Tulip - back nearly a year later!!!!

Message

#16 Post by **Lisa65** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 12:27 pm

Hi Tulip
I'm sure that space just looks big because the tooth is at an angle. Once it straightens up the gap will start to fill in.
Good news on the dental hygiene front!

Look forward to seeing the progress pics

Lisa xx

#17 Post by **antsika** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 12:31 pm

It is great Tulip that your arch have widened already in 2 months time, your Invisaligns are working well!
I am sure your ortho shaved just enough from your teeth and after they start moving you will see it!
Well done on cleaning!

I checked out the ceramic buttons on your teeth and I have similar to them but a little bit more protruding.

I am awaiting your pictures as well!

#18 Post by **tulip** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 8:30 pm

Thanks for the comments Linda21, KK, Lisa and Antsika.

Well it's been about a day in the new trays, and this morning I woke up with the sorest mouth I've had since starting treatment. Actually, it was only one molar that was really painful (bottom left molar that is out of line), but the front top left incisors (that crooked pair) were pretty sore too.

It eased up during the day now, and as I type this evening, I can happily report that the aches have subsided to that typical itchy feeling I get for a few day after each new tray.

The other good thing about my present tray is that it fits really comfortably, with no rough edges, therefore I have not had to file down anything, and have had no tongue irritation whatsoever. Makes me puzzled as to how they make these things, if one tray set can be crafted so well, and yet the very next one can be so rough?

I forgot to mention on yesterday's posting that the previous 2 weeks I had my trays "out" a lot more than I was supposed to for a variety of legitimate plus lazy reasons. So, I went into yesterday's appointment expecting to get rapped on the nuckles somewhat. As it turns out, I got lucky, and my dentist commented that my teeth are moving very nicely at the moment, with each new tray fitting as it should. I felt like I scored an "'A" on an exam for which I hardly studied!!!!

However, I am not going to allow the last 2 weeks to become the benchmark, as it will surely catch up with me if I am not wearing the braces the recommended 22 out of 24 hours.

#19 Post by **antsika** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:03 pm

You were lucky Tulip with your cheating

It is great that your progress goes as planned!
Where I could cheat is elastics wearing time, but actually I wear them a bit more than I was told, maybe I hope for quicker movement

#20 Post by **tulip** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 2:08 pm

Hello eveybody,

I've been a bit remiss about visiting the website, as it's that hectic time of year!!! Lots of functions, lots of deadlines, and lots of bugs trying to keep us down!!!!

However, life in braces goes on regardless, thank heavens!!! So, I decided it was time to take some photos to see if I could see the progress I know must have been happening. When you look at your own mouth day after day, you can't notice the progress.

So, I'm still changing trays every 2 weeks. My dentist seems very satisfied with my progress so far, and even with a bit of shaving at some appointments, I am in and out of there in 15 minutes. There have been a lot of work functions and Christmas parties lately, and I had another 2-week spell in which I had my trays out up to 4 hours at a time, on at least 2 occasions, plus other events at which time they were out about 2 hrs. I've tried to make up for that my sticking my trays back in the rest of the time brushing or no brushing. Usually I am quite picky about brushing first before putting them back in, but under the circumstances, I think a slightly icky tray/mouth is better than trays out!! Followed by a brushing as soon as possible.

Anyway, not much else to report... the last 2 trays fitted like a glove, and had no significant discomfort during the first few days. I do believe I can detect some changes in my front uppers, but my dentist checked my chart and said I should see a lot more change by about tray 12 (I'm now on tray 7).

Here are the latest pics, with pics from the beginning of treatment for comparison. (Can anyone tell me how to get the pics side by side, as opposed to below each other?)

MOUTH CLOSED OCT 3

MOUTH CLOSED DEC 18

MOUTH OPEN OCT 3

MOUTH OPEN DEC 18

#21 Post by **tulip** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 8:06 pm

Hi Everyone, it's time for an update!

Things are moving along very nicely, and I am quite happy with how my mouth is starting to shape up. People are noticing, and commenting positively, without me having to point it out to them. Most didn't even know I was wearing the Invisalign braces all this time!!

I've had ortho/dentist appointments on from 2-weekl spacings up to 6-week spacings, depending on whether any IPR is required or not. My IPR is all but done ... only one tooth left to shave down, and that will happen in about 4 weeks time.

The only tooth that is bothering me, is on the bottom, 2nd to the left. Because it's upper partner is coming into line so nicely, the bottom one now hits the top one when my aligners are out. I feel like this is compromising the progress of the top tooth, and mentioned this to my dentist. She took me over to her computer so that we could see the progress chart online, and I thought that was going to be interesting to see, but then for some reason, the charts would not come up, so that was a dead end!! Anyway, she is going to review the chart to see what the intent is from Invisalign regarding getting that tooth to move, and I will know next time I go in.

However, it seems that after wearing my newest aligner since Thursday, I find the problem is MUCH less severe than before, so it looks like that tooth is now on the move, even though I felt no pain or even pressure on it with this new set of trays.

I must say, each new tray has been totally pain-free - at the most my teeth feel only the slightest bit sensitive for a few days, but that's at .. not even enough to register on the discomfort radar. Also, I can't even remember the last tray that roughed up my tongue, it was so long ago, and the new trays don't bother me in the slightest in that regard now.

This is a surprisingly easy process - I feel quite lucky so far!!! I wear my trays about 20 - 21 hrs a day, and it seems to be doing the job just fine.

My dentist explained again, that the tooth movements are so minute with each tray. It almost surprises me that there is any movement at all really, when you assume that pain equals movement, which apparently is not the case!

So, I am on tray 11 out of 21 now, so over the halfway mark!!

MOUTHED CLOSED FEB 10

MOUTH CLOSED OCT 3

MOUTH OPEN FEB 10

MOUTH OPEN OCT 3

#22 Post by **Lisa65** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 3:58 am

Hi Tulip. I just noticed you'd updated at last so thought I'd pop in. Your teeth are making great progress.

Hope you enjoyed the big four-oh, did you do anything special? Welcome to the 40s club here on Archwired

(here's a belated birthday present from me)

Keep us posted!

#23 Post by **Brace Face** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:19 pm

Hi Tulip - you just posted on my site, so I just had to check out yours!! I see what you mean by us having pretty much the same teeth issues!! I even think we have the same bottom tooth which is out of alignment! Funny ah!!!

#24 Post by **tulip** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 11:58 am

Lisa65 wrote:Hope you enjoyed the big four-oh, did you do anything special?

Thnx Lisa. Actually my friends arranged a big surprise birthday party, and parents and one of my brothers flew in from the UK (they were coming for xmas anyway, but just came earlier by a few days). Everyone kept the secret tight, but my husband was not told, as he is hopeless at keeping secrets!! Not knowing there was a surprise party, we nearly didn't even go, as my husband & I and my son were all sick!!! Imagine how that would have ruined things!!! Anyway, it was wonderful to feel so loved by so many!!!

#25 Post by **tulip** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 7:18 pm

I know, I know ... I've been invisible for weeks!!! Life has been kind of getting in the way lately ... work, guests (the hard work type!!), family, etc.... you know the stuff I mean. No personal time anymore!! Sigh.

At least my teeth are coming on nicely. Went to see the ortho again today, and have now got tray # 16 on, with only 5 more to go. We reviewed my clincheck digital treatment images on the web today, and it was great to see what was actually happening, especially the widening of the arch part, as lately, the changes have not been overly noticeable to my eyes. But the clincheck showed that things are indeed happening with every tray.

Also, my top left incisor needs every last tray to get into it's final position. It still has to come in about 1mm, plus get some rotation. Poor tooth had a long way to go at the start!!

Anyway, here's my latest photo - it taken last week.

#26 Post by **tulip** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 7:35 pm

Well, it's been a LONG time since I posted here, but here I am ... still wearing my invisaligns!!!

I got to the end of my initial 21 trays, I think it was in July last year. At the end of that, the ortho was satisfied with my lowers, but the uppers still needed refinement. I got new moulds taken, and Invisalign sent another 6 trays for the uppers.

The incremental movements in this refinement set were so miniscule, compared to the first set of 21, which made significant changes with each tray. I was rather disconcerted with the slowness of movements in this set. Needless to say, at the end of the 6th tray, the top front left, and the one next to it on the to the left, were still not in their final position. This is where the ortho then brought out the adjustment tools, and made a few "dimples" in strategic places in the trays. This certainly put pressure back on the teeth to move again. However, having worn that last set for about 2 months, getting another dimple or 2 every 2 weeks, it was clear that tray had done about all it could.

So, it was time to get another set of moulds done and go back to Invisalign for a 2nd set of refinements!!! They sent me another 5 trays for the top. When I put the first few trays in, it actually felt like my teeth regressed for a few weeks. Now I am on tray 5 out of the 6, and last week the ortho had to do a little more IRP. It seems as though the teeth have indeed moved closer to their final position over the past week.

BUT, with only one more tray to go after this, there is still quite a lot of movement needed in my top left front tooth. With the minute movements these refinement trays have been doing, that last tray is probably also only designed to give me a small move, not the big move that is still required.

I shall keep an open mind however, and hope for the best. And of course, there is still the option of more dimples to bring about the last micro-movements I suppose.

Just after receiving the latest set of trays, I lost tray 1 plus my bottom tray, which I had been wearing since July. I was leaving the house one morning with my arms full, and had them in my hands. We had so much snow in our back yard, about a metre high, and in struggling with the keys, I must have dropped my aligners in the snow!!! I did not realise till I was well on my way to work, but it was too late to turn back at that stage. Well, it then snowed heavily again that day, and by the time I got home, it was hopeless to even attempt to find the trays in the snow!!! Ithought I would have to wait for the spring to get them back!!! So, in the meantime, the dentist's office had to order me replacement trays asap!!! They took about a week to come, and cost me $65 dollars!!!!

However, it seems that possibly the never fell in the snow after all: the snow is completely melted by now, with spring under way, and there is no sign of the trays on the ground near my back door, nor anywhere else in my garden for that matter. They have disappeared into thin air!!!