Dawna's Brace Face Place

Six months later...

2008-03-31T22:25:00.005+02:00

Yes, the time in traditional braces was supposed to be about 3 months. I'm becoming the poster child for slow results, I guess. That and all the interesting hardware in my mouth. I specifically chose invisalign so I could complete my treatment unnoticed, and now here I sit with metal archwires (the white ones don't move as smoothly), wire ties, springs to push the lower molar forward, and class III elastics. Oh yeah, very attractive and oh-so-discreet. AGH - what I can tell you though is that there is no way in the world invisalign could have corrected my teeth. If you have similar issues to mine, think long and hard about going that route, even if your provider tells you it's viable!
My top teeth are pretty much in place, but my bottom teeth still need to come up on the left side, and the extraction gap is almost, but still not closed. My bite is soooo much better than when I started, and my jaw doesn't ever click anymore, so I'm very grateful for that. The bite is still changing a bit because of the lower teeth movement through the extraction site, but I'm not worried about that. I'm a bit concerned about a small gap at the gumline that I just developed between my upper right lateral and canine. Altogether I'm happy with how the results are looking like they will be, frustrated at the inaccurate estimate of how long it would take, and not to thrilled with all the doo-dads in my mouth. It's certainly been a lesson for me about vanity. I'm not a particularly overly vain person, but I do try to look my best and I really find it difficult to have all this stuff in my mouth when I want to put forward a professional appearance - I mean, I'm 41, not 15!
My ortho is a really great guy, and by now is refusing to estimate an end date for my treatment. He's admitted he has nightmares about my teeth (LOL) and that I've been one of the most challenging cases he's ever had, and my teeth honestly do seem to have a mind of their own. Little by little he's taming them and I am so looking forward to getting 'naked' again sometime soon.

I'm still not convinced about my right lateral/canine, and plan to talk to the ortho at my appt. this week. I think the canine still needs to move in/down a bit.

You can see here that it's not completely aligned yet.

On my right side the elastics are from the lower canine to the upper molar:

On the left, they go from the upper canine to the lower molar in order to close the extraction gap (along with the spring you can see as well).

Still a couple mm's to go to close the gap.

That's it for now, hope you enjoyed looking down my throat! LOL.

Braced

2007-10-08T18:47:00.000+02:00

I got them on Oct 1. I cannot say I am thrilled, since this was exactly the treatment I was seeking to avoid. But I'm hanging in, wearing the gross elastics all the time (not just at night as the ortho said I could if I wished) and hoping this time things will come out as planned. Warning to anyone considering invisalign - it cannot move molars forward, teeth tend to tip into extraction sites, and derotating is not a strong feature of the product either. Ask your ortho about this! (Well, I did ask and he said it had never happened in his practice....but yeah)

Here are the pics, although I had taken my elastics out to change them, so they're not in the pic.

Going from Invisalign to Sapphire Braces

2007-09-26T17:41:00.000+02:00

Today I had my consultation about my progress, and how to proceed. Both orthodontists spent all the time I needed with me, answered all my questions, listened to what I had to say about my situation, what was important to me and what I was and wasn't willing to do. Basically 1) my bite is still not corrected, 2) the three bottom teeth that have the clear braces on them still need to come forward and up, and 3) the three top teeth on my right side still need to come down and one must rotate. For the bottom teeth, invisalign cannot do it. For the top teeth, if I get new impressions, large attachments on my lateral incisor, and wear trays for 6 months, there is about a 50% chance Invisalign can correct successfully. So, we agreed that the best option is to go with Sapphire braces on top as well. He foresees 3-4 months. I'm not thrilled at the idea of walking around like that for 4 months, but I have come too far to not end up with the teeth I wanted. So, on Monday I get hooked up!

Here are some pics of the sapphire braces I have on my bottom teeth now, how my smile looks now, and an angle that shows a bit better how my top teeth are still out of alignment.

Endings and beginnings

2007-09-18T23:12:00.001+02:00

I was assigned 42 upper trays and 57 lowers. I'm just completing my last upper tray this week. BUT - it did not go as planned. The lower teeth are still not shifting correctly despite now having 3 normal 'traintrack' brackets, and basically the top three right-side front teeth did not move as expected either. So, right now I can't close my jaw correctly at all (meaning my teeth don't fit together right), and I need to go in for new impressions and a refinement. I'm not feeling very confident about it anymore, I have to admit. At my last appointment, I was told that Invisalign has no problem moving molars back, but bringing them forward is problematic. Would have been nice to know this ahead of time, as well as the possible ramifications. At least in the meanwhile I've got the chance to go get dental work done. As I'd said at the beginning of my blog, I was never told that you can't get fillings etc. while using Invisalign. It makes sense but I'm not an orthodontist, so I didn't know. I went for a checkup 2 weeks after starting and found out I had the beginnings of 2 cavities and couldn't do a thing about it. Now I was there today and learned I have 3 full cavities because I had to leave it for so long......So, I'm not feeling very motivated about starting with a whole new set of trays. Not because I mind wearing them, but because I'm not sure I believe they will really ever acheive the teeth positioning I was expecting....Lots to dicuss at my next Ortho appt. - a very good thing is that my orthodontist really listens, and really takes time to talk to me and discuss options. Maybe I'll feel better after talking to him. I am even ready to go to regular braces for a SHORT time if it means the best result - but I will not be happy to end up going that route after already having shouldered the huge costs of Invisalign! Pics to come in the next couple of days.

Kind of Frustrated

2007-08-17T18:09:00.000+02:00

Well, it's been a year now, and my top teeth are almost done - 38th tray out of 42, but things are far from perfect. During my last regular appointment, I mentioned that both my trays were not sitting correctly. For the bottom ones, my ortho agreed and I had the choice of getting traditional braces on a few of my teeth, or waiting to get new impressions, because my tooth had tipped in where my extraction had been. I chose to get the traditional braces, so now I have 3 traintracks on the bottom. You can't see them, but I find it a real pain in the butt because food is ALWAYS getting caught in them. At that same appt, my complaint about the top tray was that it was not sitting right on one lateral incisor, and the canine next to it. He checked the top tray and said it was fine. By the next tray it was sitting even worse, and I went back. This time he agreed, and they took the canine attachment off, and repositioned it as much tighter as they could. It was a minor improvement, but I'd hoped it would kick off some movement for the teeth to settle into the tray. Now, I'm on the next tray and it's just as bad again. There is a gap between the bottom of my tooth and the tray, so bubbles accumulate, and the upper edge of the tray is sitting so low on my tooth it's very visible and 2 people have asked me what's on there....GRRR. My ortho is on vacation until Sept 3 now, so I'm stuck looking like a weirdo for weeks. The left side of my teeth, which were less problematic to begin with, look just wonderful, and it's such a bummer that the other side did not rotate into position as it should have....More on this when he is back from his vacation I guess. Pics below with and without my trays in.

Without trays in:

With trays in, you can see the tray pretty clearly on my right side, at least you can't see the traditional braces:

I'm in my 30's!

2007-05-29T11:34:00.000+02:00

Tray 31, that is. My front teeth are really moving now. The bottom front teeth are no longer overlapped, and by the look of tray 34, once I finish that the top incisors will also be aligned!! I don't know if it's because it's not molar movement or what, but the trays haven't been uncomfortable at all. I asked my orthodontist what will happen when I finish the top trays, since the bottoms have so many more. He said we can decide based on how everything is lining up wether we do any top refinements first, wait for the bottoms to be done and do them at the same time, etc. He also said I can expect to wear the top trays 12 hours a day after I've completed the last one. Not sure if he means a retainer tray, or keeping the last tray or what, but it's not until Sept. so lots of time to get the details. Once treatment is fully completed I'll be getting a permanent lingual retainer to keep the teeth in place. I much prefer that and the bother of flossing around it to having to wear a retainer tray. That's it for now!

Long time no update

2007-04-12T11:16:00.000+02:00

I actually had to take my tray out to see what number I'm on - almost done 26. It's all just going so smoothly, there's not a lot to report. My canines are moving, and it's SO wonderful to finally see my 'fang' going where it should be! I've hated it forever, so this was the main thing I've wanted to see moving. It's funny, when I compare tray 26 to tray 1, I just don't see a huge difference looking at the trays themselves. I even looked at the final trays at the ortho's office, and I was actually kind of disappointed because I didn't see a huge difference. But, looking at my teeth I see such a change - strange, I guess I just can't make the visualisation with the tray. One thing I really wish I had been told before getting the impressions was to get any and all dental work needed done first! I wasn't made aware that I couldn't get anything done during treatment, and my scheduled check up was 2 weeks after starting Invisalign. That's when my regular dentist noted that I have a couple of bottom molars that would soon need minor fillings. Now I have to wait, and I'm really not happy that they could be much worse by the time I'm done. I got that Oxygen drill-less treatment but I really don't think it did much other than cost a lot. Anyway, that's my word to the wise if you haven't started your treatment yet!

Passed the halfway point!

2007-02-26T07:59:00.000+01:00

On the top, at least! I'm now on tray 22 of 42 tops, so feeling pretty darned happy. Yeah, I know, 57 bottoms, but who cares right now? LOL. I'm loving that the movement is in the front right now too!

BOY do I feel it!

2007-02-05T08:33:00.000+01:00

I started tray 20 last night and WOW. A LOT of pressure on the canines, and the teeth right behind them, whatever they're called. I'M SO happy! I've been waiting to see the movement in my front teeth for so long, I'm enjoying every second of this :)

ouch!

2007-02-01T12:57:00.000+01:00

Well, not sure if THIS ever happened to anyone else using invisalign.....just now when I put my tray back in it caught my lip and pinched it in the front of the bottom tray, and now it's bleeding all over the place. :( On the up side, my front teeth are finally starting to move, I'm so happy and excited!!

Last 2 pics

2007-01-17T11:57:00.000+01:00

For some reason I couldn't add all the pics in one post. Photos don't do justice to how much movement I've had, it's amazing to me how much things have already changed. My arch is getting evened out, and I have room for my tongue! LOL

Not-Quite-6-Months later pics!

2007-01-17T11:33:00.000+01:00

Well, not much new here, but I did take some pics to compare how things have moved since July 27th. I didn't get a clear shot of the right side view, but not much has moved there yet anyhow. Maybe it's the lighting, but it looks to me like my teeth aren't as white as they were at the beginning - eeeeeek! I thought all the extra brushing would really keep them white, if not make them whiter. Maybe it's because my cleaning is due next week?

Left View, July 2006, then Jan 2007:

Bottom view July 2006, then Jan 2007: Hard to get a good pic (and sorry about my icky fillings) but the back molars have moved a lot. Flossing is SO different!

Not much change to the front view yet, that comes last - the left eye tooth has moved down a bit, but I can feel it more than it shows in the pic.

trays, trays and more trays

2006-11-28T22:19:00.000+01:00

Tray 12 was so uninteresting I didn't even remember to post about it, poor thing. I got tray 13 yesterday at the ortho appt. and it's just jim dandy already too. He did file down one attachment on the bottom because the trays were cracking there, so that should rectify that problem. I got 6 sets of trays this time rather than 4 (I do 10 day rotations not 14, remember) because of all the upcoming holidays, so that carries me through to the end of January. I'm thinking of digging out tray 1 and doing a comparison photo with tray 18, although since it's all molar movement not sure how interesting that would be. Then again, this whole blog is probably not that spellbinding to anyone either but here I am still writing away, right?

Tray 11, I'm 25% done!

2006-11-07T23:09:00.000+01:00

Okay, not really. 25% of the top trays though so that feels like progress. Tray 11 started last night and is another no-brainer. A bit of tenderness where the tray bridges the gap where that tooth was pulled way back when, but other than that, nada. Some folks have asked for pics of how the trays look in a normal 'not right up close to show you, but a real situation' kinda pic, so here ya go! This was taken last Saturday at a restaurant. I hate that damn 'fang' but the braces themselves are really not noticeable.

Tray 10 and an 'AHA!' moment

2006-11-02T22:17:00.000+01:00

Tray 10 has been totally uneventful, for which I am grateful. I was finally able to put my finger on the feeling that having the trays in gives me. I've always felt it was a tiny bit familiar but couldn't quite figure it out. Well, I got it. It reminds me of wearing those vampire teeth you used to get at the candy store!!!! You know the ones, you could get them in white or with the ends of the fangs painted red? YEP! Maybe it's because I have a rather small face, I'm not sure. In the mirror, it doesn't look that obvious, in fact, I think people don't notice it on me (I find it gives me a bit of an underbite look but my family says its doesn't), but I *feel* like I have those vampire teeth in. Maybe I need to buy myself a cape? LOL.

Tray 9, Day 2

2006-10-20T14:37:00.000+02:00

No problem at all. No, really, my ortho did not call me up and tell me to say that! This tray is already pretty comfortable. I really think making sure I wear them 12 hours straight the first time I put them in makes a difference, and also making an effort to really minimise how long they're out in the first couple of days. One outside edge of the tray was rubbing on my cheek, but a quick file with the emery board fixed it right away. To answer your questions, Barbara and Sherry, I have 42 top trays and 57 bottoms scheduled, if I remember correctly and no, Kyle doesn't need braces thank god. He has a little space between his front teeth but he doesn't mind it at all, the rest is perfect, and not a cavity ever! Thanks for the encouragement as always :o)

Tray 9 -in the interest of fairness

2006-10-18T20:08:00.000+02:00

Poor Tray 9, by tomorrow I'll probably write really mean stuff about it. So, I figured I should at least say a few words about it before the bad feelings set in. You see, I took a friend's VERY wise advice and always start my trays in the evening right after brushing. That way it gives them 10 or 12 hours of uninterrupted time to settle in before having to take them out. Plus you get to sleep through some of the initial adjustment period, which can only be a good thing. So, Tray 9, let's just say that so far you are totally no problem - real snug of course, but snapped into place without issue and not causing me any disturbance whatsoever. And, I promise not to delete this post no matter how differently I feel tomorrow morning when I rip you and a few of my teeth (ok, an exaggeration but that's how it feels) off to have my coffee.

Tray 8 still - what was I THINKING??

2006-10-17T19:01:00.000+02:00

How could I have said those things about this wonderful tray? Was that even me? Why, it's an old comfortable friend! Strange that I would have felt that way....I'm sure I'll miss the dear old thing dearly when I switch to Tray 9 tomorrow. I had a check in today, and things are right on track. I love how uncomplicated this is, really. Oh, and a friend with regular braces came over last weekend and was just shocked when he realised I had the trays in (and maybe a wee bit jealous?) hee heeeeeeeeeee!

Tray 8 - OOOOOOOOOOOW

2006-10-09T15:36:00.000+02:00

Mental note to self - if I don't want to frighten away potential Invisalign customers, never post my update on the first morning of my new tray. However, maybe I'm feeling a bit sadistic today, or maybe I just need to share the pain a bit but MAN-OH-MAN this one is a doozy! I had the feeling when I put them in last night for the first time, that this tray was going to be at least a 8.5 on the holycrapmyteetharecomingoutwiththetray scale, and I was right. This morning, the coffee my husband made me was of little comfort after taking my trays out for the first time, although normally I deeply enjoy this daily luxury. In fact, my brain kept telling me NOT to look at the trays, because there were certainly 2 or 3 teeth that came out along with my trays bouncing around in there. I finally peeked, and nope, all the pearly whites were still in my mouth were they belong (so far, anyway - dinnertime might be another story). Now when I look back on that recurring dream I've always had about my teeth falling out into my hands (calling it a dream and not a godawful nightmare as a courtesy to the aforementioned potential invisalign customers), and I can say 'AAAAAAAAAAAAHA, now I know what that dream was predicting!!' Would I change any of it? Still nope!

Tray 7

2006-09-29T09:11:00.000+02:00

It's so funny, every time I put a new tray in, I think 'well, this time something's wrong, this tray REALLY doesn't fit. Off to the ortho in the morning.' And of course, this morning it fits. As TIGHT as Christina Aguilera's pants, but it's on. Amazingly enough, no teeth have come out along with the trays so far, although I've been pretty sure they might when I take them out the first time after putting them on. I am just amazed at the space I'm getting in my molars already. I'm also pretty impressed at the amount of toiletries I've collected in conjunction with my little orthodontic venture. I was realising last night that the actual fee for the orthodontist and trays might be the least of my expenditures. In the last 60 days since I embarked on this journey, I've collected a pretty impressive amount of dental equipment. Electric toothbrushes (yes, plural), one upstairs and one down, soft toothbrushes for my teeth, hard toothbrushes for my trays, a nail brush also for my trays, dental wax, 3 kinds of floss, sonar cleaning machine, effervescent tabs, mouthwashes, special oxygen treatment toothpaste and rinse to complement the oxygen anti-cavity treatment I got, files, emery boards, and of course nice decorative storage box to keep my past trays in. My purse weighs about triple as much as it used to from the plethora of trial sized mouthwashes, toothpastes, travel toothbrush and container, mouth sprays, listerine strips and tray holder. When I open it up to pay for something, people smile and nod at me with that 'don't upset the OCD girl' look on their faces. Ah well, who needs a new SUV when you can have a year and a half's worth of plastic trays, and a lifetime supply of oral hygiene products??

Relief was fast, thank goodness

2006-09-20T14:09:00.001+02:00

Last night I filed my trays in all the spots they were hurting. I killed an emery board, but it was well worth the sacrifice. Today it's fine, and the sore marks on my cheeks are already feeling better. The other thing I'd forgotten to write about was that when I'd bite down, the upper right tray would pinch my cheek! I guess my teeth moved because it's not happening anymore - good thing because it REALLY hurt.

Tray 6

2006-09-19T14:35:00.000+02:00

Strangely, on the last day of tray 5 my tongue got pretty raw and sore - bummer of bummers. Last night I put my new tray in, so I had tightness plus the sore tongue and felt kinda sorry for myself. So, I took a Tylenol PM and slept well, but today my tongue is still sore as well as one cheek. It's not horrible, just uncomfortable. Boy can I feel the tightness on the teeth that are currently moving - wowza. No pics yet, since the movement is all in my back molars, not sure anyone wants to be staring down my throat.....LOL.

There's space in them thar molars!!

2006-09-11T14:32:00.000+02:00

Perhaps it's strange that I'm surprised, but my teeth are moving!! I now have spaces at the very back between my molars - just like my ClinCheck video shows I should. I started tray 5 on Friday, and still having no problems or issues. I had my check up with my Ortho on Friday and asked my million questions. He is so very helpful and friendly, and spent all the time I needed answering everything I'd asked. I read SO many blogs and forums and it seems so many of the Orthos are not as personable, to say the least. So, I'm happy to have gotten so lucky. I also asked to see my last set of trays and it was really cool to see my 'teeth' in 3D looking straight. It's still hard to imagine how it will look in real life.

Tray 4!

2006-08-30T11:08:00.000+02:00

Well, I put tray 4 in last night, and again it's no problem. No pain, no filing needed, no lisp! They just feel like a tighter version of the old tray, but this time my bite isn't affected, so I can close my jaw without issue. It's so funny how each tray feels so tight, and then when you move to the next one, the previous one was already seeming like a comfy old friend. I find it uncomfortable to have the trays out, my teeth feel weird, so I tend to keep them in for closer to 23 hours a day, so maybe that's why it's smooth sailing so far.

Snap, crackle, pop - Tray 3

2006-08-21T10:12:00.000+02:00

Tray 3 (of 42 top, 57 bottom) went in Saturday night before bed. As with last time, it was super tight, but with a little push and a pop they snapped into place. It's working on my lower right molars, so my bite is funny and my speech was a bit off for the next morning, but the speech is fine now, and the bite is getting better as the days go on. This time I didn't need to file any rough edges and I have no tongue pain or anything (thank goodness!). Can it really be this easy? Yeah, I've had to adjust to brushing my teeth much more (but 5 times a day can only be good, right?) and have finally gotten into the habit of flossing all the time too. Not snacking unconciously is impossible, since you have to take the trays out. So, it's only changes for the better thus far, and snapping the trays in and out are totally no problem at all now. I have to admit, I am so impatient to reach the point in my treatment where my front teeth start to move since that's the part where you really notice the improvement. But, good things come to those who wait, and wear their trays 22+ hours! :)

Tray 2 is in!

2006-08-10T09:29:00.000+02:00

WOW! They weren't kidding when they said each new tray will be tight! I put it in last night before bed, and I was really a bit afraid to take it out this morning. It was actually just fine, it's very tight but it came out no problem, and I didn't g get the feeling that my teeth were going to fall out as some people have described. My teeth just feel a lot of pressure, but not what I would call pain at all. I've been reading about different tray wearing times - it seems that 14 days is the standard. I am on a 10 day schedule, and I've read one person who claims his ortho lets him do something like 4 days. I plan to ask my ortho exactly what the math behind it all is, I'm really curious and I haven't seen anything concrete online as far as research goes. Of course it would be great to finish up treatment in a miraculous amount of time, but not at the expense of compromising the end result, or your teeth's health. I do want to know what his point of view is, since he has so many treatments behind him, as well as one of the most experienced in Europe, apparently. Anyway, I'm loving the pressure on my teeth, and still a happy Invisalign camper!

After one week

2006-08-07T08:11:00.000+02:00

No pain, no troubles getting them in or out, no sore teeth after the first 3 days, no problems to report. I am wearing them at least 22.5 hours/day, brushing them the same way as I do my teeth. Once every day or two I pop them in an effervescent cleaner while I eat, and they are still crystal clear, no sign of clouding or anything that I read about on some other blogs. I'm on a 10 day schedule, so I get to start tray 2 (of 42 top, 57 bottom) on Thursday. Maybe I'm strange, but I'm looking forward to feeling that pressure on my teeth, and just curious if the next tray will go as well.

Got 'em in!

2006-07-31T11:43:00.000+02:00

Well, I got 12 attachments, three on each side, top and bottom (you can see them in the photo here). Everything went no problem except maybe 10 seconds of pain at the site where the extraction was Friday. An interesting thing was that as I was leaving I had a question, my own ortho had just stepped out so the other ortho came over, and when she leaned in close to check my attachment I saw she had them on! She said her experience has also been very positive so far.

When I came home, our au pair thought I'd had something happen and not gotten them on after all - yep, they ARE invisible! The lisping is very minor, I would be comfortable if I had to give a speech at work right now. They gave me wax and instructions on the best way to file my aligners if I need to smooth an edge that bothers me. Right now they feel tight but not painful, and I was able to take them out no problem for the hygienist 3 times (thanks to Anne for the paper towel trick, it REALLY helped!) Hopefully it will be as easy tonight at dinner.

So far the experience is very positive, and I'm so happy I decided to do it. Let's see how I feel tomorrow when I have to get the stitches out from my extraction! Here's how they look from the front:

July 28, tooth removed (don't look if squeamish!)

2006-07-28T14:40:00.000+02:00

I got that tooth out this morning. It wasn't horrible, but it bled a lot for hours because of how it had been located (left a large hole) and I also have a stitch or two that will need to come out next Tuesday. The freezing is almost gone, it's a bit sore but it's feeling the stitches that is driving me nuts!

The BEFORE pics

2006-07-28T14:16:00.000+02:00

I took some pics myself yesterday in case I don't get the clinical ones my ortho did. That way I can (hopefully) compare it to new ones each month and see how wonderfully it's all going (ha ha!). I've actually always liked my teeth, in that they are quite white, and I like the shape of them. I just never liked the one top eye tooth being so high up. Now my 2 top incisors have shifted, and rather than being flush with one another they now have an overlap. So, my eye tooth is coming down, but my 2 front teeth are getting more and more crooked. Time for professional help!

In the pic of the bottom view, the tooth right next to my index finger's knuckle had to come out to since there was room anywhere for it.

Welcome to my dental Journey!

2006-07-28T13:48:00.000+02:00

Well, I've decided to keep a journal of my upcoming Invisalign experience. I'm hoping it will provide me some encouragement during the times I may feel that 'what the hell was I thinking?!' feeling during my treatment. My ortho has estimated it will take about 2 years, I will find out more on Monday when I go get my first aligners. I do know I have a 4mm overbite, and a 4.5mm overjet, so I guess it will be a while till that's corrected.

So, what I'm going to try to do is write about any significant happenings, and also take some pics now and again.