Delivery Day

One day about 3 weeks after my scan and prescription was sent off to Invisalign, my co-worker, Katie, informed me that my aligners had arrived.  Here’s where I’ve gotta make a confession.  I wasn’t really that anxious to get started.  Don’t get me wrong.  I wanted things fixed.  I wanted to do this.  I am the one that started this process.  It’s just that I wasn’t looking forward to enduring the sensitivity of movement in my teeth or having to wear something over my teeth or worry about taking them out to eat.  It was like the reality of what I was about to do was suddenly sinking in, but having said all that, I was all in with this.  

No matter if I was ready or not, it actually took me a couple more weeks to get to it.  I was sitting at my desk one day when my co-worker, Dee, came up to me and asked, “Invisalign.  You ready?”

I just looked at her for a moment, maybe just processing what she said, but I said, “Absolutely.  Let’s do it.”  She took me to the back, sat me in an exam chair, and we were off!  

The appointment to start Invisalign is about an hour long.  Why?  I mean, there aren’t any brackets or wires, so why is it an hour?

The answer is simple.  While there aren’t any of the brackets and wires involved in braces, there are “bumps” or “attachments” which are tooth-colored that are bonded, or glued, to the teeth that aid in movement of the teeth.  Without them, the Invisalign aligners don’t really have anything to grip on to in order to direct movement effectively.  Putting the attachments on the teeth takes a little time, thus the hour long appointment.

When Dr. Maginnis receives the aligners from Invisalign also included are the attachments.  The teeth have to be prepared and those attachments bonded to the corresponding teeth.  It is a simple enough process but it just takes a little time.  And you get to wear one of those ever-funny cheek retractors that has become a popular game.  Ha!  “Fun with Cheek Retractors!”

Is it just me, or does it always seem like the dentist always wants to chat when you’ve got tools in your mouth, and the orthodontist wants to chat while you’ve got cheek retractors in?  My kids, both teenagers, recently had a weird sort of debate in the middle of our living room about this very topic.  My daughter insisted that a conversation could not be had while sitting in the chair with those things in your mouth, but my son insisted that it could be done, and proceeded to demonstrate.  With his fingers.  It was weird. I’m not sure who won the argument, because I left the room.  Sometimes, folks, you just have to leave the room, especially when teenagers are having ridiculous arguments.

As I was saying, I knew I’d be in the chair for an hour, so I got comfortable and opened up the “notes” app on my phone in case conversation became necessary.

The hour-long estimation is pretty accurate.  It took an hour to prep my teeth, bond the attachments, and show me how to put the aligners in and take them out.

That first day, the aligners felt bizarre.  A little snug, a little “thick,” and a lot of saliva.  It just couldn’t quit.  It’s like my mouth knew something was in there and was trying to wash it away.  Talking was ok, but the “s” sound was a little lispy, but overall, it wasn’t bad.  Not at all!  I found them to be more comfortable than braces ever were, but there would have to be an adjustment period.

My first set of instructions were to remove them when I eat, to wash them with cold water, and when removing them, be sure to remove them from the back first, so pop them off the molars and then pull them down and off the teeth; however, when putting the aligners in, push them onto the front teeth first and then the back teeth.

That’s it, y’all.  One scan.  One hour for “installation.”  Next appointment would be 10 weeks away for an “aligner check.”  Now it was time to settle in, wear the aligners faithfully, and let them go to work.