! Not to mention the discoloration! 

So overall, I can safely say the denture cleanser isn't just nice - it's a necessity!

Also, in other news, I have my first gap! I have always had the TIGHTEST contacts on my teeth, so to see a gap is really awesome. As weird and goofy as that sounds, its a visual reminder that my teeth are moving and I am getting closer and closer the end of my treatment! Photo below...

May 3rd, 2016

Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

Honey Lea

Here's the Deal: Invisalign Tray 2

Annnnnnnnd I'm officially on tray 2! Yesterday I had my 2 week check up with my doctor (which went well) and she gave me trays 2 & 3. She had to do a little more IPR (teeth shaving to make space) in the same space she did as last time (on my lower front teeth) but other than that, she said things looked good!

I read online that's it's better to start a new tray right before you go to bed for a couple reasons: 1) if you couple it with ibuprofen, you sleep through a lot of the discomfort and 2) it gives you 8 (hopefully) full hours of consistent wear. The first 48 hours of a new tray are critical for you to hold to the 22 hours/day rule, so it also helps align with that theory. 

I woke up today feeling mostly good. One of my lower teeth is a little sore, but really not that bad. The biggest thing I noticed was that the edges of the trays are a little sharp - very much like when I got my first tray. I may try to file them down like I did before depending on how annoying it gets later today. Also, I am still sticking with the same hygiene routine as I mentioned in my last post and it's going well. I never noticed a foul odor with tray 1 as other people have told me would happen, though when I take my aligners out for dinner there's definitely an "off" odor. It isn't very offensive (to me at least) but it goes away when I brush the aligners at night. I also think that denture cleanser really does the trick for morning breath!

So far, I don't really notice much of a difference in my teeth other than my bite. My outer most lower front tooth hits my upper tooth EVERY TIME I chew and that's not just annoying, but painful. So I have to be careful when I eat and not bite down all the way. Not sure if this is from my tooth moving or if my bite has changed? I can definitely bite down further with the trays in (as seen below).

Tray 2

(March 31st, 2016)

Tray 1

(March 16th, 2016)

Will be back for another update when there's another item to report on! 

xoxo,

Honey Lea

Here's the Deal: First Invisalign Update - Day 6

Well, I finally made it to day 6! I never thought I'd see the light of day! Praise the great lady in the sky!

My teeth were seriously sore up until yesterday. I was only able to eat soft foods (mac & cheese, jello, etc). Even eating a garden burger took me about 30 minutes. I was so exhausted trying to eat and chew and not hurt myself that I couldn't bring myself to eat something else even though I was still hungry. THAT is the Invisalign diet, I presume!

The 3 kanker sores I acquired in the first 2 days of my treatment have finally dissipated. I wasn't sure which was worse - the sore teeth or the sores. A combination of both felt borderline-deadly. But I made it! I think my mouth and tongue just needed a few days to "toughen up."

It's been 6 days since I got my first tray and I can say that I am finally used to them. My mind can now focus on things other than my teeth and my saliva production has finally leveled out. My lips are still super prone to being dry and I can still very much feel and hear my lisp, though everyone tells me they can't. 

Overall, my teeth feel pretty good. The only time they really hurt is when I am brushing my teeth with my electric toothbrush. Even on the sensitive setting, my lower front teeth feel like they are being zapped by a beam of lightening when I brush over them. I might switch to a mechanical toothbrush if it becomes too "shocking." *cue comedic drum roll* 

I haven't noticed my trays smelling bad or turning a funny color. I only drink water when they are in. In the morning when I wake up, I immediately throw them in a glass of warm water with a 3-minute denture cleanser tab and let them soak while I eat breakfast and drink my coffee. Then I floss, brush my teeth, and gently brush my trays with the toothpaste leftover on my toothbrush. For lunch, I take them out to eat, then floss and rinse with mouthwash, rinse my aligners, and then put them back in. For dinner, I pretty much do the same, but substitute the mouthwash for brushing my teeth. I've never flossed so much in my life!

I bought the HUGE pack of floss picks you can get at Costco with 2 carrying cases. It's been working really well so far. I also have a 3 ml bottle of travel size mouthwash that I keep in my purse with the floss picks. I refill it from my larger bottle at home. 

I have noticed a small change in my lower "snaggly" tooth moving slightly forward. I'm probably the only person who has noticed it. No picture necessary. 

Well, that's about it, really. I'll keep doing my thing and will update you when there's something less boring to report on. I go back to my dentist and get my 2nd tray a week from tomorrow. Wish me luck on the progress report!

xoxo,

Honey Lea