Stage 1: The Holy Shit Is This Tight Stage: This is characterized by feeling like I have a vice grip in my mouth. The trays are tight and loose at the same time, which is pretty confusing, but that's literally the only way I can describe it. Also, it is uncomfortable. In the first two weeks though, this HURT. A LOT. For this second set, though, it mercifully both hurt less and lasted a much shorter length of time - about a day and a half. I don't really want to take the trays out because it hurts, but also it will hurt worse if I take them out because that means putting them back in, which hurts like a BITCH. Like, I have intense, almost blinding pain for about five seconds while I snap the aligners back into my mouth, so I rarely want to touch them or take them out. This takes us to...
Stage Two: The It Hurts Worse When The Trays Aren't In My Mouth Stage: this is actually kind of perpetual, I think. I'm generally very, very careful when I'm eating - the 10 Invisalign buttons pretty much guarantee that. But the other piece of this is that it's uncomfortable to eat, especially if it's anything crunchy. My teeth just low-key hurt all the time whenever I bite down on anything that is harder than the consistency of fresh mozzarella. Also, my bite has already drastically changed, so my teeth hit other teeth when I chew now and when it's unexpected, it hurts. A LOT. Luckily, this does eventually go away, but even brushing my teeth (which happens about four times a day) can get uncomfortable. The best time, interestingly, is in the morning - my trays have been in all night and some kind of wizard voodoo or something makes it so that my mouth is entirely discomfort-free for about two hours every morning. It's pretty nice! The aligners also feel like they fit right eventually in this stage, so that's nice too.
Stage Three: The Rage Stage: So, I haven't hit this one yet for this set, but it will probably happen within the next few days, especially since I'm off to a conference this weekend and that will put a HUGE dent in my dental regimen, and I won't be able to snack as much as I usually do at this particular conference place. (Which is all the time because THE FOOD IS AMAZEBALLS.) What happens is that I just get sick of it. I look at my wear indicators and they are faded enough for me to be like "...I could, y'know, not wear them for a little bit longer today..." and it is SO HARD TO RESIST. Then I remember how much I'm paying to get this done AND the progress I'm already seeing and I pull it together and click the trays back in.
I'm sure there are other nuances, and I have been taking pictures, but I want to wait a few more weeks so there is more progress. I wish I had a copy of that super neat video that my dentist showed me about exactly how my teeth are going to straighten, but alas, I do not. It's a pretty fascinating process, all told.
Seventeen months, one week, and two days until I can snack again. (Yes, I'm still counting.)
When I was scheduled for my invisalign braces, I cringed when the doctor talked about tightening. Unlike traditional braces that feel like the dentist is clamping down on your teeth, the Invisalign process is painless in comparison. The first tightening was slightly uncomfortable for a few days, but after a week I forgot all about it. Each tightening actually got easier.
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