Voluntary torture

Voluntary torture

If you're ever thinking of getting your teeth straightened, consider that you're subjecting yourself to voluntary torture.

My dentist/orthodontist recommended that I get braces a few months ago. I do admit that my teeth used to be straight, and now they're overlapping in some areas, crowding in others. It was getting very difficult to clean some of my front teeth because of how they've shifted around. Okay, so I figured that I should get the whole teeth-straightening thing done.

Lucky for me, technology is such that I have the option of using invisible aligners as opposed to traditional braces. I heard all the great things about them: they're virtually invisible (so no one knows you've got them on), they're easier to keep your teeth clean, and you can eat anything you want because you take the trays out when you eat. My orthodontist was very excited about a new line of aligners called OrthoClear, so that's what I chose for my treatment.

I'll only need about a year to completely straighten my teeth. And they provide you with a 3D digital movie showing how your teeth move into place from start to finish. Very cool stuff! I didn't know my teeth could get so straight!

What they don't tell you is the PAIN involved with the treatment! Everyone's all 'puppies and rainbows' when they tell you about how the process works. Yeah, RIGHT.

Trays must be replaced with a new 'stage' every three weeks. When you put the first tray in, it feels very snug, but not painful. You think, "Hey, this isn't so bad!". A few hours later, your teeth ache to the point that you don't even want to eat a piece of jello. It feels like your jaw got trampled by a herd of wildebeest.

The bad news is that this pain lasts for 2-3 days at the beginning of each new tray. The pain is worse when I take the trays out to eat. I have approx. 20 trays to go. I take a mix of Tylenol and Valium and take the day off of work when beginning new trays. No point dealing with people when it hurts to talk.

The good news is that: 1) You don't want to bother with eating much when starting new trays, so it's a great way to lose weight! 2) The pain does go away after 2-3 days, and then it's just a matter of wearing the trays for about 3 weeks. They do get comfortable once the teeth have moved into place. 3) You must brush and floss after each time you eat. So you're forced to have incredible dental hygiene. I brush and floss thoroughly 3 times a day now, and even with my (still) crooked teeth, they're REALLY white!