13

I changed into 13 while away at work. This set didn't hurt at all. Figures, since 13 is my lucky number. In any case, I am hoping I don't have another "12" again but it isn't the end of the world it I do.
Again, there was a lot of pressure on both the tops and bottoms and the bottoms felt tighter and like always the pressure is a type of pressure that pushes IN towards my throat like it is moving the teeth back.

I also have a bit of a mess on the inside of my cheeks. This is the first time this has happened since my first aligner when my mouth was getting used to the aligners. What happened is it looks like The Carver has gotten the inside of my cheeks rather than the outside(old Nip/Tuck reference though I suppose a more fitting one would be "The Joker" since I am under the impression he cuts peoples smiles wider like the Carver did). There is a ridge that has turned white on the inside of my cheeks sort of following the line where my aligners meet. It isn't swollen anymore and is going away. At least it didn't hurt.

The gap is closing in, really exciting.

I found a link for a really great slide presentation titled "Ask the expert: using clincheck to achieve the optimal smile design"
Talks about midlines, black triangles, tooth size and proportion, overjet, buccal corridors, gingival heights of contour, incisal edge position and others that I am too lazy to type out. It is an interesting read on the ideal smile though.

http://www.aligntechinstitute.com/files/ATEArchive/pdf/Jones.Ate.May15.2008.pdf

Pictures ahoy. WARNING: Extreme close ups = gross

Just a wee update about my teeth. The soreness was gone yesterday by noon, thank goodness and it's been all good since. Bit of soreness popping the aligner off my bottom right canine because of the button. But I deal with that every couple of aligners anyway so nothing new.

I took a lot of pictures of the aligners, against different backgrounds and lighting to see what would turn out best. Turns out there is something decent about most of the ones I took so I will probably post a lot of them.

As always, click on the picture to see it REALLY well(and big)
Left: upper 1 , lower 1
Right: upper 13, lower 13(my NEXT set)
You can see how my aches widened a bit. Especially in the front of the mouth.

This is my upper number 13 and upper number 1 upside down so you can see the difference and see what the aligners look like(especially the "bridge" of plastic between the gap that I was talking about)And this is them right side up. Sorry. I couldn't get it any clearer. Damn flash.

If you click on this one you can see the details of the aligners fairly well
Just lighter. My first Top and Bottom aligners on the left, #13s on the right

On to the teeth.


This is my teeth WITH the 12th aligners on









Just wanted to show you how the aligners the look in comparison with no aligners so I am
not wearing any on the top but I am wearing my bottoms. They aren't too noticeable.





My teeth without aligners after roughly 2 days in aligners #12. My bottoms look horrible, there is a black triangle between my front two and they are even more uneven now. I don't remember my bottom teeth looking that bad but unfortunately I don't have good pictures of my bottom teeth from before I started. I know my ortho does on his dolphin program so I will look when I go in for my appointment.




My teeth sans aligners when I smile naturally.
The midline is still way off.

Overall I am happy with the results so far and I am only on the 12th aligner. I have 7 more to go on top and 6 more on the bottom. It is nice to know I am more than halfway done my initial treatment so far :)

Don't know when I will do pictures again. Probably in August or September unless I see a really huge change before then.

I have an appointment with my ortho soon so I will update after I ask him all my questions and get a check up.

Toodles!

Well.....

It finally happened.

I woke at 3:30 and my mouth was very sore. I was regretting not taking some advil last night because I couldn't sleep until 7:30(thank goodness today is Canada day and we have a holiday). It hurt if I lied on my face in a certain way(and I am a side/stomach sleeper, I can't fall asleep lying face up) and it hurt to even touch my bottom arch and top together even slightly, not even clenching. Most of the soreness was on the bottom which still baffles me! The arch must be expanding or something because most of the pain was in the premolars and first molars though it hurt virtually everywhere. Yet my two front teeth? Nothing.(this isn't me complaining!)

Oh well. I am finally paying my dues :) I was wondering what was wrong with me. At least I was scott free until my 12th aligner.

I will see if this is how it will be going for the rest of my aligners. I won't forget the advil next time!

Starting to get hungry since I haven't wanted to eat but the last time I did eat was at 4 in the afternoon yesterday and I am starting to get cranky. Wish me luck pulling these bastards off!