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 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 65

I have finally made it to Tray #5. What can I say?

Oh, yeah, how about...

OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW!!!!!

After seeing Dr. Azani for my 6-week appointment to look over my teeth and get my next 3 trays, he assured me that everything was going right on schedule. He asked if I would like to put my new trays in and I opted to wait until I got home.

Once I got home, I had dinner then put #5 in. Well, 'put' is not the right word...maybe shove. My bottom tray went in and, although it was tight, it did snap into place. My top tray clicked into the back attachment, so I knew it was lined up correctly, but it did not want to fit onto the other teeth easily.

As I pushed and bit down on the aligner, it finally went over my teeth but it was pretty snug. I could feel my heartbeat in my right front tooth. Somehow, I think this tray is going to move this tooth a lot these next two weeks. My back teeth are getting a wider bite, and it really feels like a lot of pressure is being put back there.

I took my aligners out after two hours and I could feel the movement that was trying to happen in my teeth. There is still some tingling in my front right tooth, but I am sure that will be gone in a couple of days. So, I guess all I can say is...

OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW!!!!!

Pain Level - 8
Dedication Level - 8
Irritation Level - 4

Helpful Hint: I have read on other blogs that you should not really put your new trays in until you have brushed them out or rinsed them over cold water. You can see there is some film over the aligners and people have complained about sore throats and attribute it to this. Best thing to do is not put in the new aligners at the DDS office and just wait until you can clean them yourself.

Invisalign - DAY 32

I was brushing my teeth today (the first time, not the eighth) and I am still noticing some 'pain' on my two back bottom teeth. Not a pain that Japanese Halfpipe Snowboarder Kazuhiro Kokubo felt when, after a solid run that could have put him above the eventual Gold Medal winner Shawn White, he did a faceplant on his last trick, the double cork. No, that physical and emotional pain is not what I am talking about.

It feels as if my teeth are a little loose but not to the touch. When my toothbrush pushes against them, they have that ache that runs through the nerves. I am going to see Dr. Azani in 4 days to get the attachment that fell off placed back on my molar. While he is back there, maybe he can take a look at the other teeth to make sure nothing strange is going on.

Also, my congrats go out to Lindsey Vonn (Gold) and Julia Mancuso (Silver) in the Alpine Downhill, Shawn White and Scott Lago (Bronze) in the Snowboard Halfpipe, and Shani Davis (Gold) and Chad Hedrick (Bronze) in Men's Speedskating (1000m) the for all of their medal wins today. It was a good day for the USA!!!

Pain Level - 4
Dedication Level - 9
Irritation Level - 4