In case you missed it, I started Invisalign on November 30th! I wrote up a post about my initial feelings just one week in and I wanted to follow up on those thoughts and emotions now that I’ve been wearing them for 7 weeks. Check out that smile!
First Thought: My teeth hurt.
Second Thoughts: My teeth only hurt the first 48 hours after putting a new tray in and it’s nothing compared to the initial pain I dealt with when I first started.
It took nearly a week for my teeth to feel better after my first set. The first days were very painful and eating anything remotely crunchy or hard was out of the question. The same thing happened after I got my brackets put on. I didn’t get my brackets attached until I was 2 weeks into the treatment. (Some people get them attached at their first appointment I’ve heard. It varies patient to patient.) The brackets apply torque to certain teeth to help them move into the proper position, so it was rough again for a couple of days. Now each time I put a new tray in, which is every two weeks, the first day or two my teeth are a little sore and I get a bit of a headache. Nothing like the initial week though!
First Thought: The edges feel weird against my upper lip.
Second Thoughts: You get used to it pretty quick, but it’s uncomfortable at first.
The edges of the retainer felt rough against the inside of my upper lip for the first couple of weeks. It hurt on one side the first week and then on the other side once my brackets were applied. In fact, there were small cuts in my mouth for a few days. It was sore and uncomfortable, but once my mouth got used to it, the sores went away and so did the pain. I think your mouth just has to get used to the foreign intruder and the new way everything feels.
First Thought: I feel like I have a lisp.
Second Thoughts: It’s not so bad and only occasionally do I feel like I’m talking funny.
Again most people don’t even notice that I have my Invisalign in until I mention it and they take a good look. That means they don’t really notice a change in my speech. Occasionally I feel like I sound a little off, but it’s probably just because I have too much saliva. (Heads up, you produce more saliva with Invisalign in!)
First Thought: How am I going to eat. I may wither away.
Second Thoughts: I have decided that I will indeed survive and not turn into a twig.
I’m still trying to figure out how much to eat at once! I need more calories during each meal because snacking is much harder especially when chasing 2 kids around each day. On top of that, I’m breastfeeding which means I’m ALWAYS hungry. Breastfeeding hunger is serious. I try not to take my trays out too many times a day. Some days I find this easy and some days I feel like I take them out a million times. But the moral of the story is that I’m not going to wither away. At first my teeth hurt so much more that eating hurt. That pain is definitely gone, so I’m able to eat more. I just have to think about when to do it. Right now I’m eating at breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and most nights a little dessert!
First Thought: I have to brush my teeth a lot.
Second Thoughts: It’s the truth.
I’m definitely brushing my teeth at least 3 times a day, but most days 4 times. I’m also flossing daily which I know you’re technically supposed to do. All in all, this is not a bad thing. In fact, I feel like my dental heath is better than it’s ever been. Not that I had poor dental health before. It’s just awesome now!
So yeah, still different but I’m much more used to them now. Honestly, my teeth feel weird WITHOUT them on now! Don’t get me wrong, they can still be a little bit annoying sometimes, but overall the 18-20 months I’ll have them doesn’t seem so daunting.
