Invisalign And Dr Teresa
My Straight Teeth Smile Journey
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Cleaning my Invisalign: I bought up a box of "Retainer Brite" last time I visited you for a checkup, and I have to say it's been by far the best way of keeping my trays fresh and clean. Since I started with my braces back in December, I've experimented variously with toothpaste, mouthwash, denture tablets, and baby bottle sterilising tablets. None of these got my trays quite as clean and fresh as Retainer Brite; there would always be a bit of a build up on the trays towards the end. Since I've been using Retainer Brite, my Invisalign trays look almost as fresh as when I opened the pack 2 weeks ago. Presumably because it's formulated specifically for braces, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
Easter weekend marked my first BBQ of the “season”, and it was something of a test for my Invisalign discipline. Usually mealtimes are straightforward: just take out my Invisalign to eat, then toothpick, rinse and put them back in when finished. Barbeques are different in that you are bombarded with lots of dishes of food over several hours. I have to admit that I did leave the trays in their box for a few hours during the afternoon. But that's the first time since starting 20 weeks ago that I've taken some time off from my trays. Other than that I have had no difficulty sticking to the recommended 22 hours a day guidelines faithfully, and the results are starting to show
Firstly I should say that I don't have any qualms about whipping my Invisalign out in front of people if food is offered. I don't run off to the bathroom to do it, I just take them out as and when I need to and keep them in their case. My point though is that for this reason I've done it on occasion with a friend or colleague in the room who will make a remark along the lines of "I'd forgotten you were wearing those", to which my stock response is, "That's the point!". That's great that you are starting to see results. And even better that others are starting to notice, Are you feeling more comfortable wearing them now? Posted by Dr Teresa I'm completely comfortable whether they're in my mouth or out. The only time I'm aware of them is just after I've taken them out, so if I'm eating something a bit chewy I tend to take the trays out 20 minutes beforehand so my teeth have time to adjust before I chew.
Dr Teresa I started set 7 today. I'm really starting to feel that my teeth are moving now, and a few people have commented too. It's great to be hitting 'milestones', my next set means I'm a third of the way through the course!! As I came to the end of this set, my lower set of tray developed a small split a few days ago. The tray felt weak as a result, and I had to be a bit more gentle when taking them out for bruching and eating. The tray did last to the end of the week though without any adverse effects, and I've made a mental note to take a bit more care when popping them in and out. I'm looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks for another checkup and my next sets of trays :)
Here’s a close-up pic of my Invisalign “buttons” that Teresa fitted just over a week ago. I’ve got a total of four on the top, and two on the bottom row. The process of having them put on was really quick and completely pain free. Of course they are barely noticeable on my teeth – when I showed my Mum, I had to find a magnifying glass so I could point them out to her! I’d read that some people find their trays difficult to get in and out with the buttons in place, but I have to say that they’ve given me no trouble whatsoever. I think that the 3 sets I wore before the buttons were put on helped me to really get the knack for popping them in and out. The only adjustment period I noticed was that for about 4 days the new buttons did feel odd when I was eating. I think it was just the sensation of having “something” in my mouth as I was chewing. As I already said, this sensation passed quickly as I got used to them being there. Having the buttons put on my teeth really felt like a positive step towards my new smile :D
"Hey guys, today was my first day back at work since Xmas, so I thought I'd give you a little update on my experiences over the Festive period.
I realised that by next Christmas I'll have a super smile too. |
"I thought I’d let you know how I’ve been getting on with my Invisalign braces since I saw you to pick them up....
I’m getting to the end of my second week and it’s time to move on to my second set tomorrow. First I’d like to say that they really do look fantastic. When I’m wearing them they are practically invisible, and I’ve actually had to pop them out a few times to show friends that they were really there. I’ve worn them to business meetings and out socially, and had no trouble whatsoever when speaking. Although I’ve adapted to the daily routine of wearing the aligners, I realise that they will still take quite a bit of getting used to. I hadn’t previously realised it but I have a habit of gritting my teeth when my mouth was closed. When I did this, my new aligners felt very different on my teeth, and this has taken some getting used to. My response was to take an ibuprofen and try to persevere, but I didn’t want to take too many painkillers. I should say that although they weren’t painful, my teeth have been tender which has been quite distracting. What I’ve realised now is that I just need to avoid clenching my teeth in the first place, so I’m making an effort now not to. I feel it’s going to take a few more weeks until I’m comfortable with the aligners all the time, but I think it’s reasonable to expect a period of adjustment, and it will be good to get rid of a bad habit too. There have already been a couple of occasions when I’ve completely forgotten that I was wearing them and had to use a finger to check; I do hope that there’ll be a lot more moments like that over the coming 11 months. Apart from my very first day I’ve been able to stick to wearing them for the recommended 22 hours per day, I just pop them out for eating and brushing and I’ve had no trouble at all when taking them in and out."
“Hi Teresa, it was great to see you on Saturday and meet your team, and it was great to get my Invisalign program started. While I could never say I ‘enjoyed’ the process of taking the impressions of my teeth, I have to say that your Hygienist Amanda was fantastic. As I said to you before we started, I’m not a great fan of spending time in the dentist’s chair, and when I arrived on the day I did have a little anxiety about what lay ahead. I was really put at ease by Amanda. She talked me through each step as she performed it, letting me know why it was done and how long it would take. This really did help me feel at ease, and she took all the impressions she needed in the quickest time too. It’s great to have that step out of the way now, and I can’t wait to see the Clincheck computer’s prediction of what my new teeth will look like. All the best, Chas”
"Hi Teresa, I thought I'd drop you another line after visiting you yesterday to see my Clincheck animation. It was great to get a chance to see the projected movement for my teeth, and exciting to get an idea of what my teeth will look like after the course is finished. Also it was great to find out that my treatment will last 12 months, so I know that I'll have my "new" teeth in time for new Christmas. I had anticipated that the course would last longer than that:) Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions about the process, I'm always interested to know how things work. I can't wait to see you in the next 2-3 weeks to get my first set of aligners and get things started"
"Bracknell Dentist Invisalign Winner Chas Gets To See His Clincheck"
Before My Straight Teeth Invisalign Journey With Dr Teresa
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