Invisalign - Another Clin Check

My new ClinCheck from Invisalign has come back today to straighten that tooth - upper left 1.

Watch this - can you even see any movement? 

You'll probably only see it in the image that's in the bottom left. 

So this will involve FIVE more aligners being made and just wearing them as normal 22 hours per day for 2 weeks each and then we'll see what happens. 

After that... a bit of refining and we should be done and dusted before christmas with some new aligners to wear at night. :-) 

You might think is it actually worth it, for that slight movement? 
Well, if you get it done now, as a refinement during treatment - it's included in the price. If next year I decide I want it doing... I'll have to pay again! 
So yes... if you've got niggles - get them sorted before being signed off as a patient because you'll regret it in the end! 

Long time no invisalign....

So, since I last blogged it's been a case of just wearing my aligners and doing some whitnening. 

Whitening is interesting - you have to inject a clear substance into your trays at night and then just brush your teeth as normal in the morning. 

I did this for FOUR weeks and am pleased with my natural looking teeth. 

I went for my check up yesterday though and I'm having some new trays made because I'm unhappy with my upper left 2 which is the tooth on he left next to my front tooth. 

It hasn't quite rotated round properly and therefore, when I'm only wearing the retainer at night, it tends to move. 

I'll keep you up to date on the refinements - but the good news is, it's all included in the price :-) 

Here's the pic of the tooth that I'm getting sorted. 

Invisalign Update

Well I've still got my aligners in :-(

Turns out - on your last day of treatment, your dentist may decide to make you carry on for a few more weeks while whitening happens. 

So on Wednesday I start my whitening with sort of a home kit, that takes FOUR WEEKS. For TWO of those I'll be wearing my aligners 22 hours a day, the other two I will start to just wear them at night. 

I have to say I was a bit disappointed, but it's just to let the teeth settle into position for a little longer. Apparently it isn't unusual. 

D-Day

Later today I go back to my dentist for the final time to have my invisalign removed and my teeth whitened. 

That's if we're both happy with the results of the last 28 weeks... 

Wish me luck!!!

Invisalign Attachments Removed - Week 25/26

On Saturday 21st July it was back to the dentist to have my attachments removed. 

Teeth can still move using the invisalign aligners without the attachments but they are the things that really anchor the clear brace into place. 

Here's the last shot: 

The attachments are literally filed down... I had six and it took a couple of minutes. 

There was a lot of discolouring on them, so my dentist removed that for me...

And here's the result: 

So, now just three weeks to go. My final aligner (14) doesn't have any groves for the attachments so we won't get too much movement. 

I'm thinking about whether or not I'm happy with my invisalign, and the only thing I'm thinking of seeing if we can revise is... the second teeth in the top jaw (either side of my front two teeth) don't slot in nicely to the front teeth.

I'm might look at seeing if some shaving and another couple of aligners could perfect that. Let me know your thoughts!

So - three weeks to go - Saturday 11th August is final appointment day! Wish me luck! 

One Month To Go...

So here it is then... the penultimate package of invisalign clear brace aligners being opened. 


These are the last invisalign clear braces that I will wear with my attachments, and only for one week. 

The attachments are being taken off for the final aligner - which ultimately will become my retainer that I will wear every night. 


I've worn Aligner 13 for one night as I blog, and although they weren't as tight as some of the others when I first put them on, my front two teeth particularly ache a bit this morning. 


So, with FOUR weeks of full time aligner-wear left here's where we are: 

Aligner 13 in... 

Aligner 13 out... 

In my initial chats with my dentist, we thought we wouldn't be able to get that centre vertical line exactly straight between my front two teeth in both jaws - actually it's looking pretty good. 

The discolouring is down to drinking TEA in my early days of invisalign (with aligners out) but the tanin clings to the attachments so I'd try and go on to Pure Green Tea - which I have now. 

The staining will come off - it's just a case of going to see the hygienist - but as I've said before I'm waiting for the whitening stage for that. 

My next update will be with pictures of my trip to the Dentist on Saturday when I have my attachments removed. 

Aligner 12 - I can see the finish invisalign

Well, the saying is I can see the finish line - but I've adapted it slightly. 

SIX weeks to go now. 

I put Aligner 12 in on Saturday 30th June and for the first time in ages, the tightness of them lasted for more than a day. It lasted two days and two nights. I felt like every time I ate my teeth were going to snap. 

Luckily, they're settled now and I kind of like a bit of pain because then I know my invisalign teeth are moving. 

Here's the latest snap - taken at the end of Aligner 11, and the start of Aligner 12: 

We've not done a comparison for ages either so let's do Week 1 and Week 23...

Doesn't even look like the same mouth does it? That's because when you have invisalign teeth treatment, your lips change shape because the angle of the teeth in you mouth changes.

You can see my front teeth have been pushed back and inwards - that's why my lips are flatter now and thinner. 

I've been told Aligner 14 (my last one) will be worn without attachments for two weeks, and then that becomes my permanent retainer that I will religiously wear at night to keep my teeth straight and protect my investment in invisalign teeth. 

So, realistically I'm almost at the end and thinking what it'll be like to go back to brushing my teeth twice a day. 

I don't think I can. I've also worked out that I've kept Wriggley's Extra going during my treatment... 

28 weeks - 3 packets of chewing gum a week.... £28.00! (I've got a cheap supplier!)

I only use the chewing gum for after meals/drinks if I can immediately get to the loo to brush my teeth. It's a handy tool, but don't chew it with your braces in. It just won't work. Trust me.