My Invisalign Journey! Part 1

So if you’ve been following my various social media accounts, you’ll see that I’ve started treatment for clear braces aka Invisalign! I actually can’t believe I can finally say those words - it’s always been a huge goal of mine! Something I’ve always been extremely self conscious about are my bottom teeth - and as they say, I got ‘em from my momma. Now don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t born with majorly misplaced teeth and thus to others, it may seem minute or something not to necessarily be bothered by. However, if I had a choice to eliminate that insecurity of mine, why the hell wouldn’t I? ‘AmIRite?’

I had considered traditional train-tracks for years but the reality of walking around with a mouth full of metal is just something I knew I couldn’t face - how vain am I? That’s when I did my extensive research (if you’ve been following me for a while, you already know I am the detail queen of Dublin!) and found Dental Options in Clane. They’re the leading specialists of Invisalign in Ireland so I knew I’d be in safe hands.

My teeth on the first day of treatment, plus the 'buttons' they add to keep the aligners in place.

Luckily for me, I’ve never been afraid of dentists, like so many are, so actually going through with the treatment wasn’t something too daunting - more exciting than anything else! Those feelings rang true particularly once I visited the clinic itself. I said to my friends when I got home “it doesn’t look like a dental practice at all” which may be reasurring to some who avidly fear their annual, or not so annual, trip - as the case may be.

If you are unfortunately one of many with that ever so common fret, I would highly recommend the ultra chic pristine practice that is Dental Options. During my first visit and consultation, Dr. Barry Buckley and his team took a 3D scan of my teeth which, to me, was an absolute mindboggle. Once my scan was complete, they not only showed me how my teeth look in 3D, not only how they would look after treatment but even showed me how they would progress gradually over the course of my treatment if I wanted to go ahead with it.

Once I gave them the okay to send along my profile to Invisalign HQ in America, I had to wait a couple of months before my moulds were returned, ready to begin treatment. My advice would be that if you’re thinking about starting Invisalign, get in touch now! My initial consultation (after many months of deliberation) was in October and I didn’t start treatment until February.

I have 17 sets of aligners in total. I wear them for 22 hours a day - basically, when I’m not eating! You’re only to drink water with them in, which is all I really drink anyway, so that’s not too much of a challenge for me. However, I am an AVID snacker - I mean, morning, noon and night you’ll find me nibbling on something. I eat little (psst, or a lot) and often so I thought that was a little challenging for the first few days with the discomfort of taking them in and out. Now, however, I pop them out in 2 seconds and I’m back to my ole munchin’ ways. Dammit, I thought it would have been great for my diet!

My teeth with the aligners, having worn them for half of the day.

For the first 3 sets of aligners, I wear them for 2 weeks at a time. Beyond that, it’s weekly - woohoo! My treatment should last about 25 weeks, which is nothing in comparison to what I had envisioned for myself. (My motto in life - expect the worst, but hope for the best!) Luckily though, August will be here in no time and then hopefully, by my 23rd birthday, I’ll have the full glistening smile that I’ve always hoped for.

DAY 7 - So as I approach my seventh day, I realised that I think this is the best decision I've ever made for myself! For the first three days, they were really uncomfortable and as happy as I was to finally go through with the treatment, there was an element of fear that I had to carry on ‘like this’ for the foreseeable future - this, referring to the acute pain and discomfort. Luckily, however, after the first three days, the pain subsided and they now feel so natural in my mouth. In fact, I actually think they’re more comfortable to have in than out!

I went on a night out recently, wearing my aligners in both of these photos!

DAY 15 - I changed my first set of aligners yesterday! I can’t believe how quickly the time is passing. I was really excited to get a fresh set in. When I noticed the old aligners next to the new ones, the crystal clear effect seemed to have faded a little in comparison. I had heard that staining was inevitable, but I’m going to try even harder with this set to keep them at their clearest and dearest. Besides not to smoke and drink with them in, some tips I received and have used were to brush them with a toothbrush, which I do every morning before I put them in after my breakfast. I had been warned that the day you change the aligners are the worst in regards to any discomfort. Although they felt a little tighter for the first few hours, I’ve had no torturous times with this set whatsoever - phew! I must admit that the first few days of my first set were a little rough, so I was so relieved to feel no pain at all!

My first set of aligners after two weeks wear VS my second set

DAY 21 - As I sit here continuing this blog-post, I have little complaints; only positive feelings towards my decision to go ahead with the treatment. Now that I’m finally doing it, it’s something I genuinely wish I did a very long time ago, but put off due to expense and general thought of “I’ll be graaaand without them.” That’s all well and good if they didn’t ponder across my mind every damn day. When you can’t get something out of your head, it’s a sign that it ain’t leaving until it’s dealt with - in whatever way that may be! I’m a big believer in doing what makes you happy and if something is getting you down, however minuscule or mighty, it should be tackled head on!

Some more positives - payment plans! I would be lost without them. Paying for any major 'work' done is always something daunting to consider when there are other, more important things to pay for - like your bottle of wine on a Friday night. 'AmIRite?' Luckily, however, www.clearbraces.ie offer payment plans to all customers so I yanked that up! Paying monthly really reduces the stress. Another thing that I’m pleasantly surprised with is actually how they look in photos - invisible! (Well, duh!) Well not only that, but I believe that they improve my smile! Due to having that extra little layer in my mouth, my smile is wider and fuller - any gaps are lessened. I’m delighted about that!

I just initially wanted to inform you of my progress and first-hand experience, but as I gather tips along the way or have any hiccups (not literally - I get them all the time!), notice progress in my smile (eeek! That’s exciting me already!) I’ll be sure to share, along with photos! Keep sending in your questions and I’ll be sure to cover them too!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the first chapter of my experience with clear braces. It hasn’t hindered my smile whatsoever, in fact, it’s massively improved it - in every sense! On that note, I just have to say a huge thank you to Dental Options in Clane for making this process so easy and care-free. Here’s their Facebook page if you wanted to check them out for yourselves!

I’m just so glad I finally went ahead with it. It’s true what they say, you only regret the things you don’t do! Be sure to catch me on my various social media sites to see more regularly updated posts and videos - plus all the other fun stuff too!

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Thanks for reading!

Martha x