The last refinements?

We hope!

I meant to hop on here last week and update, but life has been so busy lately. I took my handsome little boys to the dentist for regular cleanings (no cavities, yay!!), and got some surprising news - my last refinements were in already!

I have 7 refinements to be changed weekly, every Thursday, and if all goes as planned, I will go back in 6 weeks to have my retainer made. The top aligner remains the same but does switch out. The bottom will continue to line up the front teeth. They started me out on refinement #2 of 7. I thought that was kind of odd, but they slipped right into place... so I guess no harm?

These bad boys have been tight - particularly the bottom. When I take the bottom tray off, it tends to go flying across the bathroom and I have to pray "Please don't fall into the toilet! Please don't fall into the toilet!!!"

Anyway, hopefully this will be the end of my Invisalign treatment. I'm not sure how it will work if we move to Colorado with more refinements to be done.

The only thing I'll kind of miss is seeing the look of "WTH is that on your teeth?!" fall across someone's face after we've already been talking for quite some time. I was talking to this guy for HOURS on Saturday and just as he was mid-sentence about the Nintendo DSi for my little dude, this look washed over his face - his eyes were huge, his jaw slacked, and I knew he finally saw the aligners. I started laughing and he was like, "WTH is on your teeth?!" Braces. "What?!" I think he might get Invisalign now. :)

On the flip side, I will NOT miss having to walk through the food court and needing to turn down all of the freebies!

Tis all, y'all! I'll keep you posted!

The top is done! Yay!

So all month long, I had it marked on my calendar that I had an Invisalign appointment today at 0930. Sal took off work so that he could keep the kids. Last night, I was looking through my wallet and found the appt reminder card and guess what? My appointment wasn't today, it was scheduled for FRIDAY at 0930. Crap! I felt like such a dummy.

Anywho, I talked to the office this morning and I was able to be worked into the schedule at 1 o'clock. Hooray.

My top teeth are DONE!!!! She removed all but one attachment, and I honestly think she didn't see the last one. It's fairly far back in my mouth.

My bottom teeth lack "2 refinements," as she put it. She said I'll wait a month from now to get a set of refinements to even up my bottom front teeth and should be completely done with treatment in no more than 2 months from today. The new refinements will probably include a little more filing of my teeth (YUCK) and at the end, contouring for a better appearance.

She said my bite is perfect. We talked a little more about my midline and stuff, but decided it's not worth the trouble to fix for the sake of appearances. I would have to remove and file teeth and possibly break my jaw for that. No, thanks.

Once I'm done with these next refinements, I'll get a retainer - either a plastic try, a normal orthodontic retainer, or she can bond my teeth together. She said we'll decide then.

I'm almost done!!!! Thank goodness because this spoiled brat is ready to shed the aligners FOREVER. FOR-ev-ERRRRR

#10 of 10!!

Cause for celebration? No, probably not. I highly doubt these are the last ones. Bummer. I know I'm a spoiled brat, but I'm really sick of wearing these aligners now.

My teeth look GREAT, fabulous, just like my dreams....... but in these last 2 refinement trays, something happened. The top teeth look just about perfect. In fact, they probably look just fine to anyone but me... but the bottom teeth.... yeah... they WERE in a perfect ) but now... NOW they're not. The front 4 bottom teeth are now in sets of 2. The left 2 (my left) are even with each other but are pushed further out than the right 2. The right 2 are in line with each other but are pushed further inward. I tried to take a picture but it wasn't very clear.

I'm scheduled to head back to the dentist next Thursday, when, I imagine, she'll order more impressions and refinements. Whatever happens, we better finish up before November! I'm moooooving!