Don’t feel like you have to rush through your meals and coffee. It’s ok to take them out to eat. Just be sure to brush your teeth before you put them back in (you don’t have to but it helps ensure they fit properly plus it’s great hygiene). The best way to clean them is to soak them in hydrogen peroxide. If they need a cleaning soak them while you eat and then rinse them with water before you put them back in. Don’t use toothpaste on the aligners.
Amazing how quickly one can adjust. I can even get the rubber bands in quickly. I do miss having coffee during work.
I think I mentioned this upthread, but I avoid letting my aligners dry out. I carry a small water tight container with hydrogen peroxide in it to store the aligners when I eat.
I started in February. I am getting my button and attachments taken off next week plus getting a new set of scans.
I am not sure how many sets of aligners I’ll get for this next stage of fine tuning. If I were done now, I’d be satisfied.
Amazing!
I love to hear that others are getting results! It’s amazing how good having the smile you want can be. I wish everyone could do this!
What a shame they didn’t tell us way back when that we needed to wear our retainers for life!
My orthodontist recommended white vinegar as a cleaning solution; said hydrogen peroxide might stain the aligners. Since they get changed so often, not sure a slight stain (over my yellowish teeth) will be noticeable. I found something online that suggested one part vinegar to three parts water. However, if any residual taste remains, I’d much rather not taste vinegar! I think I’ll start soaking them during breakfast.
They said it was fine to let the aligners get dry; no need to keep them in any solution. I have discovered that a quick mouth rinse with water helps me remove them; not always easy. Tomorrow night I’ll be at a big outdoor concert venue with tables to eat at. There are port-o-potties and outdoor sinks, so I will be taking them out at the table. I may bring a water tight bag with diluted hydrogen peroxide to keep them in. But no way to brush teeth before putting them back in. Rinse and spit in front of the concert crowds? My orthodontist said it’s better to leave them out than to risk food/sugars etc. caught under them, especially since my enamel is quick to decay.
No way am I going to be able to do all my eating and drinking within 120 minutes every day so if I have to go longer, que sera sera.
I also carry a travel size clear mouthwash. Good for when a real floss and brush is not practical.
I saw a funny picture of some aligners (Reddit maybe?) where someone claims to have eaten a curry dish with aligners in, and they were glowing yellow. They were asking for help. Don’t know if the post was real or not, but it was very funny.
The good news is you swap your aligners for a new set so often compared to a retainer that even if they get a little gross or a dry, they are gone soon. I’ve been wearing my retainers now for 4-5 years and I find that to be more of a challenge to keep them clean. They are never quite the same as the first few month. But somehow it works out.
Yes! I wish they had told us years ago to wear our retainers! However, I’m pretty sure my wisdom teeth coming in (I still have 2) and more growing is what changed my smile from my first round of orthodonture.
After 12 sets of aligners, I had my attachments taken off today. The attachments themselves had yellowed some due to my great love for coffee in the morning.
I had some minor sanding done to smooth out some rough edges on the edge of my teeth, plus some minor sanding between teeth.
A new set of scans were done and I’m to return in about 2-3 weeks for a second round of trays for “refinement”.
Honestly, I could be done now. My top front teeth are straight – which is hard to believe if you saw the criss-crossing I started with!
The orthodontist wants to get my front bottom teeth straighter. I care a lot less about those because you don’t see them when I smile naturally, and when you do see them, they just look “natural and not perfect”.
I don’t mind wearing the aligners and haven’t found it disruptive to my life, so I’m okay continuing with this next stage. Besides, he warned me in the very beginning that he thought I’d have a stage two, and said it was perfectly okay to opt-out.
So happy!
Also, this is what I use for a portable soaking solution. It’s a water tight Rubbermaid food storage container. Small. It has not leaked for me.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JCNEICQ/ref=twister_B07QFFR3KW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Update from my corner of the world: got to Aligner #12, & the orthodontist removed my attachments, filed some teeth, and re-scanned my mouth for phase two.
This morning I had new attachments put on, and I’m on Aligner #1 of 10. This is definitely a refinement stage. Sure, maybe that tooth could come forward a bit, and sure, my bite could be lined up a bit more…but the big dramatic changes are done already.
I’m so very pleased with the results and I feel overwhelmed with good fortune. I just never thought I could have straight teeth again!
I just got my attachments last week and apparently the tech didn’t bother to smooth them out so I went home and discovered I had what felt like little knives stuck to my teeth. They had said the attachments would smooth out over time. After chewing up the inside of my mouth, I found a metal nail file and smoothed them out myself. Much better plus I got some orthodontic wax to protect my gums.
I’m only on the third set. It seems like there are 18 sets under the current treatment and I’ve been given permission to change out every 10 days instead of every 2 weeks. It’s always possible I may need to get a revised treatment plan; time will tell.
Wearing them is no issue. But I hate not being able to linger after meals and having to rush off and brush and put them back on ASAP. Plus we have lots of meal type activities in places like parks, the beach, etc. so it’s been challenging to find a place to brush, rinse, and spit. Not to mention all the trendy restaurants that think it’s cool to put a public sink outside the stalls. I don’t really like having to brush in public! So far I’ve been averaging over 21 hours per day. That’s not too bad considering how much time it takes to do all the brushing (I have a very thorough process since my teeth are sensitive to decay) - so probably almost half an hour a day just for that - besides actually eating.
I think I can sense some changes in how my teeth look but very subtle so early in the process.
I confess that I leave them off a few hours around dinner time. I don’t want to rush and eat. My set changes weekly. I see no change but orthodontist says ‘wow”. Yeah.
I kept my first set of aligners to remind myself of my snaggly teeth.
I know it’s just physics, but it seems like sorcery.
Haha!
I use the Tray Minder app and take a picture of my teeth with each new aligner. It lets you do comparisons between any two pictures. And post on social media if so desired!
Gosh, I never thought of that. I see no change but maybe I’ll keep last set, 8? What’s the tray minder app? I’ll look it up.
TrayMinder Aligner Tracker
Marilyn, done. But it seems like it is just a reminder.
It’s prime purpose is to remind you when to put your aligner back in when you take it out. But it also reminds you when to change aligners, keeps track of daily and average wear times, and lets you keep a photographic record.
I used the app in the beginning, to keep me honest about wearing (& non-wearing) time.
I also liked the reminder about changing trays, as the weeks can blur together.