Long time, no post

Wow - over 3 weeks without a post. Things have been so quiet that there was nothing to say.

While the time was uneventful, I was a bit lax with aligner set #10. I left them out for longer than I should have for a few days last week - one afternoon for a barbecue, one night from before dinner until bedtime, etc... I know some people feel it is OK to slack off near the end of a set of aligners, but I decided to extend my wear until yesterday, 2 days extra, so I would get enough hours for that set (supposed to be 280 to 300 hours per set).

#11 went in tightly, and my teeth are sore all over my mouth. The last few weeks were nearly discomfort-free, so I slacked off on Sensodyne as well, but I am going to use it at least twice a day for the next few days. It really does help with the discomfort.

Good checkup

Ortho checkup this morning went very well. As in the past, everything looks good; my teeth are tracking the aligners and moving nicely. The bone loss issue from my dentist seems to be a non-issue - my ortho says that (1) it would take 6 to 9 months for bone loss to result from invisalign, and (2) the panex panoramic x-ray he took looks fine - there is no evidence of bone loss.

I asked about refinements, but he said it was too early to tell. I also asked about IPR (interproximal reductions - filing small spaces between certain teeth to allow for movement), and he said that he planned the case to have no IPR, which I am glad to hear.

I was given 3 more sets of aligners, and sent on my way for another 7 weeks.

Number 9 Number 9

Breezed right through aligner set 8 and into set #9. This set went in much more easily than the last 2 sets - there was no struggle to get them in, and minimal discomfort. I do find that the trick I used to remove the lower aligner doesn't work anymore, so I had to find a new spot in the back to use a nail and remove it.

Orthodontist appointment next week. Still need to look at the bone loss issue seen by my dentist. Fingers crossed that it is nothing.

Meanwhile, I continue to see real changes in my smile and bite, though the temporary misalignment on the left side molars remains annoying.

Dental checkup

Had my first dental checkup since starting Invisalign. While generally a positive checkup, as expected, there was more tartar around my teeth than usual. As much as I brush, floss and rinse, there is no escaping that having aligners covering my teeth 22 hours a day creates an environment conducive to dental problems. I suspect many Invisalign wearers end up with cavities or gum issues in the short term.

More concerning is that the dentist said he saw some possible bone loss on a molar. He said this was not unexpected due to the combination of my age (42) plus orthodontic treatment. He suggested I get a panoramic x-ray from my orthodontist and see if I need to see a periodontist - might need some bone filler. This is discouraging - I brush and floss and fluoride rinse diligently, and began taking calcium supplements when I began treatment. Not sure what else I could have dome to prevent this.

Will discuss further after my next ortho appointment in 3 weeks.

Bite is off

Really starting to notice the changes to my bite. This is a hopeful sign, but I am finding it more difficult to chew my food this week. The teeth on one side of my mouth don't come together well for chewing. I know this is temporary, as we move the upper teeth outward, but it is annoying - it seems like I am only semi-chewing everything, or favoring the other side of my mouth. We'll see where we are in a few weeks - it's not like I'm starving...

Lucky 7

I don't know why I continue to be surprised that a new aligner means pressure and discomfort for a couple of days... #7 went in last night without too much trouble - top was very snug - I used a "chewie" to help seat it, and chomped on it for a while to be sure the aligner was in well.

Yesterday I saw a friend whom I had apparently not seen in person for about 3 months. I immediately noticed he was wearing Invisalign, pointed to mine, and we chatted. Odd that his aligners were so noticeable to me - not sure if I am just more aware of Invisalign and am apt to notice another patient, or that his really were more visible than I think mine are.

He is on aligner 7 of 10 (I wonder if he is doing Invisalign Lite), and says he has been sick of it for some time and wants it over already. While I understand the hassles of Invisalign, I have found the whole process to be not so bad - especially since we must remind ourselves that we are moving our teeth, which are normally anchored into our jaws... That being said, I would certainly prefer my friend's 10 sets to my 22!

My friend and I have both benefited from the "Invisalign diet". I am down 25 lbs., and plan to continue to lose; Invisalign makes it that much harder to snack or graze, since I am always anxious to brush my teeth and get the aligners back in. My biggest snacking time is evening; I have found that by brushing, swishing with fluoride rinse, and popping in my aligners I am much less like to overindulge in snacking. If the urge to snack after dinner is great, sometimes I will force myself to brush and put in the aligners to stave off a snack attack.

Good checkup

Had an orthodontist checkup this morning. He looked in my mouth for a few seconds, said everything looked good, asked me how things were going, and gave me 3 more sets of aligners. I am glad all is well, but sort of wish he had to do a little more work to justify the huge fees I am paying for Invisalign.

I recounted to the doc something from the other day - I was in the men's room brushing my teeth and aligners after lunch, when another fellow walked in, popped out his aligners and brushed as well. He said he was at nearly the 2 year mark with invisalign, and still had another 6 months to go. His ortho had originally told him the whole job would be less than 1 year.

My ortho said that it all comes down to case selection; that Invisalign does some things better than others, and that an Invisalign job should never take more than 1 year. If it is longer, then the patient was not a good candidate for Invisalign, and the ortho should not have taken the case.

If the above is true, then maybe I should reconsider the first paragraph above - that my ortho's case selection and initial setup of my Invisalign case (molds, ClinCheck planning, etc.) were where my money was spent, and that a good job then paved the way for uneventful checkups and a hopefully successful, under 1 year long, case. Like having a good architect design your building from the outset.