Zoso wrote:I mean if you're brushing your teeth in public, you're either (a) getting ortho work done, or (b) you're some kind of nutjob with OCD.
The problem is strangers see you and (a) may or may not occur to them, so then you default to (b) in their minds. Am I wrong?
I really think this is just you.
Nobody I know thinks it's weird that people brush their teeth after eating.
I've often seen people brushing their teeth in bathrooms and never thought they were weird.
Anyone with any degree of education about teeth will respect that you take care of them.
People are way more likely to judge you for bad teeth than taking care of them.
Seriously, get over it.
Nobody cares, and you'll figure that out quickly.
Zoso wrote:I mean if you're brushing your teeth in public, you're either (a) getting ortho work done, or (b) you're some kind of nutjob with OCD.
The problem is strangers see you and (a) may or may not occur to them, so then you default to (b) in their minds. Am I wrong?
I really think this is just you.
Nobody I know thinks it's weird that people brush their teeth after eating.
I've often seen people brushing their teeth in bathrooms and never thought they were weird.
Anyone with any degree of education about teeth will respect that you take care of them.
People are way more likely to judge you for bad teeth than taking care of them.
Seriously, get over it.
Nobody cares, and you'll figure that out quickly.
I can't think of a single person that would equate someone brushing their teeth in public with someone being weird. Its simply a good hygiene habit. I have worked in two different offices since starting Invisalign and I would say there are at least 5 or 6 daily brushers in the office bathroom after the lunch hour (at both locations). I am the only one having orthodontic work done among them.
I love fine dining and I can tell you that I have brushed my teeth in some of the best restaurants in the city. I may have had a couple of sideways glances in the past year; however, people generally just don't care.
Its definitely an inconvenience to fit all the brushing into your daily routine. You will find yourself occupied with settling into a routine that works for you and not worrying about what others think about you brushing your teeth.
Will all the nut jobs please stand up? Omg, thank heaven most people dont have your attitude about people brushing in a public restroom. Ive brushed everywhere during and after my treatment, and usually the only looks i get are ones of admiration. Especially when I smile that PERFECT smile at em!!!!!
otally agree!! If you are genuinely committed to Invisalign, you will find a way, even if you do feel embarrassed brushing in public.
For example - go into a cubicle and rinse with bottled water after...its no big deal. It strikes me that people make excuses for not using Invisalign properly so that they can blame someone/something else when the hard work and commitment gets too much for them!
To me its simple, you want the results, you put the work in...period!
Kezza will probably agree that brushing in public is not a common thing to see in the UK. If we can 'get over it' then i'm sure our friend based in the USA where it seems more socially acceptable can last the few months it takes.
I confess that i'm struggling to get into the food routine. I'm a fairly slim person who now gets the "oh you're on a diet and you're looking down on all of us eating biscuits / buns in meetings" ... i've found the solution is simply to say to people ... actually i've started wearing braces ! i do the same in the bathroom when people comment on me brushing my teeth ... hey a few months of embarrassment should be piad back by years of straight teeth
Sure is! I have no problem whatsoever telling people I'm wearing Invisalign now, whether theyre looking strangely at my mouth as i talk (wondering 'what's that stuck to your teeth?!'), see me popping them out to eat, politely declining food in the office etc etc. I find that people are intrigued and ask questions!
The negatives seem overblown to me. For a new pair, they're pretty snug and all but there are lots of regions with a nice lip where I can pry them loose, and I don't have to go way back and stretch out my mouth. I've read people's worries about developing fine lines because of all the stress trying to fit their hands in their mouths.
I simply pry it loose at the first molar one side at a time and pop it right out.
The discomfort to me is simply pressure, like an awareness of teeth that you normally don't have. I liken it to having, say, a shard of toothpick or foodstuff lodged between your teeth (you know that annoying feeling of tightness), only this isn't annoying. If anything it's a good mental feeling. A positive for me is I'm only getting front movement so my fronts are being moved right now. All the pressure is in that region. Another positive is only 16 aligners. After a while I'll move up to 10 days-per, so overall it might take 8 months. Fortunately 5 months are in coat weather so I have a convenient place to carry my container.
I also have whitening gel gratis. Damn well better be free after I paid 3995 American for this ****.
Now to buy a couple mini toothbrushes--one for my car to use at work, and one for my bookbag.
I just ate my first meal. I'm at home so I rinsed and brushed. Dentist gave me whitening gel too. I'm a little ticked off that I'm gonna have 5 attachments after this first set. I think dentists put them on just to be a richard.
My first set was like yours - no real pain, just pressure and there were spots where I could grab on and get the trays off.
The 2nd set was much tighter than the first and a bit harder to get off until they started to move a bit.
Your 2nd tray, especially if you are getting attachments with them, will be tighter I'll bet. My 3rd tray was even tighter because of the attachments, and also makes it a hair tougher to get off (I have them on bottom only, so top still comes out easy). Again now that I'm a couple weeks in with this tray (I do 3 weeks per tray), it's gotten easier as they have moved and fit not so snugly as in the beginning.
Good luck!
Donna
Started treatment 9/2/09
Treatment finished 4/27/11
Initially a few of my uppers gave me pain when biting into Iough things, but not anymore. I guess they've moved and set a little bit. I'm looking forward to getting several pairs to see the changes in them.
The worst part of all this is I look at my nails and they just look so delicious, but alas I can't do anything about it. I hadn't used a nail clipper in about 10 years.
Do your teeth kind of settle down after a few days with a new pair or what? Does that pressure go away? The pain has certainly gone away but I still feel the pressure in my lowers that, I mean, I'd like to go away if I have my druthers, but if this is how it's gonna be all the time, I've already begun, means to an end, etc.
Sometimes the pain took up to a week to subside on a few of my trays. Any longer than that, and it's worth mentioning to your ortho, to make sure the trays are fitting correctly.
No pain through the first set. I don't consider it "pain" unless it hurts on its own volition while doing nothing to it. I have one tooth that still hurts ever so slightly if I really push it. This happens to be my nemesis tooth (left outer incisor) that is the the most out of place. It grew in behind a baby tooth yonder back. So it's actually nice to know that it's probably the one that got the most movement in this first set.
Can't wait to see the subsequent sets and where they're taking things.
