Invisalign - DAY 145

I thought I was going to do a better job of keeping up a daily journal regarding my Invisalign. To all 4 of my followers, I apoligize. On the bright side, my acting has really kept me busy (shooting the web series, theater rehearsals, auditions for short films), but this blog isn't about my acting career...

So, I am about to start on Tray #11 and things have been going smoothly. Before jumping into Tray #10 I took a photo of the changes at the halfway mark. I will post those into this blog later as it is not on my current computer's harddrive. Just as my ClinChek showed, Trays 6-10 moved my upper front teeth and now it is time to start moving the bottom.

One thing I am bummed about is I lost the same 'button' that previous fell off. I was eating dry cereal this morning (Raisin Bran, in case you were wondering) and I started to chew on something crunchy. Now, Raisin Bran in crunchy so I thought it might be an extra crunchy flake. But in the back of my mind I knew this sensation and somthing told me that the button was on its way through my digestive system. I hate when I am right.

I go in for an exam and to pick up Trays 11-13 this coming Tuesday. Dr. Azani did say that if this particular button fell off again, he would not replace it since it was only an anchor and didn't really help to move any teeth. I am not sure if I am going to try to convince him to add it back on. I have a couple of days to figure out what to do.

Over the last 3 Weeks:
Pain Level - 4 (although, Tray #10 was really tight for a couple of days)
Dedication Level - 5 (I seem to be sans aligners for about 5 hours a day)
Irritation Level - 2 (things are going really good since I am visually seeing a change)

Invisalign - DAY 124

Wow, I have not been keeping up with this as well as I wanted to. Unfortunately, I have been in rehearsals for a musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and finishing up shooting "Why I Hate Bitsy Malone" for the web, so I have been spending all of my free time either in the car, at work on on the set/in rehearsals. But, I figured with a huge milestone coming up, it might be good to jump back on this.

This Monday is going to be huge. No, not because everyone will be talking about how "Lost" ended. Actually, that IS going to be huge and probably a conversation many will be having, but that is not as big as...

MONDAY IS MY HALFWAY MARK WITH INVISALIGN!!!!

I truly thought this day would never get here when I started and now I realize that it has not felt that long. I am sure if I was a teenager, the time would have crawled by, but since I am at that age where my life is passing before my eyes, the time has just flown.

I looked at my ClinCheck today to see how much change has really occur ed and most of the "big" movement has yet to happen, but it is on the horizon. Weeks 10 thru 19 really start pushing and pulling the teeth around. Not that I haven't had some discomfort with the movement so far.

This week, when Tray #9 went in, I really felt it. Especially with my front top right and my front bottom right teeth. For about two days, my gums felt like it does when you have a bruise and you push on it. It doesn't hurt but it has that achey feel to it, which sometimes feels good, you know?

My wife, who has been doing this with me, lost both of her buttons on her front teeth this week. One came off last Saturday and was replaced two days later, where she proceeded to lose the other button the next day. After contacting our Orthodontist, they recommended to come in before starting Tray #10. All in all, out of the 23 buttons between us, we have only lost 3 in the last 124 days...not a bad record.

In the past two and half weeks I have had bad days and good days, nothing really big to mention in a blog. All in all, for my halfway mark, this has been a pretty painless experience that I would recommend to anyone.

Last 2 1/2 Weeks Combined:
Pain Level: 4
Dedication Level: 7
Irritation Level: 2

Invisalign - DAY 106

Wow, has it really been almost 20 days since I have blogged? Tray #7 came and went with no interesting issues or problems? What the...????


I think the only thing that is 'news worthy' is my wife and I went to see Dr. Azani last Monday for our 6-week check up. I was telling him how I was still frustrated after 15 weeks I still didn't see any change in my teeth. He informed me that everything was going great and "if the new trays are fitting, they were doing their job."

Then he pulled up a photo on the computer with a shot of my bottom teeth from the first day and handed me a mirror so I could see my bottom teeth now and compare. I could see that they had moved a little. At least, the one tooth was not so far behind the other. YAY!!!

Also, our friend who started Invisalign before found out that day that she would have 8 more aligners to finish the refinements needed. I have always known that when Dr. Azani told us that we had 19 trays that it would be longer than that.

One thing I noticed this morning was that my bottom aligners would always 'pop' off my bottom front teeth because of the way the teeth were positioned. Now, they are sliding off. I think it is because they are not so 'jacked up' anymore and are more aligned then before. It is a good thing. Changes are a'coming!!!!

Pain Level - 3 (more of a headache from the new aligners)
Dedication Level - 8
Irritation Level - 2

Invisalign - DAY 87

So, one more week has passed and things are not going as smoothly as I thought they were going to go. It seems that filmmaking and Invisalign do not play well in the sandbox.

I just came off of two days on a new web series, "Why I Hate Bitsy Malone", and did really well on the first day. I had some dialogue but it was all shot within a couple of hours. I took the trays out when I knew we were starting my shots, and put them back in when we were wrapped with my section.

Then came day two.

Right when I got to the set at 10 AM, I took out my aligners...don't ask me why but out they came. Then we started shooting about an hour later (I wish I had that hour back to put my trays back in). The good thing about day two: there was a lot of dialogue...the bad thing about day two: there was a lot of dialogue.

*Ding* Lunch time!!!! I looked at my iPhone and it was 2:30 PM. Holy crap, my aligners were out for 4.5 hours and now I had to keep them out to eat lunch?!?!?!?

I engulfed the Subway Turkey Sub and Bar-B-Q Ruffles, brushed my teeth, and put my aligners back in, but they called everyone back to the set a half hour later. I knew I still had dialogue so out they came again. Damn it!!!

We finished shooting by 6 PM and celebrated the Executive Producer's, the Assistant Director, and the DP's birthdays so cake was brought out and, once again, engulfed as quickly as possible. However, I had to stick around to do some voice-over work. Surely, I couldn't put my aligners back in now.

By 7 PM, I was in my car, forcing my aligners back into my mouth. With a total time of 8+ hours with them out, I could feel the tightness of my unfaithfulness to this process waging war on my teeth.

I have some serious time to make up for this. Not sure how, but I gotta, I just gotta!!!

Pain Level - 2
Dedication Level - 2
Irriation Level - 5

Invisalign - DAY 80

Alright, I am now 80 days into my treatment and I don't know if I am slacking or my life is becoming "anti-Invisalign friendly".

As you might have guessed from my previous blogs, I am an actor out here in Los Angeles. I am just looking to add an adjective to that profession...you know, like "Working" or "Successful" or "Are you that" (not really an adjective, but I'll take it). Recently, my free time has been anything but free, and I'm really enjoying it.

Yesterday, I had an audition for "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" in Simi Valley at 8:15 PM. I knew I would have my aligners out for the whole audition so hopefully I would have a great day and only have them out for about 2 hours until that time. And, I was doing so well until the trip home from work.

Before jumping in the car, I was EXTREMELY hungry and decided to take out my aligners for the ride home so I could eat some apple slices and Lipton Green Iced Tea. After the hour trip home, my wife was hungry. Knowing that we had to eat soon so we could get to the audition, I decided to keep my trays out as we walked the dog to Taco Bell for our Fresco Chicken Soft Tacos (you should try them, they are really good).

So, after getting home, walking the dog to Taco Bell and back, and eating dinner, another 1.5 hours had slipped through my fingers. I popped the aligners in, knowing that this was not a good day for my teeth at all.

A half hour later, the aligners were out again. I stayed at the audition from 7:15 to 9:00 PM thinking that my teeth were going to hate me once I put the aligners back in. It is amazing how much your bite changes when you don't have the trays in like you should. Thirty minute drive home and a quick snack and it was 9:55 PM. Yep, that's right. Including the 2 hours that the aligners were out for work, this day saw me without them in for over 8 HOURS!!!

We are supposed to have them on for 20-22 hours a day and I had them out for one-third of my Tuesday. Seriously, what gives?!?!?

Good News: both my wife and I had great auditions and were both called back; Bad News: call backs are for 5 hours over the weekend. Here we go, again.

I am also a little worried about tonight as I have a rehearsal for the new web series we start shooting on Monday. Although it would be easier to rehearse with them out, I need to make up lost time so they are going to probably have to stay in. So far, with breakfast and lunch, my aligners have only been out for an hour and fifteen minutes.

If you are thinking of starting Invisalign, I think this is where I 'hit the wall'. If others who have done Invisalign read this, let me know when you feel you started to feel your dedication drop. Tray #6 seems to be it for me, I just need to catch my second wind to the finish line.

Pain Level - 4 (my left front tooth still hurts after putting in the new tray two days ago, but I knew this tooth was going to start moving around this time)

Dedication Level - 0 (seriously, did you read my blog?)
Irritation Level - 5 (just with myself, not the process)

Invisalign - DAY 78

Well, it is the start of Tray #6. As usual, the aligners went in with a 'snap' and the uncomfortableness was there all over again.

It is so wild to take them out and know which teeth the aligners are affecting. You don't really feel which ones are being moved when the aligners are in, but once you take them out...Oh, boy, do you know.

The next two weeks will be moving the front left tooth, or so the discomfort in my mouth tells me.

And, again, where the molars currently reside are 'moving to a better location'. It's like they are moving from the Ozark swamp land to Beverly Hills. I just hope Jed, Granny, Elly Mae and Jethro enjoy the trip and don't give me as much of a headache as they did the Drysdales.

Wow, now that is an obsure reference.

Also, my brother was in town and noticed the difference in my wife's smile but not mine. However, he did notice my bald spot and gave me the pros of Rogaine and Avacor. It's nice to know that I will have a nice smile that will be overshadowed by my hair loss.

I have to say, the first 11 weeks of Invisalign have not been all that bad. I would still recommend this to anyone and everyone who is looking to have their smile corrected. Sure, the frustration is there that they are not moving as quickly as I would like, but I watched the ClinCheck the other day and it made me realize what the end product will be. Soon I will be there, or as the Black Eyed Peas sing:

"Imma be, Imma be, Imma be, Imma be...
Imma be takin them pics, lookin' all fly and s***"


Pain Level - 7 (again, more of a discomfort)
Dedication Level - 3 (had them out too long for the family visit for Easter...whoops)
Irritation Level - 2

Invisalign - DAY 75

I think I am having sympathy pains for my fellow inmate here at Invisalign Correctional Institute. I woke up with a headache that is not going away. Of course, it could also be that I ran out of Flonase the other day and haven't renewed my prescription, so my body could be crashing from the lack of steriods. All I know is I am a mess.

So, my friend has been doing Invisalign for 7 months and her Ortho told her that her last day would be yesterday, April Fool's Day. I told her it would be a cruel joke if the Ortho was just kidding around and she had to continue after he last visit. Well, it turns out her Ortho extended her "stay" and she won't be up for parole for a little while longer.

Through text, I was curious about her "last day" experience and I thought I would share it with my 3 followers (by the way, thanks for following):

11:25AM
Friend - It's today!!! It's today!!!

Me - ...Are you happy with your outcome?

F - I just got here. I'm not sure yet until I get these buttons off. I'll text you when it's final.

12:15AM
F - Buttons are gone but she wants Invisalign to do a refinement. So back to impression stage and mold again. Then new buttons. Phase II

M - For how much longer?

F - Not sure until the new trays are made. Bright side is no buttons, no trays. Nothing until they arrive.

1:12AM
F - Just leaving the Orthodontist's. Almost 2 hrs.
M - Wow, that was a long appt. How many buttons did you have and did they come of easily? All of these questions...sorry.
F - I had 8 buttons and it took forever. They have to be gentle as not to touch the tooth.
M - Great, I have 10 buttons...I think I am in for a long last day with the Ortho.
F - I htink the new mold took long, too. Then as I was walking out she said...continue weating your last tray. Bummer!

It looks as if October won't be the end for me and my wife. Although, the last time we went to see our Ortho, he told us that 70% of Invisalign patients need to continue past their last tray. Almost everyone needs to do some refinements. I am hoping that Christmas is our new deadline. It would be a great present.

Pain Level - 4 (but not my teeth, just the headache)
Dedication Level - 5 (it was my birthday week so they were out a lot for cake)
Irritation Level - 2