January 29, 2009

Tomorrow will mark one week that I have had my Invisalign trays. The first couple of days, they were very uncomfortable. My jaw ached and my teeth just hurt! It was weird because it would be one single tooth for a while, then another tooth in a totally different area and so on--like teeth-hurting-musical-chairs. I chalked it up to the fact that they've not really moved at all since they came in when I was like ten. I chewed really gingerly--but still chewed, mind you--and each day got much better. After about day four, there was NO achiness, and my teeth were adjusting well. My mouth is dry a LOT, but I do talk a LOT. Dr. Hanis said these would be like training wheel trays. The second day was the worst. On top of sore teeth, there was a piece of plastic shrapnel jabbing the daylights out of the inside of my mouth. I have a lot invested in these babies and was hesitant to do anything. But it hurt and the point of the trays versus the metal brackets was to avoid this problem. Come to find out, it was just a little flake of excess plastic and I barely brushed and off it came. SO much better. I'm very delicate. I've already noticed some teeth moving which I guess is the point--hopefully it's not all psychological. My school kids didn't even notice them. I had been talking about them since August and I think they gave up on me actually getting them. They ask me daily if I still have them in. Yep.

I took a picture of the trays, really for my own documentary to watch as things proceed. I'm sorry if they're eeew and blehh to anyone, but I'd be glad to share some of Nick's dental magazine images with you and this would seem like pre-K show and tell. My snacking regimen has been kicked to the curb which depending on how I look at it, that could be a good or bad thing. So far I am a happy customer, though.