Hi all,
Sorry for not updating since tray 9 but there really wasn't too much to update on! As you move onto each tray the routine doesn't change its all very much the same and the dental visits were very quick literally just to collect my next few trays and off I go to take charge of carrying on with treatment :) nice and simple.
Although the exciting news is that I am FINALLY on my last tray! 14/14! I say finally like its taken forever but it has actually just flown by either way I am still so happy its almost done.
So at the end of my 14th tray, I went in to see my dentist Dr Suki for her to check on my progress. The results? I am still on tray 14 for another 2 weeks! Although I've completed all the trays quite often there may be some final tweaking and refinements made just to make sure your teeth are totally perfect, which I am more than fine about.
She had a small device that she used that makes some tiny puncture marks on the existing aligner which helps make these final movements happen. So tray 14 feels like a new tray because I have the tightness, which proves its all working as it should :)
So in 2 weeks I go back to see what she thinks, I may need some more final refinements but if all is how it should be the attachments will be off and that will be the end of treatment!
My dentist and I discussed in the beginning of my treatment just slightly filing down a few of the front teeth as my canines are pointed and the front too are slightly longer than the rest so it will look a lot nicer if they are all more aligned and similar in length. ( I think this is called enamel plasty?) So once the attachments are off, that should be performed which I think will also make a huge difference to the overall appearance of my teeth as I've never liked having vampire fangs!
Its so funny how in the beginning of my treatment the end results and tray 14/14 seemed so far off, and I was so aware and conscious of speaking with it in and worrying about anyone noticing it. but once you get used to using Invisalign after a couple of weeks, you honestly do just forget its there and stop thinking about it so much. That's why I couldn't complain about the refinements at all, Invisalign has just become normal to me, I can honestly say I have enjoyed this treatment (just not if you would have asked me on tray 1!)
Who would of thought that about "braces"! Invisalign IS different and I am so lucky I won this and so grateful and pleased with the whole process.
I just thought I would mention something I forgot to mention before, which is that about 10 years ago I consulted a dentist for veneers. Luckily it was far too expensive and I never pursued which I now am so happy about but I wanted a "quick fix" and didn't know of any other way other than the big metal braces. Once you have veneers they shave down your real teeth to almost nothing. I am now sitting here with my real teeth totally straightened how I wanted but without causing any damage to my real teeth and without the worry of a veneer popping off and the expense of having it fixed if it did. I wish the dentist at the time would have told me about Invisalign as I would have fixed my teeth a long time ago, but I suppose I am actually very luckily to be here now with my teeth how I wanted and for absolutely free!
I also started a treatment called Inman Aligner in 2007 which just didn't work for me at all as the tray sat on the top of my mouth and my speech was awful for weeks with no improvement so I stopped treatment after about 1 month which was an awful waste of money although I was partially refunded.
Maybe 5-10 years ago Invisalign wasn't as well known as it is now and I hope more dentists recommend Invisalign to people like me, whose teeth are healthy and CAN be straightened healthily and conveniently. I hope my blog has helped anyone out there thinking of their options with improving their teeth and smile :)
I will update in a few weeks with my refinement progress and some before and after photos!
Alisha xx
