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gap

Invisalign...Vegas Style

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gap
, 03-11-2010 at 09:13 PM (681 Views)
Hey friends,

I have let a few months go by without a post once again. Time really seems to be going by fast. I have made it successfully to tray set 17 of 32. That brings me to just over the half way point of my initial treatment.

My Invisalign experience has been moving along nicely without too much to report. I've had my second round of IPR and just today had a routine dental check up.

I was really looking fwd to the dental checkup just to confirm my daily cleaning routines are working. I am happy to report I have no cavities, and the dentist is very pleased with the state of my gums and teeth.

The edges of my attachments do tend to stain after a few months of coffee/tea drinking, but the dental checkup leaves them looking like new. Good news to anyone who has noticed the attacmnets showing a little staining around the edges. I always request the ultrasonic descaler. It does a great job and much less painful.

I returned this week from a vacation in Las Vegas. It was the first real vacation experience I've had with Invisalign so far, and it was definitely a challenge!!

The day we left was the first day of my 17th set of trays, which made things a little bit more tricky. In Vegas, I find I'm always consuming something...whether it's food or cheap booze.

I found that the easiest way to enjoy everything Vegas has to offer and still maintain some discipline was to carry around the Colgate wisps and keep swishing my mouth with water regularly. Each time we stopped by the hotel, I would do a complete cleaning session. I think it worked out well. I wasn't living 100% by the official rules, but I tried to minimize the bad behaviour as much as possible.

I just couldn't bring myself to pry out my aligners while sitting at a poker table with 9 other people staring me down. I had a few drinks, then risned. The funny thing is, I really did feel guilt every time I did it too.

I have a few recent progress pics. These were taken after tray set 15. The lower gap is still closing. I think it's moving a little slower now than it was during the first 10 trays, and the upper lateral incisors are still progressing well.
Enjoy!

Upper Arch Before


Upper Arch Tray 15


Gap Before


Gap Tray 15


I really hope my gums don't receed too much around those central incisors. We'll see...

Updated 03-12-2010 at 09:46 AM by gap

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Comments

  1. Sunny's Avatar
    Your progress is looking great Gap!

    Fantastic that you had a great time away and have now settled back into the routine!

    Here's to the rest of your treatment continuing to go smoothly!
  2. Phantom Muse's Avatar
    Looking great!

    Your post made me laugh...I have yet to eat or drink anything with my aligners in. The guilt is just too immense!!!! I considered it on one occasion, looked around as if I was going to get busted for bad behavior, thought better of drinking, and proceeded to pretend to drink my tea. Yikes.

    Good luck!
  3. mikeg's Avatar
    looking real good!
  4. MCOMarkhamOrthodontist's Avatar
    Vegas is probably one of the hardest places around to maintain discipline with the aligners. I've been in that situation myself and I can say, it wasn't easy! Definitely a good idea to make sure you've at least rinsed with water if unable to brush right after consuming something.

    Getting regular cleanings at the dentist can help a lot with any kind of staining, whether it be on the teeth or attachments... undoubtedly an important part of any orthodontic treatment routine!

    Looks like you've had some significant dental expansion in your upper jaw and a large part of the extraction space has closed without tipping! Remember to stay motivated with your Invisalign routine. It'll ensure that your treatment continues to progress smoothly until the end .
  5. gap's Avatar
    Thank you all for reading and posting!

    Phantom Muse - I completely agree that a guilty concience will get the best of you every time you attempt to step out of line with Invisalign. I have also pretended to drink a sip of beverages in front of people. haha Failing all else, I grab a straw and try to bypass my teeth.

    Sometimes, I try to convince myself white or green teas cannot harm my enamel or stain..afterall, tea contains trace levels of fluoride. Then I bow down to the guilt and remove the trays.

    Dr. Tam - I am happy to say my conscience has cleared, and I have returned to my diligent routine. I still look at my progress pictures in amazement of how far I have progressed in 8 months. (that toast is consumed without trays and being mindful that I only have 2 hours alloted for said trays be removed, of course)
  6. smile786's Avatar
    this is GREAT progress, before you know it you'll be done!
    and sad thing is i ate snacks and drank beverages THROUGHout my treatment with the exception of the first 5 months maybe. but its so difficult NOT to.