Smile Technology Part 3

I am now into my fourth set of aligners and I have to say it is getting so much more manageable.  I still have some limitations and frustrations, but overall I am pleased.  It hurts much less when getting into the new aligners and the pain that lasted several days is gone by the next morning.  It does still take a few minutes for the normal teeth sensation to return when I do remove them aligners to eat.

Oral hygiene has certainly improved and my teeth feel so smooth.  I've begun using a enamel hardening toothpaste since I brush anywhere from 4-6 times a day now and I am afraid of what I might be doing to the surface of my teeth.  I have also switched to a soft brush and only occasionally use a whitening toothpaste, which really doesn't do much whitening I've found.

I've really cutback on the amount of bad snacking and stuck to good snacks, mostly in the evaluation of "Is it worth it to take out the aligners, brush and floss just to eat that?"  Many times I pass.  It really helps when I'm shopping for groceries and the food samples are a plenty when I am hungry!

Drawback - eating out has presented a slight issue, but I've found a work around.  Many establishments do not keep their sink areas to the level of cleanliness that I can appreciate, so I cannot bring myself to brush and floss at their sinks.  Often times there is only room for one person in the bathroom at a time and I would be hogging the room for more than 5 minutes at a time which can be bad for other patrons.  So now what I have found myself doing is keeping a bottle of water in the car and brushing and flossing in the car.  I do get strange looks, but I am fine with that.

More to come.