April 25, 2006 (Tuesday)

After several days of wearing the trays, the tenderness has centralized in the back teeth, mainly on the left side (molars) – even when the trays are out. For the first time, it hurts to chew in the back on that side. On the upside, removing the trays is becoming a little easier. My bite is still not fitting together. When I remove the trays, it feels like my front teeth don’t match up anymore. The bottom teeth feel like they are tipping out slightly. The trays definitely have cut out my snacking - and now, I don't waste any time when I eat. I finish my meal and go straight to brush my teeth AND the trays, and then I pop them right back in. I've had to get used to brushing after lunch at work. I'm a former braces wearer (had them in high school), and compared to those, the trays are definitely inconvenient. I miss gum and mints - I only drink water while the trays are in.