Smiles Ahead: My Invisalign Journey

It's been a while since I posted an Invisalign update! You'll be happy to know I'm still going strong with them, continuing to change my trays every 2 weeks or so. I'm noticing great progress just by the little things - the fact I actually get food stuck in my teeth now they're not so crowded, the fact my front teeth aren't so pushed together I can actually feel the back of them - small things like that make me happy because it means I know the Invisalign are working.

I was a little curious as to how my appointments with David McConville would work since moving up to Athlone for college. Turns out I didn't have to panic - the day before I moved away David gave me the remainder of my Invisalign trays so I could continue on with them at home. Check-ups aren't a problem because the team at David McConville are so understanding and friendly they work around me, so I can make appointments for whenever I go back home to Sligo. I have an appointment in the middle of February for 6.35 p.m. - so I don't even have to miss college for it! I love the flexibility of having Invisalign rather than ordinary braces which require a lot of upkeep.

I also wondered when I started college if anyone would notice I had Invisalign (mostly because I get a bit saliva-y for a day or two when I change my trays and accidentally spit at people like some kind of llama). No one noticed a thing, so one day when I casually announced I had braces everyone thought I was joking! They really are undetectable in everyday life. Because I'm studying a Business course it requires us to do presentations, and I feel so much more confident knowing my teeth are getting straighter and straighter without anyone noticing. I've even noticed myself smiling more.

(P.S sorry for the grimace, because I'm not used to smiling with my teeth I don't quite know how to without looking slightly deranged!)

Here's a pic of how my teeth looked before starting Invisalign. As you can see, my right canine tooth isn't even visible and my left one is hidden behind the front tooth. Now you can see that from my treatment, both teeth are emerging.

I've estimated all going well I should be finished my treatment around September which is amazing - I could have a brand new smile in time for the new college year, and my birthday! My bottom teeth look almost completely straight and my top teeth are a huge improvement too - I never thought I'd be able to see my two crowded teeth fully emerge.  I'll continue to keep you posted on how my treatment is going! If you're interested in Invisalign check out David McConville on Facebook here.

Reflecting

Hey blog, it's been a while! Happy New Year to you all. After a blissful Christmas break full of vegging out and eating rubbish, I decided it was time to get my blogging mojo back. I was so busy with exams and love and life I forgot to take some time for myself to focus on the blog. 

My mum mentioned to me that she'd read my previous New Year's blog and that it was interesting to see the changes in my life from just a year. 

Education: This time last year I was a couple of months into a JobBridge internship, now I'm gaining even more experience by completing an Accounting Technicians course. I hope to continue my studies further and get a level 6 in Business Administration, which is what I want to pursue as a career. 

Love life: This time last year I was single and probably wailing into a bag of crisps about how I'd never get a boyfriend - now I'm going out with the man I love who is basically like the missing part of me. In a previous blog I pondered over whether or not I'd ever find someone to dance in the kitchen with me, and now I've found him.

Family: My family life is still as strong as ever. It must be a bit of a change for my parents to have to adjust to me having a serious boyfriend and going to his every weekend but my family are fantastic about it, they've been so supportive and I love them so very much!

Lifestyle: I've been 100% dairy-free for a while now due to becoming intolerant to dairy, and I have to say I find the added health benefits amazing. My skin is clearer, I get less migraines and I haven't had a cold in absolutely ages. I plan on doing a blog about going dairy-free so stay tuned for that if it's something you'd like to try in 2016! I'm also eating meat a lot less now, partly because my boyfriend is a vegetarian but also because my body feels great when I eat this way.

Other notable experiences: Got Invisalign braces. Went to Holland. Went glamping. Learned it's ok to be unsure. Learned that no matter how hard you try, some people just won't be happy for you and that's okay. Volunteered for the Fleadh. Got a new dog. Tried snorkelling and stand-up paddling. Stopped caring so much about what other people think. Inched a little further towards getting my driving licence. Got a tattoo. Turned 20. 

Not bad for a year's work.

Have you been reflecting on the past year? Let me know what you've achieved or want to achieve this year!

Getting Attached: My Invisalign Experience #2

I'm back with another Invisalign blog! I'm now on my 3rd aligner tray and about 5 weeks into my treatment. Time flies eh?! It gets easier and easier as the treatment goes on. Yesterday I had to pop into David McConville to get my attachments (or buttons, whatever you want to call them) put on. If you don't know what attachments are and see Invisalign bloggers mention them, they're basically bumps of filling material placed onto the teeth. They click into place on the aligners and help rotate or push teeth back, sort of like elastics on traditional wire braces.

I was a little scared as I've heard horror stories about getting these put on but I reminded myself this is the hardest bit and if I can do this I'll be over the worst of it. David had a quick check to see how my teeth are fitting into the aligners (all good, phew!) and then got started. He put a massive plastic contraption in my mouth to keep my cheeks away from my teeth - wouldn't want skin glued to my teeth!

Next, my teeth were dried with air and any saliva was sucked up. The teeth must be really dry to get the glue to adhere. This was all totally fine. He placed a bit of the adhesive on each tooth which needed an attachment. I must say, the glue tastes GROSS. It's bitter and yucky, so make sure you don't swallow any if you can avoid it! The glue was then rinsed off with some cold water. This was very uncomfortable for me simply because one of my teeth has a large silver filling in it and it was verrrrry sensitive to the cold water. I did a bit of hand clenching at this point!

David piped some filling material into the template aligners - so he knew exactly where to place them - then placed them over my teeth and cured them with a UV light. Top teeth attachments - done!

The process was the exact same on the bottom. Dry, glue, rinse, dry, pipe, cure, done. The last step was to polish the attachments so they weren't all rough in my mouth. This was the most uncomfortable part. It didn't hurt by any means, but the polishing tool made the high pitched whistle of a filling drill and it brought back awful memories of being in the dentist chair! Still, it was done after about 60 seconds and then I was free to go. It took a bit of manipulating and wiggling to put my aligners back on but I did it.

When I got home I was absolutely starving so I attempted to pop the aligners out to eat. I won't lie, after about 10 minutes of trying to pry them off I was getting quite frustrated almost to the point of tears, but I finally did it. David suggested using my nail to pull them off but my nails got filed down the same day so this wasn't possible. In the end I used a dental explorer - I believe that's what they're called - a hook like metal contraption they often use to scrape your teeth at the dentist. It worked a treat! And I didn't pull any teeth out in the process. Success. Update: Day 2. The aligners are much easier to take out now - it doesn't hurt at all.

If you're worried about getting the attachments I hope this provided some solace. It's not pleasant by any means but it's certainly not awful! It's all over in around 30 minutes and then you can think about how great your teeth will look at the end of your treatment. I can't wait to see the changes now I've had 2 teeth out to make space and have the attachments on - stay tuned!

Brace Yourself: My Invisalign Experience #1

If you've been reading my blog for a while or read my past few Invisalign blogs (here and here) you'll know I am currently in the process of getting Invisalign braces. Yesterday, after about a 6 week wait for my custom made aligners, it was finally time to get them put on. Before my appointment I was filled with nerves and excitement. It felt so weird to know I was finally getting braces after years of hiding my teeth!

After a short wait it was time to head in to see David. He made me sit in the chair and showed me the clear plastic aligners he was about to click on to my teeth. Mum came in to take some photos - which I'm sure David was over the moon with ;-) 

David made it look so easy to get the aligners in, when he gave me the bottom ones to try and put in myself I didn't realise there was a knack to it! After a bit of a fiddle around they were clipped into place. I wouldn't say they were painful to put on, just very tight. There's a certain pressure while wearing them, which is to be expected seeing as you're essentially moving your teeth with an appliance in your mouth that you're not used to.

David explained a few do's and don'ts with the aligners. The standard rule is to wear them for 22 hours a day and to only take them out to eat and drink. He explained you can drink water and clear sugarfree drinks with them in, but that anything else would get trapped in the aligners and could cause decay.

The Invisalign labs send your orthodontist a digital timelapse of the progress that will be made with each aligner. The end result was an incredible difference - if my teeth look that straight by the end of my treatment I'll be thrilled! After receiving a very exciting Invisalign 'goodie bag' containing 2 aligner cases, some Retainer Brite tablets to clean them, a crochet hook kinda thing to remove them and my next 2 aligners, I was all done! As per the name, they are practically invisible. No one noticed I was wearing them until I told them - it's amazing how far we've come from wires and brackets.

Each aligner has to be worn for 2 weeks, but the 2 extractions I need done to make room must be done before I put the next set of aligners in. So far, I'm finding them quite comfortable to wear. There is some mild discomfort and pressure as I mentioned but today is day 2 and things are a lot more comfortable. I slept like a baby the whole night through! I did pop a Nurofen before bedtime just in case I was woken up during the night but I can't see this being a problem. 

Below: L-R: My teeth at the moment, how they'll look after the extractions, and how they should look at the end of my treatment.

The only thing I am having difficulty with is taking the aligners off. As my front top teeth are very overcrowded the aligners are very tight in this area so I am scared I'm going to pop a tooth off whenever I take off the aligners! This is a totally irrational fear, of course. Today I'm finding it much easier to remove them - they're on and off in two minutes. Everything is a little bit saliva-y at the moment because my mouth isn't used to the aligners just yet, so every time I speak I feel like I should hand around umbrellas. Very attractive. Eating is also fine, it hurts a little but I haven't had to liquidise my food just yet. Ooh yeah, look at me now.

If you're looking to invest in your smile and give Invisalign a go for yourself, there's no better person than David. I felt so comfortable throughout the whole process and I have no doubt everything will go smoothly! I'll be sure to keep you all updated - hopefully it will help even one person by reading about my personal experience.

Check out David McConville Orthodontics here and on Facebook here.

First Impressions

As some of you may know, a while ago I popped along to David McConville Orthodontics in Quayside, Sligo, to have a consultation for braces. For as long as I can remember I've been uncomfortable with my crooked, overcrowded teeth and I was fed up of having to hide my mouth behind my hand any time I laughed, smiled or even yawned. I decided to bite (ha) the bullet and go for Invisalign braces. Invisalign seemed to be the best choice for subtlety, aesthetics and comfortable treatment. I won't lie, the thought of traditional braces scared me a bit!

After some gruelling necessary dental work, I was finally able to get my impressions (moulds) done for the Invisalign aligners - yesterday was the big day. I was a little apprehensive as I'd read some horror stories about neon goo running down people's throats. Probably not the best idea to look it up before getting it done...

I walked into the bright, clean and stylish clinic that David McConville is known for and waited to be seen. First things first I needed a full x-ray. A lovely dental nurse led me into a side room that contained a machine that looked like it was out of a space station. I had to stand under the hood of the machine and hold onto two handlebars whilst biting onto a piece of plastic. The nurse pressed a few things and after a few beeps and a bit of whirring and swivelling, the full mouth x-ray was done. I won't lie, it was pretty tech-y and cool!

(P.S sorry for the photos, it's hard to look attractive when you have a bit of plastic in your mouth and someone poking green goo in there!)

After my x-ray I was led into another sideroom and got a photoshoot. I had to smile and get pictures from all angles (I dread to think what those photos look like), then lie down and hold my gums apart with two plastic yokes that looked a bit like ice cream scoops. Sounds unpleasant but I promise the most unpleasant bit was knowing I had a double chin going on when I was lying down.

Then it was time for the real action to begin. David greeted me and after a few pictures (and David complaining about being in them) I relaxed into the massaging dental chair (still haven't gotten over that). He started by having a quick check of my teeth and then got me to bite down hard onto a retainer filled with putty, top and bottom. After pressing down to make sure the shapes of my teeth were embedded into the putty, it was onto the second (and last) stage. The dental nurse piped neon green goo into the plastic retainers, which were then placed into my mouth and pressed hard against my teeth. I'm being totally honest when I say I didn't feel uncomfortable one bit, and you know how bad I am with dental work. David held the retainers against my teeth for a couple of minutes and then prised it off. The only thing to note is there is a little bit of pressure and a slight 'pop' as they come off as the putty is sealed pretty tightly to your teeth, but there was absolutely no pain or discomfort. David has such a pleasant and calm disposition so it's easy to feel comfortable in his presence.

David told me to have a rinse as I had some green goo on my face/lip like I'd just been to a rave, and then he said I was all done. I was so amazed how quickly the whole process was, the moulds took only took about 10 minutes! 

Now all that's left to do is wait. The moulds are sent to the Invisalign labs and the aligners take around 7 weeks to arrive so my next appointment is the end of July. If you're thinking of taking the plunge and getting braces be sure to keep an eye on my blog and I'll keep you updated!

Check out David McConville here.

Still Smiling

If you've read my blog before or even know me in person, you'll know I have an extreme phobia of going to the dentist. Everything about it - from the smell to the sounds to the waiting area - gives me the chills thinking about it and I'm not sure I'll ever fully get out of that mentality.

So, when I made an appointment to visit David and the crew at David McConville Orthodontics in Quayside, Sligo, I spent most of the day unable to concentrate at work. Of course, David McConville is an extremely popular orthodontist and I'd heard rave reviews about them, but I still couldn't quite relax. Until I went there.

The first thing I noticed (after realising how unfit I am from walking up the stairs) was the fact it didn't look like a dentist. By the front door, a wall was covered in pictures of photogenic people with perfectly straight smiles - all patients of David McConville. The waiting area had the appearance of a beauty salon or a posh hotel reception. It was bright and airy with glossy black tiles and velvety grey sofas. Now, I may be shallow, but I do base businesses on their appearances first off, and this definitely didn't disappoint. I actually feel more relaxed if I walk into a place and it has nice décor. I sank into the plush sofa while I waited and read a leaflet about Invisalign to weigh my options up.

No real teeth were harmed in the making of these models.

Ever since I can remember, I've had a fixation on how my teeth look. I sucked my thumb excessively as a child and this led to bad overcrowding and misalignment of my teeth. I never smile with my teeth, if I laugh or yawn I cover my mouth, and I feel self conscious about them in general. I envy all my friends who have nice straight teeth and can smile without giving it a second thought and it was getting me down - so I decided now was the time to do something about it.

Although my stomach lurched when my name was called, I took a deep breath and walked into the treatment room. I was immediately greeted by David and he invited me to sit on the black leather dentist chair. I was pleasantly surprised when I did - not only was it the comfiest dentist chair I've ever sat in, it also massaged my back. Dentistry had never felt this comfortable before! Bonus points for the fact Ellie Goulding was playing in the background - basically my dream dentist experience (all that was missing was Jamie Dornan feeding me strawberries but I'll let them off for that one). I know those may be little things to most of you, but if you have dental fear you'll know it's so important to feel comfortable and I think the right setting is vital for this.

By this point I'd relaxed considerably and David started to examine my teeth. He got me to bite and open my mouth a few times to determine how my teeth were aligned. He gave me a mirror so I could see what he was doing which I appreciated a lot as I felt more in control with the whole experience - usually when you're in the dentist chair you feel a loss of control, this was not the case here. After a quick look he told me my teeth were misaligned - the bottom ones jut out under the top when I bite down, which isn't right. Apparently this is a problem with how my jaw is shaped and would have to be corrected with surgery if I needed it done (thankfully he said it wouldn't be too big of a problem). I knew something was wrong with my face all this time, thanks mum.

He explained that because of the overcrowding on top I'd need to have 2 teeth taken out, which I was surprisingly ok with. He showed me the three choices I had - steel brackets, ceramic brackets or Invisalign. As is the same with everything, there are pros and cons to each. The brackets are quicker but cosmetically they don't look as good as the Invisalign which is barely noticeable. Invisalign takes slightly longer to work but you can take them on and off to eat and brush your teeth, which is a big plus as I was worried about having difficulty brushing with braces. To be perfectly honest, cosmetically it wouldn't make a huge difference to me if I got train tracks or Invisalign as either way my teeth would be hugely improved.

Having a poke around!

We talked a bit more about the differences between the choices and how I'd need to have any dental work done before I get the braces - otherwise, as he said, it'd be like putting the cart before the donkey, and as I said, it'd be like putting the roof on before building the house! So that's the next step before I can continue on my journey to being able to smile and think nothing of it.

I entered the orthodontist wondering if I could just make a homemade brace myself out of a rubber band and some superglue and left feeling relaxed and optimistic. And for me to be comfortable with something like this is a big achievement.

I'll be sure to keep you updated on the whole braces progress and fingers (and teeth) crossed it goes well - but with David McConville on the case I have no doubt it will.

David McConville are on Facebook here.