Friday, December 31, 2010
Aligner 7
Wow, where does the time go..... it's hard to believe 2011 is almost upon us. Apologies for not posting here for a little while.
Feel free to contact me with any questions as always.
Update on where I'm at.....I'm currently half way through aligner 7 of 28. I have noticed some subtle movement in the top teeth, but nothing too major. I mentioned in my last update that my dentist had filed a small gap between my two front teeth in order to create more room for my crowded teeth. This filing was done prior to aligner 3. I am disappointed that this was done so early, as this gap is still yet to close. I am very self conscious of it. One of the main reasons i chose Invisalign was because they were removable. My job requires that I am in front of clients a fair bit, and for these meetings, I would have preferred (and intended) to remove my Invisalign, however, I feel that the "gap" is more noticeable than the actual aligners. Something to consider if you intend on using Invisalign. It's an easy fix, just make sure your dentist does any necessary filing right before the teeth are due to move, something I incorrectly "assumed" my dentist would do. My next appointment with my dentist is in a months time, so i will discuss this with him then, and find out when the gap is likely to close.
I seem to have settled into a routine with the aligners now. The first couple of days there is discomfort as the teeth are moving, then back to normal. The biggest issue I have had over the last month or so, is eating out at at functions or parties. Since we've just been through the Christmas period, there have been more functions than usual, and found myself needing to take my aligners out more than the recommended 2 hours per day.
I have been very diligent though and added "double time". I'm not sure if that is standard invisalign practice, however my dentist has advised for whatever time you do not wear your aligner beyond the 2 hours per day you need to double that, and continue wearing it for that amount of time before changing to the next one. I managed to only add 48 hours, which wasn't too bad.
The only other complaint I have at this stage is keeping the aligners clean. I have the "invisalign crystals" but they don't seem to work as well as I would have hoped. I find that I need to spend a good 5 minutes scrubbing them with a tooth brush morning and night, particularly in the second week of wear. I guess I would prefer that they are sparkling clean, as I have heard a lot of reports of increased cavities while using invisalgn, and prefer not to go down that road.
OK, so I think that just about updates you all on where I am at today. I have posted photos of my teeth today with and without my aligners in.
Apologies if this post is somewhat negative, however, I would prefer to blog on my honest experience with this product.
Feel free to contact me with any questions as always.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Week 5, tray 3 - attachments and aligners on
It's week 5 and I'm on to my 3rd tray already. Wow, the past month has flown by! I had my attachments fitted and teeth polished yesterday. I must admit i was a little worried about the teeth polishing/filing, but it was quick and painless, so really had nothing to worry about. I have a 0.4mil gap filed between my 2 front teeth and (between a couple of my lower teeth too). Even though my dentist told me there would be a gap between my front teeth, I was still a little shocked to see it. I'm praying that the gap closes within the next couple of trays as it is quite noticeable without my aligners in (i'll post a picture of this soon).
On the attachments....I've posted some pictures with the attachments and aligners in. I have 14 attachments in total, you can see a few of them in the pics. I have them on both lateral incisors, and one on the left canine. They're tooth colour, so not obvious to see without the aligners in, although with the aligners in, i find the light reflects off the "bump" which is what makes them a little more obvious. Have a look at the photos and judge for yourself.
On getting them in and out........I'm finding the tray a little hard to get in and out right now, but I've only had aligner 3 for 1 day, so I'm hoping this will get easier in the coming days (which is what happened with the last 2 aligners).
On movement so far... No big changes so far, although i've noticed new "gaps" in between some of my teeth, which i guess in preparation for the "straightening" to occur. Now that I have my attachments I am expecting more noticeable movement. :) I've requested a copy of the clincheck, which i'll post when i get, so i can see what movement to expect as i go along.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Invisalign has arrived!
My aligners are here.. yeah! I had my appointment yesterday and received my first 2 sets.
First challenge of the day, removing them for dinner! I've read that people have difficulty removing them the first few times and I completely agree.....what a challenge this can be!! I spent 10 minutes last night gently prying the aligner off each individual tooth with my fingernail. This morning only took me 5 minutes and I probably had them out within a couple of minutes at lunch and dinner today and tonight. Putting them back in is a lot easier, but still not as easy as I was imagining it to be.
On eating... beware of the painful bite! I'm not sure whether this is a common symptom, but the tips of my front upper and lower teeth are quite painful to the point of not being able to bite through firm foods. I recommend eating soft foods at least for the first few days of wearing the aligners. I'm assuming this will settle in the next few days, but will keep you posted.
On the aesthetic factor, I'm pretty self conscious of them, although I haven't had many people notice (or perhaps comment) on them so far. They seem to reflect the light, so give off a shiny appearance, but apart from that, I don't think they are that obvious! I'll add some pictures so you can see for yourself.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Appointments leading up to Invisalign treatment
After much research into Invisalign, I have finally made the decision to undergo treatment.
I found the most valuable information from fellow bloggers, so have decided to document my experiences to help others make an informed decision and judge the product for themselves.
First step was a consultation with the dentist. Yes, a dentist. I discovered that both orthodontists and dentists are able to perform this treatment (I'm in Australia, so not sure about other countries). My dentist went through the basics of Invisalign, gave me some printed information and approximate cost. I took this information home to consider the treatment.
I decided to take the next step, an appointment to have molds/impressions taken of my teeth. The molds were basically mouth guards full of a gooey paste that hardens. These molds were sent off to California where they projected my recommended treatment through the "clincheck" software. This software displays virtual video/images of the stages of teeth movement required to straighten my crooked teeth. This information also tells you how many retainers you will require and therefore how long your treatment will take. Each retainer is worn for 2 weeks.
According to my clincheck, i require 22 retainers on the bottom and 27 on the top. So, about 9 months for the bottom and 12 for the top - not bad I'm thinking considering how crooked I consider my teeth (I will post photos as I go along). According to my dentist, most treatments (top and bottom) tend to start and finish at the same time. I'm not fussed that mine wont though, it just means my bottom teeth should be finished about 3 months before my top ones.
I was also told I will require "attachments" on several of my teeth, basically the ones requiring rotation. I am told that these are translucent small attachments bonded to the tooth. Technically these should hot be obvious from a social distance, although they can be seen up close. At first I was a bit hesitant to go through with the treatment because of the attachments, however, it's only 12 or so months of my life and WAY less noticeable than traditional braces.
I was also advised that some patients require refinements at the end of treatment. These are additional retainers, for minor adjustments, for those teeth that may not have moved as predicted through the course of treatment. I've been told that if required they should only add a few additional retainers to the overall treatment. I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
So, after about 4-6 weeks of contemplation and preparation, my retainers are ready to commence treatment next week.
I'm excited to think I will be on my way to straight teeth in less than a week!!
I found the most valuable information from fellow bloggers, so have decided to document my experiences to help others make an informed decision and judge the product for themselves.
First step was a consultation with the dentist. Yes, a dentist. I discovered that both orthodontists and dentists are able to perform this treatment (I'm in Australia, so not sure about other countries). My dentist went through the basics of Invisalign, gave me some printed information and approximate cost. I took this information home to consider the treatment.
I decided to take the next step, an appointment to have molds/impressions taken of my teeth. The molds were basically mouth guards full of a gooey paste that hardens. These molds were sent off to California where they projected my recommended treatment through the "clincheck" software. This software displays virtual video/images of the stages of teeth movement required to straighten my crooked teeth. This information also tells you how many retainers you will require and therefore how long your treatment will take. Each retainer is worn for 2 weeks.
According to my clincheck, i require 22 retainers on the bottom and 27 on the top. So, about 9 months for the bottom and 12 for the top - not bad I'm thinking considering how crooked I consider my teeth (I will post photos as I go along). According to my dentist, most treatments (top and bottom) tend to start and finish at the same time. I'm not fussed that mine wont though, it just means my bottom teeth should be finished about 3 months before my top ones.
I was also told I will require "attachments" on several of my teeth, basically the ones requiring rotation. I am told that these are translucent small attachments bonded to the tooth. Technically these should hot be obvious from a social distance, although they can be seen up close. At first I was a bit hesitant to go through with the treatment because of the attachments, however, it's only 12 or so months of my life and WAY less noticeable than traditional braces.
I was also advised that some patients require refinements at the end of treatment. These are additional retainers, for minor adjustments, for those teeth that may not have moved as predicted through the course of treatment. I've been told that if required they should only add a few additional retainers to the overall treatment. I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
So, after about 4-6 weeks of contemplation and preparation, my retainers are ready to commence treatment next week.
I'm excited to think I will be on my way to straight teeth in less than a week!!
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