Day one of refinement aligner 8 - lower teeth
My apologies Invisalign followers! My updates have been sorely lacking. Here are some interesting and important updates:
- It took about 8 weeks for my refinement aligners to arrive.
- I was told by my DDS that the refinement aligners move teeth in the first 2-3 days.
- At my second cleaning, while wearing aligners, 4 tiny cavities were found.
- The buttons were removed from my upper teeth.
- The buttons are sanded off in the office and the smell is strong!
- At home you will be able to file down the buttons with s small piece of ‘sandpaper’ – ask your DDS for a few!
The refinement aligners, despite moving teeth in the first few days, need to be worn, to hold your teeth in place, for two weeks. Do NOT think you can get away with wearing them for the first couple days and then switch to the next refinement aligner. Why would you do this anyway? How much time and money have you invested already? 😉 If you’re wearing refinement aligners the end is fast approaching.
I was not as consistent using mouth wash after the first aligners were completed. This created two problems.
- Sensitive teeth
- Cavities
The sensitive teeth issue has more or less been resolved by using the mouth wash nightly or every other night. There isn’t much to do about the cavities except visit the dentist office again in a few weeks. Alas.
After the buttons are removed be prepared for the sticking! “Wha?” Food. It’s going to stick to the plastic on your teeth and it feels very strange because there are no more buttons and because food is sticking to a tooth. After a year of buttons it felt AMAZING to no longer feel the buttons.
The lower refinement aligners have a couple months to go but the change is eye popping!
Day 1 through Day 1 of refinement aligner 8
Aligner Set 1 - The Beginning
Day one of refinement aligner 8
Gary — What did your dentist say about cavities? Are they avoidable? I’m really worried that Invisalign is going to leave me with a head full of cavities. I’d appreciate hearing what you’ve learned about this.
@JC I did not have any cavities at my first cleaning. I believe I slacked off while wearing the refinement aligners. I didn’t: floss daily, use mouth wash daily, clean the aligners as well as I should have.
If you can, brush your aligners every day. If your hands get irritated, use an effervescent once every x nights. I’m very fortunate that my cavities are very small. I didn’t slack off completely. =)
You don’t need to worry, per se, about getting cavities, it is avoidable, but I do recommend acknowledging that everything you do will determine whether or not you will get cavities. What does that mean? Be diligent and consistent: floss, brush (your teeth), and brush/clean (the aligners).
Thanks Gary — Hopefully I can make it a year with the aligners, get straight teeth, and avoid cavities! I’m glad to know that it can be done … I was getting depressed with the stories I was reading online about instant cavity development. Although, I did just read online that the Crest ProHealth mouthwash I started using is known to stain teeth … so now I need to search out another brand…
@JC I used Cool Mint Listerine and things have been going well. Best of luck! I found documenting the process to be helpful because it kept me focused. I’m sure you’ll find your own method. Good luck!