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Invisalign progress journal 1 (month 1)

Writer's picture: TCOTCO

Updated: Jan 9, 2022

I started my invisalign treatment on 30 November, 2021. That was after my slow processes of taking off an extra tooth in October and two wisdom teeth back in 2019. You can find many blog posts on the same subject. Here is my story.


I contacted a local dentist in Toronto back in 2019, but did not put things into action until earlier this year. Fast forward in November, the plan cost me $6000 (CAD) and not including dental care which I now expect to be $4000 in the coming months. After the first appointment on 30 Nov, I got stage 1, or week 1, aligners intended for 2 weeks. I am 3 days from using the stage 2 ones. If it will take 1 whole calendar year, then I will have used 26 sets by next December.


There are quite a few things to know. Again, you can always search the web, but my findings as a regular patient are these.

-first of all, invisalign, or at least for the duration of the treatment, you have to change your dietary habits. I gave up coffee to do this, although I just had black tea again, and every day, before writing this. Also, I've had difficulties biting meat, so I've had softer proteins these days. Also, to wear invisalign 22 hours a day, and I am on average short of 10-20 minutes every day actually, you should also eat "faster". I eat very slowly as a habit and I still do.

-yes, you do speak with a slight lisp.

-right now, I do feel pressure in my teeth being pulled or pushed.

-the rubber bands are crucial. Aligners alone don't do much at all.

-the metal aligners can come off if you don't take enough care. You should consult your dentist on this.

-I think overall the best about invisalign is the other aligners are attached to your teeth. I have like 14 of them right now. This is very different from the traditional braces in which case the aligners are all metal. Even with the little hooks on the invisalign to hold the rubber bands, I do sometimes feel the hooks are scratching my mouth.


I am not writing medical stuff here, but I am not shy in posting my teeth. Zero graphic content, but scroll if you think it's, you know, unsightly.

It has been inspiring how I learned a lot of dental vocab - I didn't know this much of dentistry in English. Before the aligners, my dentist reduced or cut a small gap in my lower (central) incisors. The little vertical line is the reduction site.


Obviously, my primary issue is my upper (central) incisors did not have enough space to grow, so I've looked like a rabbit for most of my life (I accept that adjective too and I will). And other teeth are slightly misaligned. I maintain all 28 regular teeth, having my lower third molars removed (above), and I never had upper third molars.


Another minor inspiring thing is I absolutely at least floss once and brush once every day to wear the aligners. It is a must. I currently eat twice a day, and each meal has to be larger than I already had for only two daily meals. Also for this purpose, there is the invisalign app to track your time while you are not wearing invisalign. I swear by it.


I'll probably expand this discussion later on. Ideally, in one exact year, I'll have my incisors well aligned, and flossing will be even easier than now. Yes, I do feel flossing is a little easier than previously. Like, I already had my incisors slightly reduced for that purpose.


update on Dec 20:

After 3 weeks, my mouth looks like this. I finished the filling for another two teeth (left side, also left side pictured) to prevent cavities and I did five in total. I will have 56 sets of aligners and I did 14 days with set 1 and 1 week for set 2. Today, I have set 3 for 10 days, followed by another 10 days and 10 more days with sets 4 and 5. Each month of course costs $450. At least for now, it means 51 days for 5 sets. So in theory I could beat the course in 1 year.



aligners set 2 and set 3
Sets 2 and 3

I am very used to aligners by now and keep the good habits of:

  • only 2 hours at most daily for eating, and reduce the time for other things during eating

  • also only 2 meals, given the effort needed for cleaning up

  • I don't skip flossing and brushing every single day

  • I don't exactly eat less, but definitely far less extra things

Does this also correct my other bad habits? Possibly. My birthday is coming up but I still will keep the aligners on for most of that day. If I keep this blog going, I'll also see minor but crucial changes.

26 Dec

More than 1 month after:


3 Jan

Set 5:

9 Jan:


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