Okay, I'm currently wearing Tray 4 on both the upper and lower teeth. That means I'm about 7 weeks in, because I wore Trays 1-3 for 2 weeks each, and just switched to this tray last Wednesday. That's when I spent just 45 minutes at my orthodontist's office (the 1st appointment since getting my trays in mid August) getting the 7 attachments placed. The procedure was TOTALLY painless. I'd read other blogs, which stated there was scary drilling, sanding, etc. involved with the addition of attachments, but I promise, for me...it was a breeze. The only discomfort I experienced was from the lip retractors my ortho used to keep my teeth dry and exposed while he bonded the attachments to my teeth. My lips were dry and felt like they were cracking. That's it! Really.The drilling everyone refers to, I can only assume it was the GENTLE polishing the ortho does to prepare your tooth surface to better grab the bonding/glue. No pain. He then fit the "attachment template trays", which were not overly tight or painful, and then went about placing the attachments. Once he used the high intensity light to dry/set them, he gently sanded off the excess with more "polishing". A few of my more crooked teeth were a bit sensitive, and when he drilled, I sensed slight waves of discomfort, but it was nothing compared to what I'd read about on other blogs. It's absolutely nothing to be anxious about. I promise!
He seemed very pleased with the progress and said the trays were fitting perfectly, so that's all I needed to hear. Now...about the appearance of the buttons...they're not bad at all! I know they make my treatment A LOT more noticeable to anyone really looking, but I was not upset about their appearance when I finally got to my car and gave my mouth a close/paranoid look in my rear view mirror. You know that feeling, "Oh my god, what must my mouth look like!?" My teeth are fairly white, and the buttons match EXACTLY, so they're great. My mom and sister swear you don't even notice them unless you happen to catch a side profile view of my teeth. Even then, they claim they're not distracting at all. So far, I agree.
I am slightly paranoid about them yellowing or becoming dingy somehow. Apparently, people have had issues with the glue just around the edges turning yellow. I hope to avoid this with my regular Crest Advanced White toothpaste, maybe the new Colgate Optic White? (is it any good?), and Luster Now toothpaste. We shall see...
So far, the buttons have not annoyed me at all. No lip or gum irritation. My ortho sent me home with three more trays, so I'm scheduled to see him in mid November for a check-up. With how busy work is, I'm sure the time will fly! So, please, don't let the attachments get you down...they're really nothing to fear.
