Getting somewhat discouraged

[Teresuzza]

I just started my third tray. I was really excited with my first tray and then when I went to the ortho to get tray 2, he did some IPR, as per my clincheck, so it was fully expected. I had IPR done on my front top 6 teeth, including my front two teeth. It looks terrible when I take out my trays. I'm starting to feel discouraged because although I saw some very slight improvement in my teeth, the IPR has made them look worse than before the Invisalign. I have thoughts of 'what have I done?' going through my head.

It's also getting cumbersome each time I go out to have to go to the bathroom, take them out and then go brush my teeth in a public washroom before I put them back in. I'm usually a very private person and I'm finding that I look for the right moment when I think there's no one in the washroom to dash in and brush my teeth only to find that someone walks in right in the middle of it all.

Needless to say, my motivation is waning and I'm wondering if anyone else was feeling like this so early in their treatment. I keep checking all the blogs and everyone has nothing but great things to say and I've been keeping my own to hopefully look back and be able to write that this was only a passing thing.

Any help would be much appreciated! Here's a link to my blog:

I braced myself with Invisalign!

[Sunny]

Teresuzza I'm sorry to read that you're feeling disheartened, but what you're experiencing sounds quite normal for many invisalign patients. I work for three ortho's and to be honest, I believe invisalign is a more difficult form of ortho treatment than standard brackets. The main reason I feel this way, is the discipline required to keep taking off and putting on your aligners, compared to being able to eat anything with brackets in place. Also your oral hygiene has to be a step up, due to the aligners 'holding' what ever is in your mouth against your teeth, with the risk of damaging the enamel on your teeth.

Another totally expected part of ortho treatment, is for 'things to get worse before they get better'. You can't expect your teeth to be able to find places to slot neatly into, without some moving around first, and it's this moving around that can cause gaps and changes that we don't like ... because it's not what we want to see.

Talk to your ortho about how long it will be before the gaps resulting from your IRP will be closed. Hopefully when this happens you'll feel better.

Good luck and try to focus on why you chose to do this, as ortho work isn't life threatening ... it's a choice we make for ourselves ... and usually a very good choice!

[Teresuzza]

Thanks Sunny. You actually made me feel better when you said that things will get worse before they get better! I won't see my ortho until after tray 4 and I've just started tray 3 so hopefully by the time I go back, I'll see some differences.

You're right about the oral hygiene. My teeth are always brushed and flossed now. The only time they are not is during the times that I'm eating!

Sunny, thanks for the reply. Much appreciated!