Ill-fitting tray? Length of treatment?

[Phantom Muse]

Hello, all,

I am new to the forum, however I had traditional braces as a teenager. I just put in tray #2 (12U/7L) last night. I have been wearing my aligners 22-22.5 hours daily without fail (I am a classic overachiever!) and I hope to finish this process sooner rather than later! I have a total of seven attachments, with four right smack on my upper front teeth (I have a big smile). My orthodontist has told me that he expects my process to take one year even though my initial tray count is not so high. I have noticed a few slight changes already, but I am most interested in seeing tray #6 when I visit the ortho in another 4 weeks (to compare it to tray #1). I do have a few questions that I hope someone might be able to answer. I would be ever so grateful. This process has put me "off-balance" a bit, and frankly, I need a little reassurance!

1. I have concerns that this second tray does not fit as well as it could, and I understand that this might affect the efficiency of my treatment. It snaps on well (with a little oomph), and there are no gaps except a small one between one top front tooth and the bottom of the tray. I read about "chewies" but since it is a Friday night and I don't have access to the ortho, thought I'd try chewing on a cloth napkin instead. I can feel the tray tighten as I chew, so I assume that is a good thing. If I continue to do this, might this correct the space between my tooth and the aligner? Or perhaps is the space there for my tooth to move into, and it will do so as I move through the 14 days? This is a tooth that needs to "come down."

2. When I was told that I only had 12U and 7L, I was thrilled! However, the orthodontist has told me that he, too, was surprised and expects a year to complete treatment. When I first consulted with him, he thought I'd need 10-14 months of work, and I guess, is sticking by that estimate! Has anyone else had an initial estimate such as mine (that really falls right outside and Invisalign Express treatment), and then ended up with a double treatment time? Please say no!

Thank you in advance for your help! I have been "lurking" for two weeks now, and so appreciate everyone's candor. It has been a comfort and, at times, an inspiration!

[mommamorin]

I have always had a space between a tooth and the bottom of the aligner and that is the one tooth that never really moved correctly. If your ortho can correct this, I definitely would persue it.
My DIL's teeth were much worse than mine were, I had 20U/15L and she only has 19/19 which was a big surprise as we thought she'd have at least 6-8 months longer wear time. Perhaps Align Tech made great strides in the past two years on their aligners and movement. Hopefully all will work out for you and your teeth progress as planned.
take care and good luck