Week 1 Invisalign

Now that I'm 5 days in, I thought I'd update with a few first impressions. So far, I am very pleased with how the trays feel. I can't complain at all. I understand that the actual movement of my teeth at this point is minimal (they will kick into gear with attachments and all), but I'm most impressed with how wonderfully the aligners conform to my mouth. When I first inserted the top tray, I noticed that it seemed a little "bulkier", for lack of a better word, on my upper left, back molars. It bothered me when speaking for the first two days, because I'd almost bump those molars with my bottom ones while forming some sounds. The interesting thing is, today, I've noticed it doesn't feel as pronounced. I don't know if that's just because I've become desensitized to it and am speaking around it, or if the trays have softened up, and my teeth are fitting better in them. The real test will be the start of Tray 2. We'll see. Here are a couple of notes about the first few days of Invisalign.

HAPPY:

1. Little to no pain. Most uncomfortable when removing trays (especially bottom teeth, which are more visibly crooked) the first two days of the new trays.

2. No real gum, lip, or mouth irritation.

3. No bad breath or foul smelling retainers yet (I soak in Retainer Brite once every morning during breakfast, and I brush the aligners with an extra soft toothbrush and mild dish soap whenever putting them back into my mouth).

4. No one mentions them or gives me funny looks. A few of my students have given me what I'm calling the "what's with the lisp eye", but I find the lisp fading FAST. Remember, this is only day 5. I've told several people, and they've all been amazed, because they can't see anything...nothing!

5. No problems sleeping. When first waking up, I don't even remember that they're there.

6. Unlike other people, I've had no notable dry mouth. I guess I'm just lucky. I do drink a lot of water as a regular habit, but really...dry mouth has not been a side effect.

NOT EXACTLY ECSTATIC:

1. Brushing/flossing at work and cleaning the trays to get them back in during a 30 minute, high school lunch break (I teach) is not the best. You might laugh, but I made a little "retainer cleaner" by buying a small, refillable spray bottle for my purse. I mixed clear Listerine and water in there. I find the retainer to still be pretty spic and span when I remove it for lunch, since I've brushed & flossed and only had water since putting it in after breakfast. I do a quick teeth brushing after I've eaten and then spray the retainers with the cleaner only. I rinse them well, and they're perfect for the rest of the day. Seems good enough for work, and it saves me from having to brush clean my aligners in the faculty bathroom. Once I'm home, I have some afternoon coffee & a snack, then give both my teeth and trays a more thorough cleaning before putting them back in till dinner. I'm a flossing freak in the morning and before bed.

2. I'm paranoid about losing the aligners. I refuse to set them on paper towel, napkins, etc., so I'm very careful to always put them in their case. I plan to buy extra cases, because keeping one in my purse is handy, one on the kitchen counter, one in my bedroom, office, etc. would be good. I can't see myself accidentally throwing away a retainer case, but I can definitely see my dog, who loves to chew ANYTHING plastic, getting a hold of a paper towel or napkin any day.

That's it! More soon. :)