Sparklingsmile

Well. I got my first set of Invisalign aligners 3 days ago, and prior to this I had a relatively easy going attitude to it, I knew about the aligners, the duration of treatment (13 months), the refinements, the retainer, the constant brushing (I'm slightly ashamed to admit this but I'm not a very good brusher, my gums bleed and I hate it, I brush once a day and almost never floss), I was cool with it all.

So when the Ortho first put them on, he warned I would feel pressure and that's exactly what it was. Not painful as such, but a feeling of pressure on my teeth. He gave me a practice run in taking them off and putting them back on, and I FREAKED OUT because I felt like I was extracting my own teeth, but he helped me the first time and after that it was easy, its since become even easier and they pop on and off in a flash.

I asked him about the attachments and he laughed and said he'd give me 2 weeks and my second set of aligners to get accustomed to and then he'd put the attachments on, so at the mo I'm only dealing with the aligners which has been a nice easy introduction to the whole experience.

As soon as I got into my car I couldn't stop looking in the mirror, I laughed at the 'invisible' claim but I was ok with it, I felt they were extremely noticeable but knew I was probably being hyper-sensitive. I also practised talking to myself (lol) to see if there was a lisp. Nothing too noticeable so that was cool. I also noticed I was holding my mouth oddly, like I was trying to get my lips to fully close, which felt unnatural but also reminded me of all those kids in high school who had that funny look to their mouth when they had braces on.

No one has really noticed them so far, in saying that there were people who knew I was getting them, my partner knew and he said he couldn't tell, only because he was aware of it and was actually looking at it, was he able to tell. My colleague didn't notice until I pointed them out and she knew I was getting them, I spoke to another colleague at length and we were really close to each other when talking (undercover office politics) and usually she notices EVERYTHING! but she didn't notice. I pointed them out to her the next day and she said she could see them once I pointed it out and opened my mouth, but had no idea during our conversation. Other colleagues who comment loudly on everything (i.e. annoying sticky beaks) haven't said anything but I keep waiting for the moment when one of them draws attention to it in an obvious way.

No one has said anything about them, but I feel like I am speaking strangely. People tell me I'm not, but I feel like my S's are slightly slurred. A couple of things I've found help with lisping is speaking more deliberately and hence, slowly. I'm very excitable and get animated when I talk and tend to trip over my words sometimes when I'm in a rush to get them out, so taking my time with what I say helps with lisping. Also, focusing on the syllable next to the 's' sound helps. For example, with the word 'statistic', I enunciate the 'tat' and the 'tic', this might not make sense but it helps if I soften the 's' sound and am harder on the other letters. Overall it makes no difference to how people interpret what you're saying as their brain only picks up on the pattern of sounds you make so if you're softer with the S, it's less noticeable that you're lisping.

If that's all too complicated I also noticed that because I was listening so closely to the way I speak, other people started to sound like they were lisping slightly aswell! So that kinda proves it was in my head, or that all Australians can't speak properly anyway

One thing I wasn't prepared for was the cutting on my tongue, I had read about it but figured I'd deal with it if it happened. Well I assure you it did happen but it passes quickly, after I'd had them for a day I wanted to rip the bloody things out of my mouth because they were so IRRITATING, they were frustrating me immensely. I couldn't stop my tongue from rolling along the edges of the aligners and that irritated the tip of my tongue (I liken the sensation to being tickled or scratched on the sole of your bare foot, it's excruciating yet you can't help doing it) and my gums where the aligners end. The day after wasn't so bad and by the third day any tongue irritation had ceased.

The only thing I'm dealing with now, Day 4, is the feeling of having plastic encroaching on my mouth. It's stupid, because of all the things about Invisalign this is the point that everyone is aware of, but it really is wierd having plastic tooth covers on all day. I didn't anticipate being so sensitive to it, because they really are thin, I didn't expect my mouth to feel bulky. I look forward to meals so I can take them off, but the first couple of days I had to bite gently as my teeth hurt a bit when I ate. That's gone now but I'm aware these lovely little annoyances will probably return each time I change aligners.

I'm looking forward to changing the aligners because these ones are starting to feel a bit tacky, I rinse them often and I brush them too but they feel a little wierd. The first time I took them out, (I'd only had them on for half an hour), I tentatively sniffed them, more as an impulse really (wierd I know) and my partner saw me and said (as someone who had braces when he was younger) "that's going to really stink!" Lol it smells in the morning so I try not to inhale as I take them out and rinse them quickly, but throughout the day they're fine, I'm actually really liking this brushing after every meal!