Invisalign: Stories

I'm on tray 8 out of 22 on the upper arch and 19 on the lower. Changing trays every 10 days. 11 attachments in total. Some teeth have 2 attachments. I have an overbite and some overcrowding on both arches. In the last few years, as I got older (39 now), I felt that my teeth were moving and getting worse. One of my two front teeth was getting longer than the other. I am definitely seeing movement at this stage but I'm not sure if they're actually looking any better. It's a very gradual process. If I get the results that the clinchecks indicate, I will be very happy but sometimes I wonder if it is really going to happen. On the upper arch, I had a molar that was indented and as it moves into line, I feel that it is making my front teeth move a little off centre! Could this be right?? I don't find Invisalign too much hassle other than eating out and having to brush in public places. It has stopped me snacking in work which can't be a bad thing. Nobody realises I have them until I say it. Only one person has ever asked me if I'm wearing Invisalign and that was a dentist on my triathlon team. I don't have to go back to my dentist until tray 12 is finished. I was given the first 12 trays to take home and haven't needed to go back since. 2 more attachments to go on for tray 13. When I go back to the dentist, I will address my concerns about my front teeth seemingly moving off centre. I feel that I am in need of a little reassurance at this stage! I find my dentist excellent and she took a lot of time to discuss it all with me before I started treatment. I had some doubts about the first set of clinchecks that I received and we went through all my concerns in email correspondence. She ordered me a second set of clinchecks which addressed my initial concerns. I've posted a photo from after my first tray and a photo from after my 7th tray. I don't think there's a huge difference and I would welcome comments/opinions.

New photo for tray 12 and I've moved from Undecided to Worth It. Really beginning to see improvements now. Half way through my treatment and if the improvements continue at the same rate, I'll be very happy with the end result.

First day of tray 16/22 on the upper arch and 16/19 on the lower. Really don't see how I'm going to have that great smile with so few trays to go. Still quite a bit of movement required and I'm not sure it will be done in 6 trays/3 trays.

My dentist only allowed for one refinement.

Really keeping my fingers crossed at this stage, and hoping for a 'dash over the finish line'!

I started off 'undecided', changed to 'worth it' mid treatment but I'm afraid I have to go back to 'undecided' for the time being.

At tray 18/22 on the upper and 18/19 on the lower, I didn't think things were as they should be. My teeth did not really match what my clin checks indicated. I had an appointment with my dentist last Friday and was due to have some IPR. I was apprehensive about proceeding with the IPR and interfering with the integrity of my teeth when I wasn't happy with the position of them. I decided to email my dentist setting out all of my concerns, prior to the appointment. I'm so glad I did. My dentist essentially agreed with most of my concerns and after an almost hour long consultation, we ultimately decided to go back to Invisalign for some corrective treatment. She took more impressions and photos.

My dentist is not sure whether Invisalign will make up aligners to get me where I'm supposed to be, or whether they will provide a whole new set of aligners to finish out the treatment, and just scrap the four existing trays for the top arch. My treatment time will be somewhat extended as a result but I don't mind that so much. I'd rather get it right. I'm glad I spoke up and sent that email. For anyone undergoing treatment, I would advise that you speak up if you have concerns. It's your money and your teeth.

My dentist was very understanding, and did not in any way make me feel like I was just complaining. She took on board every single issue I raised (and there were quite a few!). She even pointed out one or two that I hadn't considered. Overall, she assured me that she would make sure I am happy with the end result when we get there. I need to have one of my lower incisors built up as it is worn down and shorter than it should be. She is going to include the building up of that tooth in the Invisalign cost. She is also including the fixed retainer in the cost. I didn't realise that. I had budgeted for it being extra. My dentist is also arranging for a temprorary retainer to be made up by the practice over the weekend, so that I have a fresh tray to wear while I am waiting for the clin checks and new trays from Invisalign, rather than wearing the existing tray for two weeks extra. That is a nice gesture.

For anyone who is considering Invisalign, please don't be put off by my post. My teeth are so much better than they were when I started but once you start, you become a bit obsessed (or I did anyway) and you notice absolutely every single detail about your teeth. If anything, my post demonstrates the importance of finding the right dentist/ortho. My advice would be to find someone that you feel comfortable with, get on well with, and someone who has patience and is genuinely interested in getting the best results for you.

I'll update when the new clin checks arrive.

New clin checks arrived a few weeks back and this time I had very detailed input. I wasn't entirely happy with the first lot that arrived and I raised about 5 or 6 issues. My dentist went back to Invisalign and I was much happier with the 2nd set of clin checks that arrived. I had got as far as tray 18 of 22. We decided to abandon the last 4 trays and do the refinement instead so I am now on what's called mid treatment refinement. Much to my horror it involves a further 21 trays!! I'm not entirely happy about that but can live with it for good results. The treatment time on the upper arch has therefore doubled from an initial prediction of 7.5 months to just over a year. The teeth are just so stubborn. I'm on tray 2 of the additional 21.

My lower arch is finished. I have permanent fixed retainer on the back of the teeth and am also wearing a retainer tray that my own dentist made. I think I will be getting a retainer from Invisalign when the upper arch is finish. Anyway, my teeth, while in position (and I only have 3 lower incisors) were different heights due to wear and tear (and possibly grinding in my sleep). I had some bonding done and they are now pretty much the same height. I'm quite pleased with them and I'm going to have further bonding done on the canines to give an even better finish. Whatever about Invisalign (I'm still undecided), bonding is fantastic!

Looks like I'm stuck with Invisalign for another while anyway.

On to tray 5 of my 21 refinement trays (tray 23 of 39 in total). Have got used to the fact that my treatment time has been doubled and I am seeing improvements so getting excited once again about the end result. Had more IPR on Wednesday. It's fine. You don't feel anything at all. It's more the notion of it that's unpleasant - similar to the sensation of nails scraping down a blackboard (sorry for putting that into your head!)

I have recently recommended Invisalign (and my dentist) to my brother's girlfriend so I guess I am pretty happy with it. I pointed out the cons ie. eating out being awkward, always having to brush your teeth (that's about it for me) but all treatments have downsides.

I do believe that Invisalign works and choosing the right dentist/orthodontist is the key. Be involved in your treatment plan and choose a practitioner who is willing to discuss your needs and goals.

Tray 13/21 refinement. Progress is slow but there is progress. I had to make an unscheduled appointment to see my dentist today. I noticed that one of my attachments was not sitting properly into the groove of the new aligner that I started yesterday. I was concerned about the consequences of this, so I rang my dentist this morning and she was able to fit me in today. She did a little adjustment to the attachment and all is fitting correctly now. We ended up having a 30 minute discussion about how things are coming along and we reviewed the clin checks etc. She is happy that everything is on course. We discussed doing a little bonding when I'm finished in order to even out some worn teeth and get a nice even finish. My upper canines are also quite pointy so I asked about having them filed to create a better contour. This is possible. I also asked about changing some silver fillings to white filings in the molars (to help reduce the dark corridors). She thought this might help a little. I drank red wine over Christmas (which I have avoided since starting Invisalign) and while I was able to remove the remnants from my teeth, it had stained the attachments. My dentist gave me a thorough polish today (for free) and it removed the stains. I also collected the next four aligners. Further IPR required when they are finished. When I came back to the office with newly polished teeth, a few of my colleagues commented that they can really see how my teeth are moving. I plan of having my teeth whitened when the treatment is finished.

Not much to report. 1 more aligner before some more IPR and then 4 more aligners to close gaps and 'triangles'. A little dubious about whether my right lateral incisor is going to slot in properly but I will discuss this with my dentist at the next visit on 25 Feb. If I don't get reassurances about that, I may not proceed with the IPR. I think my dentist only factored in one refinement, which I am currently on. I'm not really sure of my options now if the desired results (or clin check predictions) can't be achieved in 5 aligners. Can I go back to Invisalign for correction without incurring further costs? I'm not so sure. I'd certainly argue that I should be entitled to. I'll remain optimistic that it's going to work out, although I am aware that 5 aligners only achieves minimal movement. I'll just have to wait and see.

Just finished my last tray and was back with my dentist to discuss the refinement treatment. I'm going to have a small amount of expansion on one side to give a better symmetrical look. She removed the attachments, trimmed one of my central incisors to even up the lengths. When the refinement is finished (she estimates 4 or 5 more trays), I willl have further trimming and bonding to give an even finish and close off the triangles between the central incisors and the and laterals. I finally feel as if I'm getting there!