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hello all! just an update after 5 days - what a difference a few days make. I am no longer self conscious wearing it in work, I just want it done and I don't care what people think - amazing how much you attitude can change in a few days! Speech is bad and I don't think it will get much better with the expander. I'm trying to wear it approx 22 hours a day on weekdays, as the weekend was more like 16-17 - I hope this variation between days won't affect treatment too much?
Starnepus I am now allowed view photos on the message board - WOW your teeth look fab!! You must be delighted! Thanks for your advice re turning expander, my dentist told me to turn it to the right like opening a door- but I can see now you sort of pull upwards in the direction of the arrow. Was very confused with her instructions!
Cjfarmgate - August 12th!! Are you out of your Inman today?? Congratulations!!!
Hi all, where I now have the expander. Doesn't hurt in any way, but I have a lot of saliva and find it difficult to swallow. I have to have this in for 6 weeks, then will get fitted for my inman. I am sort of ok with this, as it is not visible and it is getting me used to having something in my mouth, and it isn't visible, but speech isn't good.
Rosiesue, good to hear that in a few days it will feel better, I am off work this week this week so don't mind to much, but bacjk next week and I am hoping i will have got used to it.
Yippee!! Retainer fitted and so, so comfortable compared to the aligner - wow what a difference. Had a bit more filing in between my teeth then the fitting, I can speak normally and feel brilliant, almost human again. You can hardly see the retainer unless you look closely and my teeth really do look straight. Was it worth it? Oh yes, most definitely ... the 11 and a bit weeks are now a distant memory so my advice to all of you is to stick it out and try to be positive, it is hard, especially at the early stages but I promise you will be amazed.
Next appointment in 4 weeks time to have impressions done for my veneers and then 24th September I have an appointment to have them fitted and that should be pretty much it. I think I will have the retainer wire fitted a couple of weeks after that once everything has settled down.
Keep posting your fantastic results, I will be looking out for them and wishing you all lots of luck!
Hi All
I haven't been on the forum for a couple of weeks and it's great to see so many new people. I had my review today and just so excited as the dentist said at the next review we would be doing the edge bonding where my teeth have worn crooked from being overcrowded and then that might be it of possibly just one more after that. It's been 8 and a half weeks so far and I'm so pleased to be on the final stretch. I looked at the mould of my teeth originally and can't believe the change in really a relatively short time.
Good luck to everyone it's great to hear about everyone's progress.
Well done Cjfarmgate it's fantastic you are virtually at the end now.
Great to hear that you are both on the final stretch in such a short space of time.
I'm in my 4th week and haven't noticed too much in the last 2 weeks. My teeth aren't sore anymore,is that normal? Perhaps I'm just getting impatient. My mouth is still overcrowded and I can't see how it's going take 12 weeks...should I be seeing my dentist more than once every two weeks?
Well done Velvettiger, not long for you now then, it is amazing when you look at the first impression and see how far you've come.
Tmcn - don't worry, I didn't see much movement around my 4th, 5th and 6th week and didn't feel quite so much pressure on my teeth as before but then it all happened after the 6th week, things started moving on quickly after that so don't lose hope! By the way, my reviews were every three weeks rather than the two that most people seem to have.
Oharecr I think had to post 10 posts before I could see photos on the message board. Its great to see peoples before and after shots!
Congratulations to all of you in the final stages, hearing your stories makes it seem doable, please post more photos! 1 week today for me.. haha hopefully time will fly...
My dentist is only seeing me once a month. I tried to ask could I come more often but she said thats normal. I have an expander so maybe I don't need to be popping in as often for IPR?
She said she was surprised at all the random things I know about the aligner - this message board seems to have made me more knowledgeable than her about it!!
Hope you're all getting on well and have a good weekend.
I've just been for my two weekly review, I'm on week 6. Already my front two teeth are nearly done, but the tooth that needs to rotate is being stubborn ... but my dentist is really pleased so far. I had more IPR, and even MORE composite aaarrgghh! And why is it, the tooth that I REALLY hate, the one that sticks out a mile is the last one to be worked on?!??!
Starnepus - don't worry it'll happen soon enough but I know what you mean about the tooth you hate being the last to be worked on, however, working on the others does bring the horrible one into line believe me! You will probably find, now you've had more composites that your aligner feels tighter and your head aches again, mine did but that's a good sign and will pass in a couple of days, hope you had a good weekend and stay positive
I eat my words. I can't believe the change since I went for my review and that's only 4 days! All of a sudden I seem to have a straighter smile - yes there's work to be done still, but I guess the IPR and the extra composite has made a difference. (Yep, the aches increased!) And I've figured out that my offending sticking out a mile tooth isn't actually the main offender. Poor thing was getting the blame, yet the front tooth next to it was way back - and I didn't even realise until now. The way I feel now is it's worth every penny and that's before my treatment is finished
How's everyone doing? I feel naked! I'm without my aligner for 5 days while it's sent away to be altered. It's so weird without it, I have become quite attached!
Hey Starnepus, what's going on, I assume they had to send it to the lab to adjust it and that it's a good thing as you need it to fit properly for the next stage, hope the 5 days without it doesn't set you back, it must feel really odd without it, gets to be like a comfort blanket almost when you put it back in. Keep us all updated though.
cjfarmgate wrote:Hey Starnepus, what's going on, I assume they had to send it to the lab to adjust it and that it's a good thing as you need it to fit properly for the next stage, hope the 5 days without it doesn't set you back, it must feel really odd without it, gets to be like a comfort blanket almost when you put it back in. Keep us all updated though.
Yeah it means I'm on the last stage when I get it back. The tooth that needs to rotate is being stubborn. The tooth that was the one I hated is being really good They're changing the rubber chain for the bow so next week I have more composite - this time on the front of my 'fang' - I'm going to look amazing!
I'm so worried my teeth are going to move back between now and Wednesday, or that they won't get the aligner back in time - my dentist is going away on Thursday. I already looked in the mirror after 4 hours without it and convinced myself my teeth look worse. Psychological maybe!
And why is it, the tooth that I REALLY hate, the one that sticks out a mile is the last one to be worked on?!??! 
