Finished Treatment - Little Fixes - California
It all started with me having a little gap between...
My dentist told me he could fill in the gap but it would require him shaving my front teeth, which I didn't like the thought of. So I decided to do Invisalign instead, and I figured if I'm gonna do my top teeth I might as well fix the crowding in my bottom teeth too...I should have just worn my retainers when I was young!
For the first appt they took pictures of me smiling and with my mouth closed and profile, and then they took pics of my teeth. Then they took impressions and I payed my bill. After that it took six weeks for the trays to arrive. They added 5 buttons to my teeth - 4 on the top and 1 on the bottom. I kind of look like a vampire.
I have no pain and this feels like I have whitening trays in. I have a little lisp but I've only had these one for a few hours so that will hopefully go away once I get used to them.
I only need 7 trays @ 2 weeks per tray, so I guess this breaks down to $1000/mo.
A few years ago I almost got old school metal braces for $4200 to fix the gap and crowding in my lower teeth, and it was like 10-12 months of treatment. So if this works then it's totally worth it.Updated on 8 Dec 2011:I put in tray #2 last night because my dentist recommended I put them in at night so I sleep through any pain. These trays were a lot tighter, so I guess the first set really are "training" trays.
This morning I have no pain, they're just very tight. They are still pretty easy to take out and put in thought since I learned the best way to do it on my "training" trays. This morning I see my gap is closed a good amount and floss gives a little resistance which is good.
My first trays would get cloudy and get an odor, so I brushed them with warm water and stuck them in water with denture cleaner a few times. I also rinsed them and quickly brushed them whenever I took them out. I can't say people didn't notice my invisalign because they don't tell me things they do notice (like something on my nose or in my teeth).
I must admit, after about a week I wanted to take them out and switch to new trays since I felt nothing, but then I learned they need to stay in for a full 2 weeks because the bone needs to heal around the newly moved teeth. Now it all makes sense.Updated on 22 Dec 2011:I have just started my third trays. I put them in last night and slept through any pain, if there was any. My mouth isn't sore, it just feels like pressure.
I am going to ask to see my clincheck when I see my dentist in Jan because I have NO idea what's going on! When I brush my bottom back teeth they feel sore, I'm guessing the aligners are pushing them backwards to remove the crowding.
My 2 front teeth are weird now..instead of the gap being fully closed, it's now in a V. It's kind of unnerving but I still have 4 trays left and of course when my aligners are in you can't see the gap. My bite feels different, so I know it's working. I'm afraid of receding gums, so I'm going to talk to my dentist about that too.
So yea, I'm just truckin along. My camera is taking blurry pictures so I can't post any yet.
Replies (8)
I think some offices like to use them because just getting use to having the trays in, and caring for them can be a lot to get used to and they don't want to throw sore teeth into the mix right away and overwhelm someone. I do hear you though, they certainly are not cheap!
That is a bummer you didn't get to see your Clincheck. If you are really wanting to see it I would think they could email you a link to the video, or have you swing in & have the treatment coordinator show it to you. I'd call and ask, they may have just forgotten in the rush of their day.
My dentist didn't want to show them to me, he said they couldn't download them on that computer or it would take too long or something like that. They said they can't e-mail me and the next time I come in they will show it to me. By then I will be almost halfway through my treatment, but I'll still ask to see them.
I'm thinking about just e-mailing them my questions if they're not gonna show it to me. Like now that my bottom teeth are straightening out I'm seeing little gaps at the base of my teeth since my teeth are kind of \/\/ shaped instead of [][]..kind of hard to illustrate!
Wait, you mean they charged you an extra $500 for the trainer trays? Is that what you guys agreed upon before starting treatment, or did you find out after?
Just to make sure everything else is on the up & up, there was a question posted in the Q&A section that might interest you. It asked, "How to Tell if Invisalign is Genuine?"
They're definitely real. Well I paid $3500 for 7 trays and the first one was just for training, so I basically paid $500 for those things! I wasn't told my first trays weren't really gonna do anything. They did do a tiny bit though on my bottom teeth.. I think. Now I think they are doing their job, but my back teeth are sore too which seems weird.
Oh, ok, I see what you are saying about them costing you $500.
Sorry to hear your back teeth are sore, not too fun for eating I'm sure. Even if no major movement is planned for them more than likely everything will shift around a little bit as your front teeth are straightened, so I wouldn't be too worried about it. :)
Thanks for posting pictures!! It will be so fun to watch as your teeth shift into position!
In the 2nd picture, is that how your teeth come together currently, or were you biting like that so we could see all of your teeth?
I started my fourth trays. When I went into the...
My teeth are already noticeably different, but there's still a little gap it the top part of my 2 front teeth, and one of my bottom teeth is still rotated.
I talked to the dental assistant about retainers and she said I have to pay and extra $400 for 4 invisalign retainers which last 6-8 months each. I didn't know that. Also, I'm seeing a dentist and not an ortho, so I don't know how I would get the normal retainer that lasts much longer. They tried to make me feel better by telling me I would probably only need them for a year, but I've read on here that you have to wear your retainer for the rest of your life.
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I started tray 6 of 7 last night and I still have...
My bite is definitely different and my bottom teeth are almost completely straight. At my last appointment, my dentist's assistant said there needs to be spacing so my teeth can rotate and then the last tray pushes them all together again. I hope that's true because I don't know what I'm going to do if there's still a gap there. I got invisalign express.
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Glad to hear an update from you! I really hope that gap closes for you. Did your dentist or the assistant mention if refinement trays are a possibility with the Express treatment? It seems a lot of people need a set or two of refinements after regular treatment, but I'm not sure if its the same with Express or not.
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It sounds like you are adjusting well to life with Invisalign. :) Love your comment about looking like a vampire due to your buttons, made me giggle a bit. At least that is a popular thing to be right now I guess. ;)
You had mentioned no pain, did your orthodontist mention if they were starting you out with trainer trays (passive, so no pressure on the teeth) or jumping right into active treatment?