6 Week Invisalign Update

I've had crooked teeth for as long as I can remember. For most of my years on this planet, I've adjusted the way I speak to draw attention away from the crooked-ness, often speaking with little mouth movement. I don't wear any vibrant color lipsticks or lipgloss and I won't put myself in front of a video camera. These are just some of the ways that my teeth have affected my life.

One day, a five-year-old girl asked me why I was missing a tooth. After that embarrassing experience, I knew how visible my crowded bottom teeth were to others and I vowed to get Invisalign one day.

Fast forward many years, a marriage, two houses, and a baby later and I've finally pulled the trigger.  One of the deciding factors was seeing the incredibly transformation of Youtube Beauty Gugu Samantha Schuerman. As an Invisalign spokesperson, she gave frequent video updates and her teeth made a dramatic transformation right before my eyes. Watch one of her updates below:

Samantha Schuerman on Youtube giving her Invislign Update

After about 5 consultations (that's a whole other blog post) I decided to go with an orthodontist that my family members had used and trusted. Now that I'm on my 6th week of treatment, I'm able to give my first impressions on the system and help others who may be thinking of splurging on Invisalign. Let's face it, treatment isn't cheap and the price tag can be jarring. I paid $5,300 and was allowed to spread my payments over a 2 year period after putting down an initial $1,000 deposit.

Pros:

• The convenience of popping them in and out at any time is the main reason I went with Invislign over traditional braces. They are very easy to get in and out, even with the button attachments. 
• The trays stay completely clear. I noticed that other blogs discussed the need to use special rinses and complained of the trays getting foggy, but I have never experienced it. All I do to the trays is brush them with my Crest 3-D White toothpaste and nothing else.
• The carrying case is super convenient. It's very durable which is great for me since I've  managed to drop it several times, fling it across a parking lot, and whip it down the stairs more than once.
• No Pain! I was warned it would hurt the first fews days or so of new trays, but in my experience that wasn't the case. I always put a new tray in at night, so the movement happens in my sleep.

Cons:

• Even though I was told I wouldn't have a li--th--p, I definitely do. Now, at week 6 I think the lisp has gone down significantly, but I take them out anytime I have a meeting at work or large family/friend function.
• I've noticed some slight yellowing on the parts of my teeth that have attachment glue. I've tried to counteract this by using whitening toothpaste as well as whitening strips. 
• One of my attachments has been snagging my bottom lip and causing me to bite the inside of my lip repeatedly when the trays are not in.

Now, let's get to the photos!

Attachments without trays:

With Trays:

This is my projection of Tray 40 Vs Tray 1 (Approx. 18 month treatment time)

 

 Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, not did I receive any free samples for review. All opinions are my own and all products purchased with my own money. This blog is not intended for medical advice. See a healthcare provider for more information on orthodontic treatment.