Summer's Clear Correct Journey, Step 1 - Step 2

Step 1 (my first 3 weeks) is over and I have to admit, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The first few days, as I mentioned, were a little iffy but looking back, I think it was mostly because of how new it all was. I am supposed to wear the aligner for 22 hours a day and I do worry about that on a regular basis. Sometimes while I'm drinking my coffee, I may accidentally let an hour slip by without even thinking about it being out (I'm a sipper, not a gulper). Then, I also feel like I have to brush and floss my teeth after I snack or eat a meal, so that adds more time away from my aligner. I even accidentally left it at work one day when I left for the afternoon! Oops! Because of that I added an extra day to my 3 week time period.

So all and all, it went well. It is different having to think about where and when you take them out (think middle school retainer, wrapping it in a napkin and having to tell your parents you accidentally threw it away with your lunch tray!). Luckily they come with 2 cases and I keep one at work and one in my car. I keep one in my car for lunch dates, meetings etc where I may be eating and don't want to put my aligner in a napkin in my pocket! 

I started Step 2 about a week ago and I will say, I was scared again. Like, really worried. It was so much tighter! A few hours later, I was much better and I quickly remembered that Step 1 felt exactly the same. I remember thinking I wouldn't be able to sleep or eat anything that wasn't pureed. Alas, all is well. It was tighter for about 24 hours then started to feel "normal" again. 9 months seems like a really long time, but I keep reminding myself that I only have 8 months left and this is way better than middle school when I wore braces for YEARS! 

Summer