Finally got them... now why did I want straight teeth?

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#16 Post by **renshorty** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:02 am

I had trouble getting used to them also. The dry mouth has completely stopped, but I did drink so much more water the first month or so. I also thought that the lisp would never go away, but now it feels weird to talk with them out. I am on tray 11 out of 14, and I am so glad I stuck with it! I was starting out while I was pregnant too! I began treatment in March, and my baby was born at the end of May. Needless to say, but I have lost the baby weight so much faster because I can't snack all the time!

#17 Post by **lomdogs** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:40 pm

Well I am so glad to hear your stories, I cannot tell you. Prior to today, I was talking better, but then today was the first day of school and I am welcoming parents and children and I feel like they are thinking, "What has she been drinking with all her slurring!" It was a mess. It was a minimum day, and thankfully so because I downed 40 ounces of water in three hours! I know that it was nerves of the first day, and having to talk so much to the children and parents, but I will always be talking a lot! Aagh! The spit was rampant. To top that off, two people asked if I had invisalign because of my speech. When I told them yes, they said that was so cool and they were so jealous etc. That was unexpected. I think that I will just let the parents know at Back To School Night, because I don't want them to think that their child's teacher can't talk.

I haven't had much pain as far as teeth moving. I had retainers as a child and I remember the soreness of the teeth moving, but haven't had anything like that. Maybe my dentist has given me an easy first tray. I appreciate hearing that some are worse than others. They haven't inhibited my choice in food, that is for sure, but maybe that will come.

And you are right, I am able to get them off and on much easier. I will try the tweezers when I get my new one in a week. Thanks for your advice, but I will definitely call my ortho and see if he has the preferred tool.

One school year, that's all I have to endure and it will be so nice to have straight teeth! I will press on!!

#18 Post by **renshorty** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:18 pm

I forgot to mention on my last post that I am also a teacher. I started treatment in the middle of the school year, so I told my second graders all about it. They couldn't even really tell when I got them (except that I had to brush my teeth in the room a couple of times). Now that this year has started my kids don't know I wear them because I'm so used to talking with them in. I should be done at the end of October. It will really be strange to not have to wear them all the time anymore!

#19 Post by **waiting2smile** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:09 pm

Hey hang in there - it will get better. I have certainly posted my fair share of posts ...am i going to pull a tooth out?? it is ever gonna get easy ???etc...but honestly it goes by so quick. I had mine for 3 plus years ans still cant believe Im done. Really, As far as taking them out try gripping them from the back on one side with a paper towel and working your way around your mouth, you'll soon get the hang of it and will be popping them out with 1 hand in no time. If you search my previous posts I think you may find some helpful , silly and boo-hoo me posts - if they dont offer any insight they should at least give a smile.

#20 Post by **lomdogs** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:19 pm

Well it's been eight days and I guess it's easier. Funny how you exchange one set of problems for another. Drinking lots of water which is helping the dry mouth/ over salivating problem. Have been good about wearing them the 22 hours which helps the taking them off and putting them back on. Today I had to put them on in class without a mirror and I was able to pop them right in!

Now, the problem at hand is the extreme soreness in my mouth/ tongue. I am telling you, this plastic is just eating me alive. I see from the previous posts that this should pass in about a month, but I seem to be obsessed with my mouth. It's all that my tongue and I think about. Can't wait to eat and get aligners off so they give my mouth a rest, then can't wait to get them back on because my nine attachments are too rough without aligners!

I am sure that when this set of problems is over, a new set will begin.

Thanks again for your encouragement. What would I do without you seasoned veterans?

#21 Post by **Sofie** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:33 am

Hi. New here but have read the boards for a while now. It's nice to see similar experiences. I am only on set 2 of 11 u/l and have only two attachments, one on each side lower so they're not noticeable at all to anyone. The first set made me lisp for two days, constant dry mouth, and an awful cut on one side of my tongue. Then it was like not having anything in my mouth at all after that.
I took everyone's advice and changed into the second set at nighttime to get a good "grip" on them. I swear they were like vices on my teeth for 3 days. I actually tried to eat a bagel today....lol.
Like everyone, my snacking is gone, I went for the first manicure of my life the other day thanks to not being able to bite my nails, and I have flossed more now than I have like ever.
I have done a solid 21 to 22 hours everyday. Only 3 people know I have them---my daughter, my boyfriend and my sister. Not one person has mentioned anything to me--I don't know if that's because they don't want to be rude or they just can't see them.
The only problem I'm having so far is that I am so gosh darn hungry when I take them out that I find myself not chewing (in part also because my teeth are sore) and snacking immediately after just to get in some food time. Other than that, no complaints and I am looking forward to progress.

#22 Post by **anastasia** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 3:19 pm

Sofie wrote: The only problem I'm having so far is that I am so gosh darn hungry when I take them out that I find myself not chewing (in part also because my teeth are sore) and snacking immediately after just to get in some food time.

Haha, me too!
People say they lose weight on these things cos they snack less, but I'm probably eating more than ever. Once they're off, I really stuff my face in!

#23 Post by **lomdogs** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:07 pm

Yeah, when I first got them, I was so hungry from not snacking, so now at meal times, I eat the whole meal and then the snacks I missed

. Needless to say I haven't lost any weight, but I haven't gained either.

If I am going to lose weight, it's going to be from not eating because of my tongue! Please tell me this pain will go away! It's excruciating! My husband tells me to call the ortho, but I think it's just the way it is. All the cuts are under my tongue. It hurts!!

#24 Post by **gogolakviki** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:21 pm

lomdogs wrote:Do you know where I could get one of those hooks? I had read about them, but my ortho didn't offer it and I didn't see one in the pack. It sounds like I would like it.

I used crochet hook, you can get it in any craft store.

#25 Post by **John37** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:27 pm

lomdogs wrote:Can't wait to eat and get aligners off so they give my mouth a rest, then can't wait to get them back on because my nine attachments are too rough without aligners!

At a certain point I liked to have them in more than out. They feel like they prevent me from banging my teeth together. I just feel more secure with them in.

#26 Post by **lomdogs** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 7:42 pm

John 37- I am looking forward to that point! I had it when I was younger and had retainers. I hated the feeling of the roof of my mouth!

Right now I am struggling with the pain of eating and using my tongue to reach food while I am chewing. When I use my tongue, it gets cut on my attachments. So for that I want the aligners back in. Then it hurts when I talk and use my tongue! If I didn't have the cuts in my tongue, I think I would be so much better off!

#27 Post by **lomdogs** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:57 pm

Help!!

This post is going to sound exactly like the one dated September 9. Please help me. I just started on tray 3 and it's cutting up my tongue just like my first one. I have filed the inside as much as I can, but it isn't helping to dull the edges. I plan to use my daughter's wax, but honestly I can't do this for a whole year. The first aligner cut up my mouth so bad and I thought I just got used to it, but now realize that I had switched over to the 2nd aligner and that's when it got better. Now tray 3 is doing it! (It is the lower inside of the tray.) I already trimmed off the sharp pointed edges, but there's nothing I can see to do besides that. Is it going to be like this all year? Every other aligner cutting up my mouth? Please help!

#28 Post by **PaulInc** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 6:18 am

If you've filed the edges then it surely cant be the edge cutting your tongue? It's probably your tongue getting pinched under the edge like mine? At the back of one of my aligners, the shape of it can sometimes allow my tongue to get pinched between the plastic if i move my tongue in a certain way.

My aligners edges couldn't be described as sharp, but they were a little rough. Have you thought about trying one of those very fine grain nail files? They'd give a much smoother finish if it really is the edge cutting you.

#29 Post by **John37** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 6:41 am

lomdogs, I can't say for certain that your tongue will stop getting irritated, but it probably will. The skin will get used to it and get a callous. Not a callous like on your hand or foot, but the skin will get thicker on the tongue area that is getting rubbed and it will stop being irritated. You won't notice that the skin got thicker.

I had hooks placed on my lower canines to attach elastic bands to, and they rubbed below my lips a lot the first 2-3 weeks. It was quite painful and I thought I wouldn't be able to stand that if it stayed that way, especially since as the canines rotated the hooks would rub a slightly different area. But the pain went away and never came back. (I think once I got hit in the mouth playing basketball and it hurt a bit, but other than that it wasn't painful.)

Also, a few times my tongue got a little irritated like your, but not as bad. That was usually after I had talked a lot the day I had new trays in. So maybe try to make an effort to not talk too much at the beginning of a new set, and consciously tell yourself not to rub the tray with your tongue. Sometimes the slightly new shape of the aligner will make you instinctively want to rub it with your tongue like when you have food caught between two teeth.

#30 Post by **lomdogs** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:54 pm

Thanks John 37 and Paul Inc. My daughter had some wax from her braces days, so she taught me how to put that at the edge of the aligner and sweet relief was mine. My tongue is still healing, and I worry a bit about my not making a callous on my tongue, but I knew I could not make it without some relief. It was SO painful. Hopefully aligner four won't be as much a problem. I don't particularly care for that wax in my mouth, but the alternative is much worse. You are right John37, it is worse when I talk a lot and unfortunately, teaching 21 first graders requires me to talk non-stop! Thanks a lot for your advice.