Invisalign - DAY 15

Today was the day...this was supposed to be the day where we moved from Tray One to Tray Two. Unfortunately, that was not to be.

We went to our appointment to get our "buttons" put on our teeth. These are dots that protrude from certain predetermined teeth. The teeth that are chosen are selected by the Orthodontist and Invisalign that will maximize the movement of the teeth into the correct position. I had 10 buttons, my wife had 12. I asked the technician who was applying them if that was average and she said that is about right.

I was truly worried that with 10 buttons in obvious areas on my teeth I would be limited to acting roles, at least for a while. I mean, how many Shakespeare characters had Invialign buttons on their teeth. The technician said she was done and said I could rinse over by the sink. When I got to the sink, I looked in the mirror and smiled...and I couldn't see them. I was completely surprised. I rinsed and went back to the dentist's chair.

I guess one of the buttons did not adhere to my tooth so she had to try again...and again...and again. The tech decided it would be best to ask the Orthodontist to try and make it stay. Finally, all 10 were on. The Ortho informed us that we would need to stay in Tray One for one more week. We were bummed but we plan on doing what the doctor says. We left the office and were on our way.

The buttons add a weird sensation in your mouth, like you have food stuck on your teeth that doesn't go away. My wife and I decided that if it felt like we had food on our teeth, why not take advantage of it and have lunch. After lunch, we brushed out teeth and in went our trays that we had been using for the last 2 weeks. One more week, that is all. Then we could move to Tray Two.

Dinner time came and we knew it was time to take out trays out. We were told they would be difficult, but that is an understatement. I took my bottom aligner out fine, which is funny since that is the one with 6 buttons on it. When it came to taking off my top aligner, that was a chore. I think I cracked two fingernails when it hit me how much I was in trouble. 10 minutes later, I found a section of the aligner that doesn't snug that tight to my teeth and angled it just right to finally get it off. Whew!!!

I have read that people had problems at first and I did not believe them. Now, I am worried about going to Tray Two. Hopefully the aligners will start to stretch and this will get easier. I know that, right now, if I wanted to eat anything I would have second thoughts. Is it really worth it to take out the aligners? No, not at all. This might be a long week.

Here are photos where you can see 5-6 of the buttons they added to my teeth:



Pain Level - 4
Dedication Level - 10+ (I just don't want to take my aligners out anymore)
Irritation Level - 0.5 ( I am stoked that my teeth are moving...YAY!!)

Helpful Hint: When you go to your Orthodontist, ask to see your ClinCheck. This is a short 5-10 second film that shows the progression from what your teeth currently look like to what the final product 'should' look like. It might not be exact, but it is a great motivator to keep your aligners in for the alloted time.