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Author
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Topic: Invisalign Braces Cont'...How about a new thread?
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BadBoy
Preferred Member
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posted 11-27-2007 04:53 PM
 
Congratulations on reaching the halfway point, Shawnna, looking very good! It should get easier from this point on and the changes will appear more dramatic from my over a year long invisalign experience!
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hieptothehop
Junior Member
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posted 11-27-2007 06:21 PM
wow, this forum has really helped me after reading several posts. I just started my treatment today and wow, i've never felt so much pressure on my teeth before. I have 15 trays for the upper portion and 8 trays for the lower. I'm experiencing excessive salvia and was wondering if anyone has the same problem. Does it eventually go away? It also affects my speech but that'll eventually go away as others have said.
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BadBoy
Preferred Member
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posted 11-27-2007 07:44 PM
quote:
Originally posted by hieptothehop:
i've never felt so much pressure on my teeth before. I have 15 trays for the upper portion and 8 trays for the lower. I'm experiencing excessive salvia and was wondering if anyone has the same problem. Does it eventually go away? It also affects my speech but that'll eventually go away as others have said.
Yes thats all very normal with invisalign. The first week is the toughest since you have to get used to everything all at once. The pressure will ease up after a few days until you start the next aligner set. Drink plenty of water often, that helps. The excess saliva will reduce some after weeks as you gradually get used to the foreign objects in your mouth.
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lillybop
Junior Member
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posted 11-29-2007 07:00 AM
Hey there.Have been reading through everyone's posts. I am new to invisilign and got mine yesterday. So now on day two. It's okay so far, just taking some painkillers to deal with the pain. I used to wear fixed braces as a teen so am familiar with the teeth moving sensation. Only I am having a problem with the comfort of the invisilign. It feels so weird, as though I am wearing a gumshield. Does this feeling subside? Or is it something I have to put up with? I only have 6 trays so thank god i'll be done in 3 months. And it's only my upper teeth. Only thing I am finding annoying is eating!! Hopefully i'll lose a few pounds after this. Anyway, with fixed braces the pressure feeling subsides after a while but with these, after each time I take it out and I eat and put it back in, i get a rush of pain that lasts about an hour. Does this get easier the longer you wear a tray? I appreciate this will repeat itself as I change trays. Also I dont have any attachments so thats good. Paid �2000 for my treatment. I didn't get a 3D video :-( So I don't know what I'm going to look like!! xxx
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ninalinska
Junior Member
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posted 11-29-2007 08:49 AM
I did not mean to start a new thread (sorry!), so here I'm reposting:I just got my trays yesterday (nine upper and lower) and so far so good. I also wore braces as a teen, but quit wearing my retainer as was the custom back then. i'm now 45 and not happy with the look of my teeth. They have always been one of my good features, not that they're horrible now, but I'm just not happy with them. My bite is also uncomfortable, so I decided to do Invisalign. So far, no real pain. Just some discomfort and I'll probably get some sores from the aligners rubbing inside my mouth. Eating is a pain, but I'll just have to work it out. I paid $2000 for Invisalign Express.
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MeganLeigh1130
Junior Member
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posted 11-29-2007 06:41 PM
Hey all,
My name is Megan and I'm on the tail end of my second week of invisalign. I read posts from the forum the night I got them when my mouth was feelin pretty sore and it really helped to know that others were experiencing the same discomforts as I am... Just good to know it's normal.
I wanted to offer some advise as well as ask some questions.
On the topic of having to take our the braces to eat...
I have found it helpful to make a "Kit" that I carry with me (probaly easier for women because you can keep it in your purse) and the kit includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, the invisalign container to keep then in whe you're eaiting, brush up strips (For when I have to grab food on the go, or freshen up, and the little plastic flossers. I'm telling you those flossers are GREAT.
Now, my question, does anyone have any good suggestions for cleaning them. I brush my teeth after EVERY meal, but I usually only brush the trays after breakfast and dinner. For lunch i rise them off and after I brush and floss i just pop em back in.
I have heard of a peroxide/water solution, but it doesn't seem to much. I don't want to pay the rediculous amount to order those crystals either....
anyone???
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BadBoy
Preferred Member
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posted 11-29-2007 07:20 PM
Over the past year I have had good results using denture tablets (like Efferdent or similar) once a day in warm water for half an hour for cleaning aligners. Every few days I also brush them with some toothpaste as well. Recently I've also tried some 50% hydrogen peroxide + 50% water soak once or twice a week and that works well too, keeps white coating from forming and together with brushing removes any discolorations and keeps them completely clear and new looking even after over 2 months on my invisalign clear retainers now.
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toothobsessed
Junior Member
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posted 11-29-2007 10:35 PM
hi everyone,
i'm a newbie just starting the research phase of my invisalign process. i had braces when i was 18 and didn't wear my retainer (naughty). i'm now 30 and my teeth are starting to shift and i'm getting nervous.
my husband and i went to hawaii and had to sit through a timeshare presentation. i couldn't stop staring at the lady's teeth because i'm teeth obsessed, and there was just something not quite right...alas, it was invisalign. i noticed a lot of bubbly spit gathered up in her trays. anyone else have that problem? it kind of bothered me cause it seemed like that could be annoying. thoughts, anyone?
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lillybop
Junior Member
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posted 11-30-2007 01:03 AM
Hi toothobsessed! I'm tooth obsessed also! I am a similiar case to you, wore braces as a teen and then stopped wearing the retainer and as a result my tooth have shifted slightly.
I have had invisilign for 3 days now and i've not had any spit filling up! But, i think that might be because mine are so tight, as I approach the end of this two weeks maybe I will get some spit? You've worried me too now!
Does anyone else have this happening?
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lilypad
Preferred Member
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posted 11-30-2007 02:37 AM
As the trays get looser, there is more room for the saliva to build up. I've learned to kinda suck it out before i take them out. It's really just a minor inconvenience for me.
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orthoscrubs
Junior Member
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posted 11-30-2007 08:59 AM
The reason you are sore is because invisalign braces actually pull your TMJ out of socket. I work for a orthodontist that specializes in TMJ therapy, and there is no better treatment for your teeth and jaws than traditional brackets, bands, and wires. If you experience clicking of your jaws, you should see your orthodontist and inquire about this.
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lemongrass11
Junior Member
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posted 12-01-2007 02:41 AM
can anyboy tell me is this is typical or not?i went in in july for invisalign conformation~ and last month i confirmed the clincheck. then my denist said it'll take 1~2 at most 3 weeks for the trays to arrive.
now he's telling me the earliest will be 12/9! that'll be more than 4 weeks! it's been 5 months! is this a typical length process?
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orthoscrubs
Junior Member
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posted 12-01-2007 10:14 AM
This is because of the time it takes to send your models to a lab to make the trays. There can be a 2-3 week turnaround time.
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jil
Preferred Member
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posted 12-03-2007 03:40 AM
Hi guys again.
Just wanted to share some more experiences as I am now on the last tray of treatment (oddly enough one of the more painful I've had), hopefully without any more improvements. Looks: It looks just fine, the way I wanted it to. Upper teeth are straight, almost perfect, there is a tiny gap between the front two, room left to pull on of them some more in, I suppose. Somehow it never happen, but I'm not complaining as I was not looking for perfection, just a fix for my very awkward one front tooth that was turning out more and more over the years. Lower teeth are not completely straight. They were rather crooked to begin with, but it never bothered me. In fact I initially wanted to keep them the way they were, but Invisalign had other ideas. Feels: I'm not quite sure yet, as the movement of the last tray is not done yet. One of the lower canines still unpleasantly rubs against the front teeth when I close my jaws. I generally feel 'over crowded' when I close my mouth. As if I might bump a few of them together if I am not careful enough. Maybe it's something one needs to get used to. Also the molars don't fit together perfectly as they used to, but I think it's something filing around can fix. In two weeks the dentist will have me checked and we will see what happens next.
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ninalinska
Junior Member
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posted 12-03-2007 10:45 AM
Hi Lemongrass11,I had about 3 1/2 weeks between my records visit and the clinchek appt. Then, it was only a week from that when my trays arrived. I think it depends a lot on how much the dentist has to go back and forth with the company (case difficulty) and if the dentist is on top of it or just not making it a priority. Also, I was told their turnaround time for making the trays is much better since they have competition, but it also depends on how busy they are. Considering my trays were made in the week of Thanksgiving, your trays certainly should have been made already since you had your order in sooner! I mean, it's all computerized, so it's not like yours should take longer than mine because of difficulty (I do have an easy case). I hope you get them soon!
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toothobsessed
Junior Member
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posted 12-03-2007 10:04 PM
Hi all,
I don't know if you all have seen the invisalign photos on flickr.com. I have been browsing through their photos because there are alot of tooth freaks out there (like myself) who have posted what their invisalign looks like. It confirms my saliva gathering fear...but must be overcome as I'm having my consultation in a week, x-rays the week after, and hopefully the invisalign trays by the 3rd or 4th week of January!
I also wanted to know how much weight if any people lost. It may seem like a silly question, but I am quite curious...
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jil
Preferred Member
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posted 12-04-2007 12:08 AM
quote:
Originally posted by toothobsessed:
I also wanted to know how much weight if any people lost. It may seem like a silly question, but I am quite curious...
Sorry to disappoint you, but I haven't lost anything after 6 months of wearing the braces. Not that I've been meaning to. I've never been much of a snacker, so this might be the reason. I was surprised how it almost never bothered me not being able to eat throughout the day. It was only a problem with drinking anything other than water. At times I felt I'm gaining weight because I tended to eat more during meals, taking full advantage of the time I'm 'allowed' to. Other times I convinced myself I'm hungry just to have an excuse to take the stupid things out. Right now I'm about the same weight as I started. As anything, this is very individual, but I don't think invisalign is a good method to lose weight.
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soozj
Junior Member
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posted 12-06-2007 08:09 PM
I have now almost completed 6 months of treatment. I have 2 and a half months left to go. I haven�t really noticed a radical difference in my smile. I had one tooth at the front that was sticking out and rotated inwards a bit. It sort of looked lopsided. This tooth has definitely straightened a little, but it still looks like it�s a got a long way to go. I also had overcrowding on the bottom teeth, 2 teeth protruded because of this. The teeth have moved to make space for these 2 teeth and they have finally started to move in, but again, still seem to have a long way to go. I also have a deep overbite, and this hasn�t changed at all.
Seeing as I only have a couple of months of treatment left, I can�t see how my teeth will look perfect by then. The movements are so small, and I didn�t even notice any difference until around the fourth month. Has anyone noticed radical changes happen towards the end of their treatment?
I think I�ll definitely need extra trays. Does anyone know whether invisalign limits the amount of extra trays? I feel like I need at least another 6 months of treatment!
I�ve basically given up on invisalign fixing my bite, which I�m a bit disappointed about, because I was told it would fix 80% of it.
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arch712
Preferred Member
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posted 12-07-2007 07:30 AM
Just a quick update. Just put in #8 last night, so in 2 weeks I will be a third of the way through. With just a little over 3 months into my treatment, I'm seeing a lot of changes, but I still have a long way to go. I haven't really felt any soreness throughout treatment until I put #8 in last night. Actually it's only one tooth that is pretty sore, but I wouldn't call it painful. That tooth must be moving pretty good on this tray, and I'm going to check my clincheck to verify. Other than that, it's all good. Time is going faster and faster with each set, and it feels like I'm changing them every week instead of 2. July will be coming up fast, and I will have my straight teeth for 30th B-day July 12th.
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Pricey102
Preferred Member
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posted 12-07-2007 07:58 AM
An update on my end. I am half way through my tops and not far behind on my bottoms. I see a huge difference. Im not ready to stop going, but If my teeth had looked like this to begin with I probably wouldn't have gotten Invisalign. I have 10 buttons thus far, but they are hidden on my side teeth and on the backs of my teeth that they really haven't been an issue. You cant see them at all when the trays are out - however on Monday I go to get trays 9 & 10 and have 5 more buttons put on my front four bottom teeth and one front top. Not to thrilled about that, but what can you do....The fact that I am eating for two now is tough. I am eating every 2-3 hours so the brushing and flossing has become a pain. I am not as diligent as I was at the beginning, but I think I am doing a pretty good job at keeping things in control. I am still on 2.5 weeks per tray, but I am going to talk to my Ortho about going to 2 weeks for the next two trays and seeing how it goes. I would really like to be done with Invisalign before the arrival. Anyway, Thats where I am at. Hope you are all well. Hang in there!
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Nuby
Junior Member
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posted 12-07-2007 10:51 PM
Hi all,I am looking to get Invisalign braces. Can anyone refer me to a Great Dental Braces in Brooklyn, NY Or New York, NY?
Please...
I would greatly appreciate it. p.s. and what would you think it would cost for someone who only needs it on the top with one tooth slightly over bite? ~Nuby
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Pricey102
Preferred Member
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posted 12-10-2007 11:51 AM
Just got back from the Ortho. 4 more buttons on the bottom and one on the top. Thats a grand total of 15. Totally sucks. But what can you do. They are on the four bottom front teeth and one on the top. It feels so funny to eat, but I guess I will just get used to these like I got used to the others....
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toothobsessed
Junior Member
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posted 12-10-2007 02:18 PM
pricey, how come so many buttons? i'm always curious when people say they got a button on one of their front teeth. what's the reason, does it help rotate a tooth or pull it forward?? just hoping i'm going to be one of the just molar button people...but i have a feeling one of my teeth in the front are going to need a button...
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Pricey102
Preferred Member
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posted 12-10-2007 05:18 PM
That is exactly why. They are there to help teeth rotate, move forward and I have two teeth that need to be pulled down... I actually had pretty good teeth to begin with, so I was surprised, but with out them there are no guarantees.
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toothobsessed
Junior Member
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posted 12-10-2007 05:37 PM
thanks for your reply. i'll bet i'm going to have to wear buttons on my front teeth because one tooth needs to be pulled forward and my two pointy teeth need to be pushed upwards. ugh. oh well so it goes. should have worn my retainer more diligently 10 years ago!
i get my impressions tomorrow. pretty excited to get the process going!
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lemongrass11
Junior Member
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posted 12-10-2007 11:31 PM
the dentist office FINALLY called(after 5 months!) the trays arrived. i will be going in this friday to get some IPR,attachments, and all that fun stuff~. i was wondering what else i would need to prepare...stocking up on pain killers, efferdent...what else? oh and where would i get dental wax, anybody know?
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TPG20
Junior Member
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posted 12-13-2007 07:02 PM
Hello everyone. I love this forum. I've been reading for the past couple of days to try and be prepared as possible. I received my first set of aligners today so I was totally ready for any and all pain. So far it hasnt been unbearable, but when they first go in and first come out i want to die. Also when I take out the top ones I dont have any problem getting it out from both sides, its just this ONE TOOTH that i cant get the aligner off of and i'm so terrified of cracking the aligner or breaking my tooth! I'm having the same problems as everyone else with saliva and lisping and i cant wait for that to go away. I am 19 almost 20 and I never had braces as a teenager because my parents couldnt afford it. I have 14 months, cant remember how many aligners for the top and bottom but its probably about the same. I am trying to think positive though and just look forward to the end result. ahhhh!
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lemongrass11
Junior Member
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posted 12-16-2007 04:49 PM
TPG20 hey we got our first trays at the same time! that's good i'll have someone at the same page as me~
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SANDiEGOGiRL
Junior Member
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posted 12-17-2007 02:28 AM
ok so i just started invisalign (express) on wednesday. its sunday night now. so let me say i am completely obsessed and i have to vent! i have 10 trays only on the top to fix 4 gaps, i used to suck my thumb.
1. i am worried about the idea that i have the express. it seems like a lot of people needed refinements. my dentist is a premier provider and he said that it should be done in 20 weeks. his whole claim to fame is about less than 6 months straight teeth, so i get scared he is trying to rush me out of his office. i may just be paranoid i guess.
2. the pressure drives me crAZY!!! i catch myself clenching at night and i get scared the trays will break. i can never seem to close my mouth and i feel like everyone else can see me messing with my tongue and jaw.
3. the skin is all broken on the sides of my mouth and it makes it so painful to open my mouth to take the trays out.
4. i really want to smoke pot over break  and i am scared that i will have yellow resin all over my tray. eek!i guess thats all for now. besides the pain, which i can get over after the first day or two. you guys all really help on here, no one else understands!! my roommates keep saying, 'you only have to wear it at night they just tell you that!' or 'you dont have to clean it everytime thats stupid!' or 'you are over reacting just deal with it!' boo!!! i love this site.
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lkw130
Junior Member
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posted 12-17-2007 04:57 AM
quote:
Originally posted by SANDiEGOGiRL:
ok so i just started invisalign (express) on wednesday. its sunday night now. so let me say i am completely obsessed and i have to vent! i have 10 trays only on the top to fix 4 gaps, i used to suck my thumb.
1. i am worried about the idea that i have the express. it seems like a lot of people needed refinements. my dentist is a premier provider and he said that it should be done in 20 weeks. his whole claim to fame is about less than 6 months straight teeth, so i get scared he is trying to rush me out of his office. i may just be paranoid i guess.
2. the pressure drives me crAZY!!! i catch myself clenching at night and i get scared the trays will break. i can never seem to close my mouth and i feel like everyone else can see me messing with my tongue and jaw.
3. the skin is all broken on the sides of my mouth and it makes it so painful to open my mouth to take the trays out.
4. i really want to smoke pot over break and i am scared that i will have yellow resin all over my tray. eek!i guess thats all for now. besides the pain, which i can get over after the first day or two. you guys all really help on here, no one else understands!! my roommates keep saying, 'you only have to wear it at night they just tell you that!' or 'you dont have to clean it everytime thats stupid!' or 'you are over reacting just deal with it!' boo!!! i love this site.
1. You could totally be right. I think medical professionals are pretty good at glossing over patient's problems to begin with, and having an easy invisalign case seems like an opportune time to be as lazy as possible. But hopefully you won't have any problems, if you have to do a few more trays it won't be so bad.
2. At the beginning EVERYTHING is annoying. Everyone says this, and they're right...YOU'LL GET USED TO IT. You don't know how, or why, but suddenly you'll get these panic attacks: "Oh my God I left my trays out!" when they are actually in your mouth, you just don't notice them any more. I used to clench all the time, want to rip them out of my mouth. Now they don't bother me any more [even by the end of tray 1]. 3. Get dental wax or file the edges with a nail file. Dental wax is a lifesaver. 4. I gotta give you credit for admitting to smoking pot on this forum! I can imagine some people will have something to say about it though! I would, of course, suggest you just stop smoking because it ain't good for you, but if you do, either take the trays out briefly and just take a couple of hits, or let your trays turn yellow and picture what it is doing to your lungs. [I'm an ex cigarette smoker, so I can lecture.]
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SANDiEGOGiRL
Junior Member
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posted 12-17-2007 04:42 PM
well with the pot thing, i haven't smoked in a while... i am an ex cigarette smoker too. but a bowl once in the blue can't kill me that bad... and its been months! i just think i will be so damn paranoid when i smoke that it will destroy everything... ugh and when endless munchies kick in i will be completely screwed!! hahaha.
but on a more serious note, i really hope the annoying pressure thing gets better, it just makes me want to lay down all the time. ugh. i like cold water a lot, i like when it like 'freezes' the aligner. and i like obsessively reading the forums. haha
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MouseJstr
Junior Member
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posted 12-17-2007 07:54 PM
Newbie here as well. I am also one of those people with the "one bad tooth" causing cracking in the aligner..I have to admit one thing... the effort required to keep these aligners clean has given me new appreciation for what a half-assed job I was doing brushing my teeth before..
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SANDiEGOGiRL
Junior Member
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posted 12-18-2007 08:47 PM
all this talk about them cracking makes me so nervous! how many of you guys only take them off from one side? i have two buttons on the other side and it is too painful to get them off from that side
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Kim79
Junior Member
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posted 12-18-2007 09:59 PM
Hi! Don't be too worried about cracking them, I mean yes be careful, but I grind and bite all day long and haven't had any problems. The only time I cracked one was when I forgot my plastic case and put the aligners in my purse - I definately don't recommend doing that.. from now on I use the case when I take them out. I used to really worry about cracking them because when you switch trays it's really tight for the first day or two and sometimes really hard to get out, I'd wind up pulling on them from one side towards the other and they'd kind of pop out and make a loud noise but it's always been fine. I'm pretty sure if you do crack one, and you're in like your second week of that tray, they'll probably tell you to go ahead to the next tray early and just wear it an extra week. But obviously check with the dr. first.. And yes i'd take them out for smoking. I'm an ex cigarette smoker too and I've had a cigarette with them in, and they just start to taste gross and you wind up taking them out anyway to brush the aligners.
Good luck with them!
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lemongrass11
Junior Member
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posted 12-19-2007 05:13 PM
^ maybe this is a good time for you guys to quit smoking. you're aware that your trays will turn yucky when you smoke w/ them in....then you should get a pretty good image on how that's impacting your lungs.
*sigh* it hasn't even been a week yet since i got my first tray! i don't know HOW i'll be able to go through 12U and 16L! many of you say it goes my fast...but for me i count by hours almost until i can take those things out for a short period of relief.
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