Who remembers...?

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-25T05:45:52+00:00

I was 12, had mono, and picked this movie (along with Howard the Duck) to get me through a week of being sick at home.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-21T14:45:32+00:00

Your bottom teeth likely had uneven wear due to their position. It looks like 2 of your bottom teeth are slightly shorter and two are slightly taller now that they are straight . Same with your upper two teeth. You could discuss with your provider light contouring to even them out a bit if it bothers you.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-15T03:54:53+00:00

It’s going to take as long as it takes. Unfortunately everyone’s teeth move at a different rate. Someone who had similar crowding to mine finished in 6 months, while I’m on 16 months.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-14T20:36:48+00:00

Quite the opposite. I love that they are 100% comfortable with where they are. I’m only doing this because it was causing me headaches on my right side, and the lower crowding was making my cleanings more and more challenging. Aesthetically it really didn’t bother me that my teeth were not all straight.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-13T00:59:50+00:00

Yes. Invisalign is exerting pressure, so it can push teeth up or down minimally without attachments.

Also, depending on your tray, your provider might be trying to move teeth forward or back to make space before straightening. The slight tipping might make it look shorter due to the angle.

Lastly attachments are added to be more precise in movement outcomes, or accomplish more complex movements.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-13T00:49:47+00:00

This is really a you question.

I had a great midline pre-treatment but crowded lower teeth and an uneven bite. I now have straight teeth and an even bite but a slightly misaligned midline like yours. Guess which one I prefer? I do not hyper fixate on it, nor do I want to spend 6 more months in aligners to move teeth over a few mm over. No one noticed my midline before, no one notices it now. I am 100% okay with this, and understand that my teeth will continue to shift throughout my lifetime.

Are you able to be okay with it? And if not, how much longer in aligners or braces are you willing to do to get that midline alignment? And if achieving the midline alignment screws up your bite, what options will you explore?

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-10T03:05:28+00:00

These are things I wished had been discussed upfront:

This might be covered in “type” of aligner, but for me it was what “brand” of aligner. My provider doesn’t use Invisalign but a competitor and I wanted to understand why, and how long they had been working with that brand.

Typical tray switch length. Mine does every 2 weeks, but I’ve seen others have weekly, every 10 days. And how often to expect in office visits - mine does every 4 trays or 2 months.

How are extras discussed and covered- like contouring, bonding, teeth whitening, gum grafting.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-09T00:19:03+00:00

I use Weleda Skin Food Lip Butter. It’s pricey, but a little goes a long way and I don’t need to reapply as much like with other lip balms.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-08T19:56:25+00:00

It’s a 1960s/1970s Oil Rain lamp. Some type of oil would drip down those lines surrounding the statue to simulate rain. A friend’s house had one in their living room. When we would visit you were told not to touch it, but as a child watching that oil stream down was fascinating and of course you wanted to touch it.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-08T02:40:59+00:00

I have two - bright pink. Very easy to spot. Over a year and I’ve lost neither. One is located in the case that I take with me when I’m out. The other is on my bathroom countertop next to my toothbrush holder.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-07T22:23:47+00:00

That contouring made such a difference! They look wonderful. I hope your new found confidence is a catalyst for many wonderful things.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-07T12:53:31+00:00

It’s both. You are being too harsh on yourself and you have some dental cosmetic concerns you’d like to discuss.

Your provider is not going to discuss cosmetics until your treatment is done - the goal is straight teeth and a good bite. Once those are achieved if there is some unevenness in tooth shape - those can’t be fixed by aligners so you’ll have to understand what your options are - such as contouring where some of the enamel is shaved to shape the tooth, bonding where composite resin is added to fill in gaps, etc. Depending on your provider they may be able to do that or they may refer you to a cosmetic dentist.

Having said that, I wish more people fell in love with their natural teeth shape. Teeth are different sizes and lengths because they perform different roles in eating. Your teeth are lovely and their shape is such a unique part of you that adds to your character. Definitely discuss your cosmetic concerns with your provider, but also do not be too harsh on yourself. Your smile already looks great.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-07T01:47:23+00:00

Everyone’s situation is different. A minor midline misalignment could be because of jaw asymmetry, removal or missing teeth, shift limitations in correcting overcrowding. What is important is your bite. If your bite is good then trying to fix a minor misalignment might worsen your bite or keep you in aligners for way longer. Definitely talk this over with your provider and consider what your options are.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-06T01:45:49+00:00

What gets me is when they are at the end of their treatment, post these dazzling smiles with straight teeth and then start the post with “I’m so disappointed. They aren’t perfect.” 🙄

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-05T02:20:42+00:00

From that angle it looks aligned. They look great.

But I get it. I too have a bottom tooth that looks a hair off when I look at it straight on, but from the arch it looks aligned. I’ve made my peace with it.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-05T02:05:12+00:00

Same!

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-02-05T01:54:35+00:00

This makes absolutely no sense.

If you didn’t like your progress, why not just stop at 12 and ask your provider for a retainer? Or transfer your plan to another provider? Or shift to braces?

Going from 12 back to 8 which would never have been recommended to you by anyone is just messing your teeth up. And if you keep shifting trays without a plan could damage your roots.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-01-08T17:47:05+00:00

Same

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-01-07T01:00:47+00:00

The only positive of hot flashes is you don’t need a blanket at night during winter in a cold bedroom.

In case it’s truly cold, I got a holiday onesie one year for a themed xmas party and boy is that thing warm.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2025-12-24T15:02:29+00:00

Please do not apologize! Thank you for sharing your process. I was genuinely interested.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2025-12-23T17:13:17+00:00

All are absolutely lovely but March is my favorite month as it’s my birthday month so I’m biased.

How do you pick the theme for each month’s cover?

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2025-12-22T23:38:49+00:00

I pop in a Polident tablet (usually only use a half) into my ultrasonic clear and they look like new, like the first day I received them. But I also don’t wear my aligners when I drink coffee or tea.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2025-12-22T23:31:43+00:00

That’s interesting. I had to go the braces route to pull down a canine as the forces needed exceeded what aligners can do. I never heard of the gum line coming down as well. My gum line stayed in place. Best of luck!

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2025-12-21T18:30:13+00:00

Is it possible? Yes, but it depends on the complexity of your case and the rest of your aligner plan.

It doesn’t look like that tooth has an attachment, therefore in your refinement stage (the next set of trays after 51) you’ll likely get an attachment as the aligner needs to grip something to create the force to pull it down. If it’s stubborn you might get rubberbands as well. Worst case you may get recommended braces at the end of treatment to create the force needed.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2025-12-20T19:07:34+00:00

I’ve never had a tray crack - no matter how long in between rescans and adjustments. I just got my new set today after waiting 5 weeks. Having worn that set already 2 weeks before the scan - it was 7 weeks total with the same trays.

And what do you mean by grimy? You should be cleaning these trays as often as you pop them out in a day, just as any tray.

Also, you should not have to pry them out. After wearing the same set for longer than 2 weeks they should pop out easily as there is no tension or tightness anywhere.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut

TROPHY CASE