Week 1 with invisalign

I had to have a bit of filing done in between one or two teeth so that there was enough space for movement. Turns out the after-effects of filing, also known as IPR are more painful than any tray adjustment. But given my IPR experience also coincided with my first set of aligners, I thought the start of every tray was going to be as painful and I’m grateful I was wrong.

Tray 1 introduced some much new stimulus that when I talked I had to actually concentrate on the words I was saying due to my mouth learning to talk over the aligners. I’m on tray 9 now and there are still some words that come out funny. There is a tenderness in the root of my teeth that are prepping for some bigger movements. And my bite feels insecure when I chew as my teeth are now in unfamiliar places with every tray (yeah, I do feel that 1/10th movement).

But aside from the pain IPR brings and the slight discomfort on day 1 of every tray, the biggest change is just the increase in self-control and routine. I have taken it easy on sweet beverages and do ensure to brush often if I indulge in sweets or citrus. Slight behaviour modifications are worth it and I’ve noticed the more you've paid out of pocket, the more likely you’re follow the rules. I’m paying at least 50% of the cost out of my own pocket so I’d like the procedure to be done in time (if not earlier) so I’m following the rules while still learning to live with aligned versus having the aligners take over my life. It’s a mutual compromise.