Set 8 Progress Report

Hello everyone, sorry it's been a while, things have been so busy - work, the business, and running errands/doing favours for people, what can I say, I'm highly in demand and a hard worker!

I am onto day 5 of my eighth set of Invisalign Aligners, and everything is going well. Now, as I always comment on the pain factor, or lack thereof lately, you will be pleased to know, that this set was the most painful I have had in a while! I can really feel the pull on two different teeth - it's a sure sign it's working! One tooth is throbbing today, I think it's taken exception to being forced to be different, heck, I know I would!!

I finally rung my Orthodontist and discussed the whole thing about my appointment this time being two days earlier than all my others - this is explained better in previous blog entries. Anywho, he told me that he was happy for me to wear both set 8 and set 9 for 13 days instead of 14, since my progress is so good. Now, I got excited at this! You un-invisalign people probably won't understand, but two days is a huge difference to treatment time, considering if you don't wear your aligners for a minimum of 20 hours a day you may need time added on! So in my book, two days taken off for "good behaviour" is swell!!

I am really starting to notice the differences in my bottom teeth, they seem much straighter now! But in other news, I am struggling to find a good whitening toothpaste, any suggestions? Even though I am brushing my teeth sometimes 5x a day, they refuse to look any whiter or cleaner - I think I may have to shell out for a professional whitening when my treatment is done, since I am so obsessed with "perfect teeth".

Stay tuned people, there is always more teeth-ramblings to come!!

Faith :)

Slow progression

Well, I got a call yesterday from my ortho's office lady, telling me that my Invisalign aligners had FINALLY arrived. Coincidentally, I missed the call, coz I was brushing my teeth. Anyway, I rung back, to make my appointment, and they told me the closest date was over two weeks away. So I said NO. I have been waiting twice as long as any other cat has had to wait, so I am not waiting another two weeks. Call me pushy, but it worked - I'm booked in to get my aligners fitted on Thursday, only six days away, and if that wasn't good enough (which it still actually isn't) I'm top priority on the list if someone cancels an appointment with more than an hours notice.

Cost wise, apart from the initial consult fee of around $60.00 which was a loooong time ago, since it took me forever to get my A into G, my Invisalign treatment looks to be costing only $4000.00NZD. Well, we were told to pay $1500 when the ClinChecks came through, but that only turned out to be $1000, and we have another $2500 to go. I'm thinking that's very reasonable. Bear in mind, I didn't "shop around" like people do in big cities, as this was the only clinic in the area offering Invisalign.

I do have a few questions, and if I post them here, maybe it will help me to remember to ask the nice man with the icky tasting gloves - or maybe someone will actually read thing thing and answer them for me beforehand???

1) Can I wear these at the gym, silly question I know, but I'm just wondering about how fun exercising will be when I have plastic in my mouth. I only drink water anyway, no sport drink things.
2) Will this harm the progress of my bottom wisdom teeth cutting through? I was told they don't need to be removed for the treatment, but I'm thinking maybe the aligners will irritate the raw gum at the back of my mouth from them?
3) Can I whiten my teeth while using them? I read on another blog somewhere that a lady was doing it, but is it special whitening or just any old chemist stuff?

That's about it for today, I actually should use work's computer to do WORK. Please please please let me know if anyone is reading this...... I'm getting nervous about getting my aligners fitted, and would sure like some reassurance!!!

Here's me just over a year ago, with my cheeky fangs poking through...