Week four was a piece of cake. As soon as my teeth settled down and stopped aching, with the exception of a few hot spots that required the use of my kit, I didn't have any problems. This gives me hope that the whole process won't be too horrible. Every other week might be tough, but at least it won't be every day. Here's the latest image of my smile.
DISCOMFORT UPDATE:
I noted last post that my 19 attachments seemed to multiply my pain level and made my aligners nearly impossible to remove. However, I noticed that by the second week of the tray set, the aligners were significantly more manageable to remove. Don't get me wrong. They are still stubborn, but they are manageable. Top tray is the worst, but I suppose that is because the majority of my attachments are on the upper arch.
It seems like it has been a long time coming to get to this point. I'm changing to my third set of trays tonight. As I noted last time, I was hurting pretty badly after wearing my trays for a few hours. The second day I wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out. I am delaying using the new trays until after dinner so see if I can minimize some of that pain by sleeping through it. Hopefully that will do the trick. And I will let you know how that worked out.
MY PROGRESS:
Now for what you really want to know - how much progress am I seeing in my smile and bite. Well, you be the judge. Here's the progress thus far.
Admittedly, these images look identical and probably appear discouraging, but I have noticed some changes. My lower teeth that are rotating out of the arch appear to have made some movement. And my bite is definitely different. Obviously this is something that the camera will not show.
Yes, it's a small movement, but essentially it's been only a month. So, keep in mind that ortho work is not intended to be a quick fix. It's a process and even baby steps are still steps in the right direction. With my son's braces I didn't notice a change in his look until about the third month. So, I will postpone judgement until then.
NEW THIS WEEK - MINI INVESTIGATION:
I noticed with my new set 3 trays, there is an noticeable difference between the upper arch aligners. The set 3 trays seem to be several millimeters wider than the previous aligners. I tried on the trays this morning to ensure that they went in and noticed that the difference was significant enough to pinch my cheek when the aligners were installed. But they went in.
I am pointing this out because if you've read my back story, you will recall that I have an unusually small upper arch and have concerns about how Invisalign will work with the palatal expansion I need. Of course I do not expect miracles, I am just observant of anything that might suggest arch correction.
My husband brought up a point. He suggested that the trays may conform to my teeth over the next two weeks rather than the other way around. So, this observations may be nothing more than that - an observation. He got me wondering, so I think it's worth investigating.
At the end of the 2 week cycle, I will again compare the two trays and see if the difference is still noticed or if the trays seem to have changed. As soon as I locate my ruler, I will take measurements and post them for a better way to quantify the difference in the aligners and the width of the week 3 set.
Since my set 1 trays were tossed last week in the dental office, I will be using my set 2 trays for points of comparison between trays as I progress. This will also help gauge how effective and fast the aligners are in movement and provide a visual for points of reference.
COMING UP:
Next week I go in for my first cleaning since having the aligners and attachments. I am curious how the attachments will work out for the hygienist. According to the Invisalign site, the product that makes the speed bumps on my teeth will be removed using a polishing tool that is used during cleaning. So I imagine that I won't be having my teeth polished, but we'll see.
Also, I noticed on the bags the aligners come in that there is an Invisalign registry. I will be registering my aligners on their site and let you know if it unlocks any features that might prove useful.
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