Invisalign Update. #2 -How I clean them.

Hellooo,

So it's been about a month since I got my first tray fitted and I've been steadily getting used to having them in and the extended cleaning routine. Each time I eat I take the aligners out and when I'm finished eating I clean them and my my own teeth!

1. Toothpaste
As far I'm aware any tootpaste will sufice. I used this one because I feel like the baking soda in it really does a good job of thoroughly cleaning the teeth whether you have braces or not!

2.Floss 
I was always really bad for flossing, I just couldn't get into a routine of remembering to do it but because my teeth are quite crowded, they were peared down quite a bit in places to allow for movement so there's fairly large gaps between some of my teeth! With that being said, it's probably better not to have lots of food caught in between while they're trying to move..eww nuff' said..

3. Mouthwash
The main thing when picking a mouthwash is making sure it's alcohol free! Primarily because it's just not needed and because it makes my mouth super dry while leaving a strange after taste.

Extra tips:
I made the mistake of drinking herbal tea which stained my first tray pretty bad, despite allowing it to allowing it cool and drinking through a straw! So I would definitely steer clear of hot drinks regardless and coloured or fizzy drinks.

Each of these cost me €1.50 at Dealz(Poundland) which is such a steal!

Have you evere had braces? If so, what's your advice?

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Invisalign Journey #1.

Hellooo,

So on Tuesday I got my first tray of invisalign retainers and thought it would be useful to document the journey here! Now that I've had them on for a good few days I think I can talk frankly about my feels about it all up to this point.

So to start off, I have pretty bad teeth. Like most people, having a not so pretty smile can really affect your confidence and braces have been something I've wanted for years now so I was beyond excited to start this process!
One side of my mouth is fairly presentable but the other is just a mess! I have a mixture of crooked teeth along with teeth that are stuck too far up in the gums. My overbite is normal, thank god but because of the severity of the "crookedness", it's going to take a lot to get my pearly whites straight!

If you aren't sure what invisalign or clear braces are they're basically the removable retainer version of traditional braces. I can take them out when eating and pop them back in after cleaning, meaning they're much more hygienic! You get different trays to change every 2 weeks as your teeth move with the occasional check up needed every 6 or 8 weeks, depending on what stage you're at. It should also be noted that the optimal wear is 21 hours a day so try and make sure you don't leave them off for hours while eating!

I'll have them on for about 18 months in total. I also have 10 attachments on my upper front teeth. (If you didn't know, the attachments are these little white lumps that are glued to your teeth to help the movement process, the same as the ones you would have with normal, "train track" braces!) I also have about 4 altogether on my bottom front teeth. These are going to really speed up the movement and overall process! Because of these attachments I found it really difficult to remove the top retainer for the first 2,maybe 3 days. The attachments mean I can't pull straight down like most people can, but rather I have to manoeuvre them a lot more to get them off!

So make sure to follow if you're thinking of getting invisalign yourself and see how the process works.I'll also be doing a post on how I care for the aligners and my teeth!

Have you ever had invisalign?