Tray 36

It is once again time for an update. It's actually a little overdue. I wasn't able to post after tray 34 because I got so busy with finals and packing to go home for the winter break. I have some pretty good information for this post though. Not only is it time for one of the bigger posts in which I include more pictures from different angles and some comparisons from when I first started, but I also have something else I want to talk about first. So let's get started.

When I was first doing research on Invisalign, an interesting topic came up that caused a fair amount of concern for me. I read that many people get cavities while using Invisalign. And when I say they got cavities, I'm not talking 2 or 3. Some stated that they got 8 to 10 cavities during their treatment. This was a little scary because I had never had any cavities and I always took pride in that. So when I decided to get Invisalign, it was actually time for me to get a dental checkup, but I was unable to go. Then I was never able to get an appointment in the short times that I would go home, so it has been two whole years since my last checkup, which is absolutely HORRIBLE. But I finally went this week and I just kept thinking to myself, "Please, no cavities. PLEASE, no cavities." I got all of my x-rays done and my dentist came in and poked around in my mouth as did the hygienist. And after two years without any checkups, and a year and a half of wearing Invisalign, I am extremely proud and ecstatic to say I still have no cavities!!!!!! In fact, the hygienist was very impressed with how clean my teeth were. She even asked if I had been getting cleanings done at the orthodontist because she just couldn't believe how little buildup had accumulated over two years. I think Invisalign actually helped me with this. The frequent brushing and flossing just had to be a factor in the cleanliness of my teeth. I was so relieved when they said I had no cavities and very happy when they said I did an excellent job of cleaning my teeth. So if anyone were to ask my opinion on whether Invisalign causes cavities or not, I would have to say absolutely not. Even my orthodontist was surprised when I brought this up during the initial consultation because he said he had never had any patients have problems with this. This is still something to think about when deciding on Invisalign because if you aren't committed or simply able to brush your teeth several times a day, it may not be for you. Not brushing before putting the trays back on could lead to cavities, which will only make the treatment more expensive.

Before I put up the pictures, I wanted to mention that I wasn't able to have my teeth smoothed out yet because my orthodontist was at his other office when I went in for my appointment. So I just got two more sets of trays and will have them smoothed out at my next appointment.

And now the pictures...

Facial

Center

Left

Right

Upper

 Lower

     Upper Trays                             Tray 1                                 Tray 36

Lower Trays                               Tray 1                                  Tray 36