With Christmas nearing, thought you'd like to see a little video of my favorite furball at his best in a slightly Christmasy background.
Atka shakes paws, lies down, rolls over, pounces, waves goodbye, begs, jumps up, plays dead (hear him groan as he covers up his nose, even tho his tail is still wagging), gives me kisses, then waves goodbye again.
Enjoy!
Atka's Smorgasbord of Tricks
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Sunday, December 24, 2006
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Santa & Mrs. Claus come to town!
And here is the amazing Santa procession I mentioned in my earlier post. Count 'em - 15 cars!!! Santa and Mrs. Claus are on their own motorized sleigh, complete with lights and Rudolph driving. For a little town like Barnegat, this is truly spectacular. I LOVE this event - it's what kick starts my Christmas season for me! Check out the movie I posted below on YouTube:
Santa & Mrs. Claus come to Town!
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Santa & Mrs. Claus come to Town!
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6th Trays
Again, a pretty unmemorable set of trays, which can be a good thing! The only thing that I noticed this time was that my top trays were actually giving me the tiniest bit of discomfort on my tongue for the first time. I had been really trying to clench my teeth to get that "good fit", and had been sucking that stupid extra spit out of them alot, and my tongue was getting caught up in the upper trays more so than usual. Before it could get really noticable in any way, it was already time to change the trays.
Thanksgiving occurred during these trays, and my relatives came over from OH and PA. My 2 cousins are teenagers, with one still in her braces. No one noticed my braces until I pointed it out to them - yay! Here's a picture of me (in red) with my mom (in orange), aunt, and 2 cousins on our stairs. I love the fact that I can smile as big as I can, and not have to worry about my braces being noticable in pictures!
Now, for the closeups!
Center with mouth agape:
My right side (so you can see my teeth moving back and making way for the crossbite tooth to push to the front):
Upper jaw:
Lower jaw:
And finally, a smile:
We'll be getting our tree today from Home Depot, and might start on some decorating. I think I want our Christmas cards this year to be our puppy by the fireplace decorated with the garland and "PEACE" stocking holders. I'll have to get crackin' on that in order to get them out in time!
Later on tonight, Santa makes his way around our part of the neighborhood. I LOVE this event. I've seen Santa come through many different towns, but this one is, by far, the BEST! Not only do ALL the firetrucks come, but all the ambulances do, too! AND, Santa and MRS. CLAUS go around in a motorized sleigh all lit up! It is definitely the grandest local Santa visit I've ever seen. If I get a video of it tonight, I'll be sure to post it.
We might also visit "Santa Paws" as well. A neighboring town holds this event as a fundraiser for the First Aid Squad. It's pictures of Santa with your pet, and you can buy the pictures on snowglobes, frames, etc, afterwards. It's cheeesy, but it's a worthwhile cause, and has become a bit of a tradition now, so we'll probably do that, too.
Til next time!
Thanksgiving occurred during these trays, and my relatives came over from OH and PA. My 2 cousins are teenagers, with one still in her braces. No one noticed my braces until I pointed it out to them - yay! Here's a picture of me (in red) with my mom (in orange), aunt, and 2 cousins on our stairs. I love the fact that I can smile as big as I can, and not have to worry about my braces being noticable in pictures!
Now, for the closeups!
Center with mouth agape:
My right side (so you can see my teeth moving back and making way for the crossbite tooth to push to the front):
Upper jaw:
Lower jaw:
And finally, a smile:
We'll be getting our tree today from Home Depot, and might start on some decorating. I think I want our Christmas cards this year to be our puppy by the fireplace decorated with the garland and "PEACE" stocking holders. I'll have to get crackin' on that in order to get them out in time!
Later on tonight, Santa makes his way around our part of the neighborhood. I LOVE this event. I've seen Santa come through many different towns, but this one is, by far, the BEST! Not only do ALL the firetrucks come, but all the ambulances do, too! AND, Santa and MRS. CLAUS go around in a motorized sleigh all lit up! It is definitely the grandest local Santa visit I've ever seen. If I get a video of it tonight, I'll be sure to post it.
We might also visit "Santa Paws" as well. A neighboring town holds this event as a fundraiser for the First Aid Squad. It's pictures of Santa with your pet, and you can buy the pictures on snowglobes, frames, etc, afterwards. It's cheeesy, but it's a worthwhile cause, and has become a bit of a tradition now, so we'll probably do that, too.
Til next time!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
5th trays & my 1st Oops!
Now, for my 1st Oops!
I had been warned about it from my ortho, Trish, and everyone else with Invisalign: "BE CAREFUL ABOUT THROWING OUT YOUR TRAYS BY MISTAKE IF YOU HAVE THEM BALLED UP IN A PAPER NAPKIN!!"
Of course it had to happen to me at least once. Luckily, it happened on the very last day of my trays, so there was little of any harm done.
Again, no problems whatsoever with this set. I can't believe how quickly time is flying by with this treatment! I love it! I know I'm not going to see real results until the last 4 sets of trays, but it's still really exciting that I'll be about halfway done with my treatment at the beginning of the year. We all know how quickly the holidays go by, and the holiday season is definitely upon us.
Going on a tangent.....I love Christmas -- it's my birthday (besides someone else's....what was his name again? lol), so I'm totally into it. But, some people (like our neighbors) are TOO into it. It's not even Thanksgiving and they have ALL their Christmas decorations up. And I mean all. One has a bay window in the front of their house, where they proudly display their all white Christmas tree, which is very nice, except for the ROTATING BASE UPON WHICH IT SITS AND SPINS. I kid you not.
The day after Thanksgiving, our neighborhood turns into Disneyland with all the lights people put up. It's a major competition around here. My husband and I decided we'd do something different from the rest of the neighbors the first year we moved here, and love our decision. We got a GIANT 8 foot wreath that goes around our door! Yes, you have to walk through it to get through the front door.
Here's a picture of it with our furry American Eskimo son, Atka:
Adorable, isn't he? Anyway, I can't wait for Thanksgiving to be done and over with, and am looking forward to a nice and quiet Christmas and New Year's this year!
Back to my teeth. Here 's what they look like after the 5th tray:
Center, mouth agape:
Top:
Bottom:
Smiling:
Hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
I had been warned about it from my ortho, Trish, and everyone else with Invisalign: "BE CAREFUL ABOUT THROWING OUT YOUR TRAYS BY MISTAKE IF YOU HAVE THEM BALLED UP IN A PAPER NAPKIN!!"
Of course it had to happen to me at least once. Luckily, it happened on the very last day of my trays, so there was little of any harm done.
Again, no problems whatsoever with this set. I can't believe how quickly time is flying by with this treatment! I love it! I know I'm not going to see real results until the last 4 sets of trays, but it's still really exciting that I'll be about halfway done with my treatment at the beginning of the year. We all know how quickly the holidays go by, and the holiday season is definitely upon us.
Going on a tangent.....I love Christmas -- it's my birthday (besides someone else's....what was his name again? lol), so I'm totally into it. But, some people (like our neighbors) are TOO into it. It's not even Thanksgiving and they have ALL their Christmas decorations up. And I mean all. One has a bay window in the front of their house, where they proudly display their all white Christmas tree, which is very nice, except for the ROTATING BASE UPON WHICH IT SITS AND SPINS. I kid you not.
The day after Thanksgiving, our neighborhood turns into Disneyland with all the lights people put up. It's a major competition around here. My husband and I decided we'd do something different from the rest of the neighbors the first year we moved here, and love our decision. We got a GIANT 8 foot wreath that goes around our door! Yes, you have to walk through it to get through the front door.
Here's a picture of it with our furry American Eskimo son, Atka:
Adorable, isn't he? Anyway, I can't wait for Thanksgiving to be done and over with, and am looking forward to a nice and quiet Christmas and New Year's this year!
Back to my teeth. Here 's what they look like after the 5th tray:
Center, mouth agape:
Top:
Bottom:
Smiling:
Hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
4th trays
After the end of my 4th trays, I was able to get my next 4 sets from the ortho while they did an intermittent checkup of my progress. So far, so good. The ortho told me he was looking for a nice tight tight fit, and that it would help to bite down a few times a day to make sure the trays are where they should be.
Since I've been applying that towards my trays, I've found that they definitely "settle" into their new positions MUCH more quickly. What a difference some grinding makes! It didn't hurt that work was pretty stressful for me lately, and gave me a reason to grind my teeth in order to figuratively bite my tongue :)
My ortho and the girl who works there with similar dental issues to mine were really surprised that I had started a blog. I promised them a link, so hopefully they'll be reading about themselves and about my experiences on here. Hi Dr. Sargiss and Trish! :)
Some of the concerns I had about my treatment were answered by Trish this time. I was worried about my bite aligning properly after all was said and done. She said no problem, it all works out in the end, and that it was something Dr. Sargiss had ensured with Invisalign before he approved my treatment as well.
The other concern I had was about my crossbite. Eventually, the tooth that had been behind the other teeth will be pushed over to the other side. There will be a time, however, when this tooth will neither be behind the other teeth, nor in front of them, but right on top of them. With the trays in, it's impossible to hit your teeth against each other, but what happens when I take them out to eat? Is this going to become a major problem for me? How do I chew if this tooth may be getting in the way?
Trish said it was going to be rough period when that happens, and that I'll just have to be extra careful during that time. She said it happened to her while her company was having their Christmas party, and it was painful to eat at the party because she kept on banging her teeth against each other. She said she went through a period of about 3 weeks before it finally made it "to the other side" completely. Ouch! I'm already getting a taste of it, because that tooth of mine is already moving closer to the front, and there are times when I catch myself wincing a bit when my teeth clash with each other. I'll just have to be more careful about it when it really starts to happen.
So, here are the pictures of my teeth after my 4th set!
Center with mouth agape:
Top:
Bottom:
Smile with bottom teeth showing:
Since I've been applying that towards my trays, I've found that they definitely "settle" into their new positions MUCH more quickly. What a difference some grinding makes! It didn't hurt that work was pretty stressful for me lately, and gave me a reason to grind my teeth in order to figuratively bite my tongue :)
My ortho and the girl who works there with similar dental issues to mine were really surprised that I had started a blog. I promised them a link, so hopefully they'll be reading about themselves and about my experiences on here. Hi Dr. Sargiss and Trish! :)
Some of the concerns I had about my treatment were answered by Trish this time. I was worried about my bite aligning properly after all was said and done. She said no problem, it all works out in the end, and that it was something Dr. Sargiss had ensured with Invisalign before he approved my treatment as well.
The other concern I had was about my crossbite. Eventually, the tooth that had been behind the other teeth will be pushed over to the other side. There will be a time, however, when this tooth will neither be behind the other teeth, nor in front of them, but right on top of them. With the trays in, it's impossible to hit your teeth against each other, but what happens when I take them out to eat? Is this going to become a major problem for me? How do I chew if this tooth may be getting in the way?
Trish said it was going to be rough period when that happens, and that I'll just have to be extra careful during that time. She said it happened to her while her company was having their Christmas party, and it was painful to eat at the party because she kept on banging her teeth against each other. She said she went through a period of about 3 weeks before it finally made it "to the other side" completely. Ouch! I'm already getting a taste of it, because that tooth of mine is already moving closer to the front, and there are times when I catch myself wincing a bit when my teeth clash with each other. I'll just have to be more careful about it when it really starts to happen.
So, here are the pictures of my teeth after my 4th set!
Center with mouth agape:
Top:
Bottom:
Smile with bottom teeth showing:
3rd trays
My 3rd trays have been pretty uneventful. The great thing is that my tongue didn't get scratched up! Before I put them in, though, I ran my finger along all the edges to see if I could feel any rough spots right away. If I did, I was actually able to kind of scratch it away with just my fingernail. All in all, though, this was a great set. No problems whatsoever. The pressure and "itching" I felt with the 1st tray was hardly there.
A few things I've noticed, though. My teeth have pretty much moved to their positions after the very first night. All the nights after that seem to be more focused on getting the teeth to stay there instead of trying to revert back to their original positions, and giving them the rest they need in order to build the bone back up.
The other annoying thing in the spit collecting inside the trays. I literally have to suck it out intermittently throughout the day. How gross is that??? Sometimes, I can even hear myself doing it, and wonder if anyone else around me hears it, too! I had read that you salivate more at the beginning of trays because your body is trying to get used to a foreign object in your mouth that might be food, but maybe I'm just a prolific salivater (is that a word?). I don't want to call myself a drooler, because I like to think I'm not (except when I see, smell, or think about food, which is alot), but maybe I'll have to surrender to that term for now.
One of the reasons why I try to suck out the spit in the trays is because it seems to make for a better fit around my teeth. The other reason is because the spit collecting inside the trays looks gross, and I don't want people talking to me to be distracted by something gross happening inside my mouth. I think that's a fair expectation to have -- to not be grossed out by something inside someone's mouth, don't you?
By the way, I've given up completely on trying to cheat at snacking on chocolate with the trays in. It just doesn't work, and it makes my trays incredibly yucky afterwards. Even if I brush, which is really difficult to do at work when you just ate one piece of chocolate, the trays themselves get funkified alot easier, and Efferdent only doesn't cut it when it comes to cleaning. Lazy me has decided to just lose weight temporarily during my treatment and pig out more during mealtimes instead. I also started to supplement my diet with Ensure again, so that I don't lose too much weight. That could be dangerous for someone my size! Besides, my husband hates it when I start looking gaunt, which can happen within a mere 3 pounds of weight fluctuation with me. He says I look sickly, and I certainly don't want to be viewed as sickly!
Enough chatter. Here's what my teeth looked like at the end of Tray 3!
I left my mouth slightly agape so you can get a better idea of how crooked my little guys are on the bottom:
Top:
Bottom:
Smile with bottom row showing:
A few things I've noticed, though. My teeth have pretty much moved to their positions after the very first night. All the nights after that seem to be more focused on getting the teeth to stay there instead of trying to revert back to their original positions, and giving them the rest they need in order to build the bone back up.
The other annoying thing in the spit collecting inside the trays. I literally have to suck it out intermittently throughout the day. How gross is that??? Sometimes, I can even hear myself doing it, and wonder if anyone else around me hears it, too! I had read that you salivate more at the beginning of trays because your body is trying to get used to a foreign object in your mouth that might be food, but maybe I'm just a prolific salivater (is that a word?). I don't want to call myself a drooler, because I like to think I'm not (except when I see, smell, or think about food, which is alot), but maybe I'll have to surrender to that term for now.
One of the reasons why I try to suck out the spit in the trays is because it seems to make for a better fit around my teeth. The other reason is because the spit collecting inside the trays looks gross, and I don't want people talking to me to be distracted by something gross happening inside my mouth. I think that's a fair expectation to have -- to not be grossed out by something inside someone's mouth, don't you?
By the way, I've given up completely on trying to cheat at snacking on chocolate with the trays in. It just doesn't work, and it makes my trays incredibly yucky afterwards. Even if I brush, which is really difficult to do at work when you just ate one piece of chocolate, the trays themselves get funkified alot easier, and Efferdent only doesn't cut it when it comes to cleaning. Lazy me has decided to just lose weight temporarily during my treatment and pig out more during mealtimes instead. I also started to supplement my diet with Ensure again, so that I don't lose too much weight. That could be dangerous for someone my size! Besides, my husband hates it when I start looking gaunt, which can happen within a mere 3 pounds of weight fluctuation with me. He says I look sickly, and I certainly don't want to be viewed as sickly!
Enough chatter. Here's what my teeth looked like at the end of Tray 3!
I left my mouth slightly agape so you can get a better idea of how crooked my little guys are on the bottom:
Top:
Bottom:
Smile with bottom row showing:
2nd trays
My 2nd trays have definitely been the worst so far in terms of pain. Not pain from my teeth being sensitive, but pain from my tongue getting sore.
The area at the bottom center of my bottom trays usually catches the underside of my tongue somehow, and this tray was relatively brutal. I had a sore for days, and was lisping badly because I was trying to alter the way I talked to avoid contact in that area. Funny thing is, one of the girls at the ortho's had forewarned me about the 2nd tray being the worst.
She had been the one giving me my free consultation, and coincidentally enough, had similar dental problems to mine. She was also going through an Invisalign treatment, and was nearly done. It was great to be able to talk to someone who understood on that level what kind of treatment I would most likely be going through. She and I were able to relate to each other in many different ways, so it was a nice bonus. She was definitely right about alot of the experiences so far!
So here are what my teeth looked like at the end of the 2nd set of trays. Notice I'm posting this now, in November, when I ended my 2nd set back on October 4th. Yes, I've been extremely busy and haven't had the time to pay attention to my blog. Better late than never, though!
Front center showing top and bottom:
Upper:
Lower:
Normal smile:
Not much movement so far, but I know they're working my back teeth first in order to make room for all the ones in the center that are crooked and need space to get straight.
The area at the bottom center of my bottom trays usually catches the underside of my tongue somehow, and this tray was relatively brutal. I had a sore for days, and was lisping badly because I was trying to alter the way I talked to avoid contact in that area. Funny thing is, one of the girls at the ortho's had forewarned me about the 2nd tray being the worst.
She had been the one giving me my free consultation, and coincidentally enough, had similar dental problems to mine. She was also going through an Invisalign treatment, and was nearly done. It was great to be able to talk to someone who understood on that level what kind of treatment I would most likely be going through. She and I were able to relate to each other in many different ways, so it was a nice bonus. She was definitely right about alot of the experiences so far!
So here are what my teeth looked like at the end of the 2nd set of trays. Notice I'm posting this now, in November, when I ended my 2nd set back on October 4th. Yes, I've been extremely busy and haven't had the time to pay attention to my blog. Better late than never, though!
Front center showing top and bottom:
Upper:
Lower:
Normal smile:
Not much movement so far, but I know they're working my back teeth first in order to make room for all the ones in the center that are crooked and need space to get straight.
My little secret unveiled
I had decided from the very beginning that I wasn't going to tell anyone about my Invisalign trays (except for my husband), testing to see if anyone would notice. My chance to try it out on my mom came about a week and a half after I had gotten my 1st trays.
We went over to her house for dinner, and talked and talked for a while before that. Right before we started to eat, I excused myself to go to the bathroom to remove my trays, and discreetly put them back in afterwards with no one noticing.
Finally, before we left that night, I told her I had something I wanted to show her. When I pointed them out to her, she was really excited, but mostly relieved. RELIEVED?? Yes, relieved. She admitted that she HAD noticed something a little odd about my teeth right from the start, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. She said that she actually thought that, get this, I hadn't brushed my teeth in days, because the spaces between my teeth were so close together that she thought I must have had all this gunk stuck in between them. ?!?!?!?! I have to say, I did know what she was talking about, because having the trays in does make your teeth less....outlined individually. But to think that it was the result of a total lack of dental hygiene? I'm not sure I would have jumped to that conclusion, but it was pretty hilarious nevertheless.
My husband thinks they just make my teeth look really wet, and therefore, unnatural in that way. However, he's still pretty astounded that they are so undetectable.
We went over to her house for dinner, and talked and talked for a while before that. Right before we started to eat, I excused myself to go to the bathroom to remove my trays, and discreetly put them back in afterwards with no one noticing.
Finally, before we left that night, I told her I had something I wanted to show her. When I pointed them out to her, she was really excited, but mostly relieved. RELIEVED?? Yes, relieved. She admitted that she HAD noticed something a little odd about my teeth right from the start, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. She said that she actually thought that, get this, I hadn't brushed my teeth in days, because the spaces between my teeth were so close together that she thought I must have had all this gunk stuck in between them. ?!?!?!?! I have to say, I did know what she was talking about, because having the trays in does make your teeth less....outlined individually. But to think that it was the result of a total lack of dental hygiene? I'm not sure I would have jumped to that conclusion, but it was pretty hilarious nevertheless.
My husband thinks they just make my teeth look really wet, and therefore, unnatural in that way. However, he's still pretty astounded that they are so undetectable.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Computerized Befores and Afters
So I thought you guys might want to see the computerized versions of the Before and After pictures. These were taken from the simplified movie files of my plan.
Center before and after:
I'm hoping my gumline above my right canine gets moved up eventually, too. That will really even out my smile.
Upper before and after:
Lower before and after:
Pretty cool, right?
In other news, I'M STARVING!!! I can't snack all the time like I'm used to doing with these trays in my mouth, and my stomach is constantly growling at work, in meetings, and on conference calls (yes, the other parties heard my stomach growl on a conference call - that's pretty bad).
I had tried eating a semi-big piece of chocolate at work a few weeks ago, and that was a huge mistake. I started to try to chew it, and it just got stuck on my trays and semi-dislodging them from my teeth. So I had to lick the inside of my mouth and teeth like crazy, because a member of my staff asked me a question that I had to answer right away. As one other fellow Invisalign wearer noted, I felt like a dog with peanut butter stuck inside its mouth.
I have to admit I did manage to eat some Candy Corns today, since they were small enough to me to just suck on. I'm also going to try Hershey Kisses, M&M's, and Reeses Pieces. I'm so bad!!!! But, I'm starving. There goes my stomach again.
*Note: I am not condoning this type of eating habit for other Invisalign wearers! I'm the worst model to follow! Just laugh at my blog and don't do what I do!*
Center before and after:
I'm hoping my gumline above my right canine gets moved up eventually, too. That will really even out my smile.
Upper before and after:
Lower before and after:
Pretty cool, right?
In other news, I'M STARVING!!! I can't snack all the time like I'm used to doing with these trays in my mouth, and my stomach is constantly growling at work, in meetings, and on conference calls (yes, the other parties heard my stomach growl on a conference call - that's pretty bad).
I had tried eating a semi-big piece of chocolate at work a few weeks ago, and that was a huge mistake. I started to try to chew it, and it just got stuck on my trays and semi-dislodging them from my teeth. So I had to lick the inside of my mouth and teeth like crazy, because a member of my staff asked me a question that I had to answer right away. As one other fellow Invisalign wearer noted, I felt like a dog with peanut butter stuck inside its mouth.
I have to admit I did manage to eat some Candy Corns today, since they were small enough to me to just suck on. I'm also going to try Hershey Kisses, M&M's, and Reeses Pieces. I'm so bad!!!! But, I'm starving. There goes my stomach again.
*Note: I am not condoning this type of eating habit for other Invisalign wearers! I'm the worst model to follow! Just laugh at my blog and don't do what I do!*
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Some observations & my stealthy mom
I have to admit my dental habits have improved tremendously because of Invisalign. I brush 3x a day, and floss twice.
I have not always been a good caretaker of my teeth and gums, though, and actually skipped going to the dentist for 9 years once. When I came back, my gums were in such poor shape (especially for my age), they had to do some major scaling and peel them back to get all the tartar buildup and whatnot from underneath there to give them a fighting chance. Thank goodness my gingivitis hadn't gotten too much worse.
Suffice it to say, gum bleeding wasn't a very big deal to me since I knew my dental habits were hardly there to speak of. However, I've noticed that, since the Invisalign, I've actually started to bleed even worse than before. I'm currently attributing it to the fact that my teeth are moving (hello?), but hope that's the only reason why. I do notice that it's heavier when I start new trays, which helps my hypothesis more, but I still found it curious that my bleeding is now worse when my brushing and flossing are better than they've ever been.
I started taking Calcium supplements because I had read on some message boards that it helps with rebuilding of bone after your teeth have moved so drastically in such a short amount of time. Even if it is an old wive's tale, it doesn't really hurt to get this supplement in me.
As a funny side story, my family went out to a Vietnamese restaurant today for lunch in honor of my mom's birthday. We take it for granted that we can speak in Vietnamese when we don't want the rest of the public to hear what we have to say. When we're in a Vietnamese setting, however (which isn't too often here in NJ), we sometimes forget that our "secret language" isn't so secret anymore.
Right before we got up to eat, I mouthed to my mom that I had to hit the ladies room to "take out my teeth." My brother was trying to figure out what I had said, and my mom, being the helpful little lady that she is, stated boldly in Vietnamese (the secret language), "She's going to the bathroom to take out her teeth!!!" The whole Vietnamese speaking restaurant turned to look at me.
Thanks, Mom! :)
I have not always been a good caretaker of my teeth and gums, though, and actually skipped going to the dentist for 9 years once. When I came back, my gums were in such poor shape (especially for my age), they had to do some major scaling and peel them back to get all the tartar buildup and whatnot from underneath there to give them a fighting chance. Thank goodness my gingivitis hadn't gotten too much worse.
Suffice it to say, gum bleeding wasn't a very big deal to me since I knew my dental habits were hardly there to speak of. However, I've noticed that, since the Invisalign, I've actually started to bleed even worse than before. I'm currently attributing it to the fact that my teeth are moving (hello?), but hope that's the only reason why. I do notice that it's heavier when I start new trays, which helps my hypothesis more, but I still found it curious that my bleeding is now worse when my brushing and flossing are better than they've ever been.
I started taking Calcium supplements because I had read on some message boards that it helps with rebuilding of bone after your teeth have moved so drastically in such a short amount of time. Even if it is an old wive's tale, it doesn't really hurt to get this supplement in me.
As a funny side story, my family went out to a Vietnamese restaurant today for lunch in honor of my mom's birthday. We take it for granted that we can speak in Vietnamese when we don't want the rest of the public to hear what we have to say. When we're in a Vietnamese setting, however (which isn't too often here in NJ), we sometimes forget that our "secret language" isn't so secret anymore.
Right before we got up to eat, I mouthed to my mom that I had to hit the ladies room to "take out my teeth." My brother was trying to figure out what I had said, and my mom, being the helpful little lady that she is, stated boldly in Vietnamese (the secret language), "She's going to the bathroom to take out her teeth!!!" The whole Vietnamese speaking restaurant turned to look at me.
Thanks, Mom! :)
Friday, September 22, 2006
The Details
OK, for those of you who want details on the whole process, here they are:
1) I'll be going through 16 trays each for my upper and lower teeth. Since each tray is to be worn for only 2 weeks, this means my treatment is only going to be for 16 x 2 = 32 weeks! That's less than 8 months total! I'll be done by April at the very latest! And I say "latest" because my treatment may be refined midway so that I may actually finish even earlier. That means I'll be WAY done before my brother's wedding in October 2007. S-W-E-E-T
2) The cost was $6500. My insurance picked up $1500 (luckily for me, it covered adult orthodontics, which isn't always the case), which left me with $5000 to pay. My ortho offered a good payment plan where I could save 7% (or $350) if I paid a lump sum upfront. We decided to go that route, because we knew we wouldn't be making that much over a year with that particular amount in any of our banking accounts. So, I wound up paying $4650.
3) Some Invisalign patients need to either get some teeth shaved/slimmed down on the sides to allow for movement (called IPR's, or Interproximal Reductions), and "buttons" glued onto some teeth to give the trays more leverage, but lucky me did NOT have to have either. Bonus!
4) Food cannot be eaten with the trays in. Trays should be left in approximately 21 hours each day (24 hours a day minus 3 hours for all 3 meals), only to be taken out for meals. Some people cheat with the drinking, especially since the trays are temporary and will be replaced in 2 weeks anyway. I'm not a coffee drinker, and the fluids I intake are usually clear-ish, so I don't really have an issue with that here.
5) The first few days of a new tray are usually the worst. However, the pain I've felt so far (knock on wood) has been really minimal at best. From what I gather, the sensation is NOTHING like the pain of having metal braces tightened. That was apparently something that hurt pretty badly, while the Invisaligns only seem to exert very gradual pressure that goes away pretty quickly and can also be eradicated with a simple pain reliever like Advil. Other areas of conern are tongue sensitivity to some edges. This can be alleviated with a nail file, if the case calls for it. Other people have just let their tongues get used to the trays for a few days, and any sore spots go away on their own quickly.
6) Trays are easily cleaned with Efferdent. A tablet a day keeps the plaque away! Efferdent is very cheap - it's just embarrassing to buy at the store when you're not even 33....
Below are some pictures of the trays themselves.
Here's both trays, top and bottom:
Here's a side view of both trays:
Here's a closeup of one of the trays:
Hope that clears up some of the questions you may have had. If you have any more, let me know and I'll edit the post to include the answer!
1) I'll be going through 16 trays each for my upper and lower teeth. Since each tray is to be worn for only 2 weeks, this means my treatment is only going to be for 16 x 2 = 32 weeks! That's less than 8 months total! I'll be done by April at the very latest! And I say "latest" because my treatment may be refined midway so that I may actually finish even earlier. That means I'll be WAY done before my brother's wedding in October 2007. S-W-E-E-T
2) The cost was $6500. My insurance picked up $1500 (luckily for me, it covered adult orthodontics, which isn't always the case), which left me with $5000 to pay. My ortho offered a good payment plan where I could save 7% (or $350) if I paid a lump sum upfront. We decided to go that route, because we knew we wouldn't be making that much over a year with that particular amount in any of our banking accounts. So, I wound up paying $4650.
3) Some Invisalign patients need to either get some teeth shaved/slimmed down on the sides to allow for movement (called IPR's, or Interproximal Reductions), and "buttons" glued onto some teeth to give the trays more leverage, but lucky me did NOT have to have either. Bonus!
4) Food cannot be eaten with the trays in. Trays should be left in approximately 21 hours each day (24 hours a day minus 3 hours for all 3 meals), only to be taken out for meals. Some people cheat with the drinking, especially since the trays are temporary and will be replaced in 2 weeks anyway. I'm not a coffee drinker, and the fluids I intake are usually clear-ish, so I don't really have an issue with that here.
5) The first few days of a new tray are usually the worst. However, the pain I've felt so far (knock on wood) has been really minimal at best. From what I gather, the sensation is NOTHING like the pain of having metal braces tightened. That was apparently something that hurt pretty badly, while the Invisaligns only seem to exert very gradual pressure that goes away pretty quickly and can also be eradicated with a simple pain reliever like Advil. Other areas of conern are tongue sensitivity to some edges. This can be alleviated with a nail file, if the case calls for it. Other people have just let their tongues get used to the trays for a few days, and any sore spots go away on their own quickly.
6) Trays are easily cleaned with Efferdent. A tablet a day keeps the plaque away! Efferdent is very cheap - it's just embarrassing to buy at the store when you're not even 33....
Below are some pictures of the trays themselves.
Here's both trays, top and bottom:
Here's a side view of both trays:
Here's a closeup of one of the trays:
Hope that clears up some of the questions you may have had. If you have any more, let me know and I'll edit the post to include the answer!
1st trays
OK, so I got my first trays on Wednesday, 9/6/06. They popped in very easily, and popped out just as easily.
I immediately noticed that I started talking with a slight lisp, and became extremely self-concious about it. However, my excitement about the whole process just made me beam, and I was all smiles, especially to Jimmy, who had decided to come with me for moral support. It's tough getting braces as an adult - Invisalign or not!
I took home 4 sets of trays with me that night, with instructions to graduate to the next tray after 2 weeks. Below are pictures of what my teeth look like after finishing the 1st set of trays. Actually, they are what they look like right now, which is technically 2 days after my 2nd set of trays, but it's close enough.
Here's my current smile (you'll notice that my 2 front teeth are smooth on the bottom edges now from the ortho filing them down to even them out):
Here's my upper, then lower teeth:
Here's my right side, with the crossbite:
Here's what my closed mouth looks like WITH the Invisaligns in. They bulge the slightest bit because your lips stick out a hair more, and you can't fully clamp down since the trays prevent your teeth from completely coming in contact with each other. I'm self-concious about it (I'm self-concious about everything!), and have read from message boards that others are, too. You probably won't notice any difference when you compare it to my other picture where my mouth is closed in the previous post, but it's good to show it in any case:
Next are some closeup shots of the trays in my mouth. You might notice some spit bubbles collecting inside the trays (sorry about the gross factor), but these were the best pictures I could get:
Finally, here's a picture of me smiling with the trays in, but not as close up, so you can see how invisible they practically are, especially for what they're accomplishing:
I'll continue to post more pictures at the end of each tray so you can all slowly see the results.
I immediately noticed that I started talking with a slight lisp, and became extremely self-concious about it. However, my excitement about the whole process just made me beam, and I was all smiles, especially to Jimmy, who had decided to come with me for moral support. It's tough getting braces as an adult - Invisalign or not!
I took home 4 sets of trays with me that night, with instructions to graduate to the next tray after 2 weeks. Below are pictures of what my teeth look like after finishing the 1st set of trays. Actually, they are what they look like right now, which is technically 2 days after my 2nd set of trays, but it's close enough.
Here's my current smile (you'll notice that my 2 front teeth are smooth on the bottom edges now from the ortho filing them down to even them out):
Here's my upper, then lower teeth:
Here's my right side, with the crossbite:
Here's what my closed mouth looks like WITH the Invisaligns in. They bulge the slightest bit because your lips stick out a hair more, and you can't fully clamp down since the trays prevent your teeth from completely coming in contact with each other. I'm self-concious about it (I'm self-concious about everything!), and have read from message boards that others are, too. You probably won't notice any difference when you compare it to my other picture where my mouth is closed in the previous post, but it's good to show it in any case:
Next are some closeup shots of the trays in my mouth. You might notice some spit bubbles collecting inside the trays (sorry about the gross factor), but these were the best pictures I could get:
Finally, here's a picture of me smiling with the trays in, but not as close up, so you can see how invisible they practically are, especially for what they're accomplishing:
I'll continue to post more pictures at the end of each tray so you can all slowly see the results.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
The Beginning
Hi everyone,
Welcome to my first-ever blog, which I've dedicated to my new Invisalign Journey.
I'll be 33 this Christmas, and passed up on braces as a child, to my regret. I have some relatively minor alignment problems, notably a crossbite on one side of my upper teeth, and slight crowding in the middle of my lower teeth.
I decided to pursue getting Invisalign several months ago, and have really been pleased with the whole process.
Below are some pictures of what my teeth started out looking like, and will continue posting new ones to show how they've progressed with each new tray. The new pictures won't really show my teeth as exposed as they are below. I don't have the plastic mouth spatulas or the fog-free pocket mirror that the ortho had to aid with that :)
If you look at the movie files ( <-- Edited on 9/28/10 to state that the movie files are outdated/faulty since the site only retains the latest file on record...but TRUST ME, they were cool!) of the progression of my teeth, it doesn't look like they move much when you first watch them. However, if you replay them, you'll see the big difference in my teeth placement between the last tray to the first tray very easily. Be sure to watch all 3 angles: the front, lower, and upper views. The ortho started off by filing the bottom edges of my 2 front teeth, evening them out, since I had slightly chipped one, and the other just never smoothed itself out and still had the "Pacman ghost wobbly edges" on the bottom for whatever reason from when they first sprouted when I was a kid. It helped with the molds that had to be taken of my teeth (front teeth that are too jagged make the Invisalign computer program get confused), and made my smile better in under 30 seconds. After that, it was up to the trays to do their magic. Wish me luck, and enjoy reading! Current smile, closed mouth and profile:
WARNING: Gross horror-house-like dental photos ahead!
Welcome to my first-ever blog, which I've dedicated to my new Invisalign Journey.
I'll be 33 this Christmas, and passed up on braces as a child, to my regret. I have some relatively minor alignment problems, notably a crossbite on one side of my upper teeth, and slight crowding in the middle of my lower teeth.
I decided to pursue getting Invisalign several months ago, and have really been pleased with the whole process.
Below are some pictures of what my teeth started out looking like, and will continue posting new ones to show how they've progressed with each new tray. The new pictures won't really show my teeth as exposed as they are below. I don't have the plastic mouth spatulas or the fog-free pocket mirror that the ortho had to aid with that :)
If you look at the movie files ( <-- Edited on 9/28/10 to state that the movie files are outdated/faulty since the site only retains the latest file on record...but TRUST ME, they were cool!) of the progression of my teeth, it doesn't look like they move much when you first watch them. However, if you replay them, you'll see the big difference in my teeth placement between the last tray to the first tray very easily. Be sure to watch all 3 angles: the front, lower, and upper views. The ortho started off by filing the bottom edges of my 2 front teeth, evening them out, since I had slightly chipped one, and the other just never smoothed itself out and still had the "Pacman ghost wobbly edges" on the bottom for whatever reason from when they first sprouted when I was a kid. It helped with the molds that had to be taken of my teeth (front teeth that are too jagged make the Invisalign computer program get confused), and made my smile better in under 30 seconds. After that, it was up to the trays to do their magic. Wish me luck, and enjoy reading! Current smile, closed mouth and profile:
WARNING: Gross horror-house-like dental photos ahead!
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