I'm Bracing Myself

I have been wearing clear plastic (Invisalign) braces on my teeth since the middle of June.  My dentist (a friend from high school) had been telling me for years that it would be a good idea, but insurance doesn't cover it for old folks over 19 like me.  Finally he told me he would give me the braces at his cost.  It didn't seem possible until my company gave me a bonus for my 20 year anniversary (this past April).  

I had to bite down into a tray of pink gooey stuff in order to create an impression of both my jaws, and then we waited for the Invisalign company to make a computer model of what my teeth would look like after the treatment was complete.  Tres cool.  My bottom teeth needed the most work by far, due to my wisdom teeth pushing everything around when I was a college freshman. 

I receive a new set of plastic aligners every two weeks.  Each set is part of the progression of straightening the teeth.  They are always pretty tight for the first couple of days, and my teeth become sore until they have moved to match the aligners.  Whenever I eat, or drink anything other than water or seltzer, I have to remove the braces beforehand.  Afterwards, I have to brush my teeth and clean the braces before I pop them back on.  This cuts down on casual snacking, since eating now requires a process.  I have also curbed my tendency to be a diet cola junkie -- at least temporarily.

Tonight I received tray 9 of 9 for the top, and tray 9 of 13 for the bottom.  Assuming that all has gone according to plan, I could be done with the upper jaw in two weeks, except for wearing the last tray as a retainer at night.  Eight more weeks for the lower jaw.  Yippeeeeeeeee...