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All the Invisalign Info You'll Ever Need - Kenosha, WI

ORIGINAL POST

After having slightly crooked teeth for most of my...

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blondesunshine
WORTH IT$5,380

After having slightly crooked teeth for most of my life, I decided I was ready at age 25 to confront my inner demons and fix my self-esteem crushing mouth for good. As a pre-teen, my folks didn't have the money for braces so I did without. My most notable dental flaw is my left upper canine tooth is crooked and sticks out, and over the years I've compensated for this by adjusting my smile accordingly in an attempt to hide it. I've noticed my forced/half smile in pictures, and decided to finally do something about it.

I knew some colleagues at work who were using Invisalign and they seemed relatively happy with their progress, so I took the plunge and made an appointment with a Premier Invisalign Provider in my area. The orthodontist was very thorough and quite personable initially, and I felt comfortable in their office. Then they mentioned the price of my treatment: $5,000. My associates had said that their treatment had only cost $4,000 so I wasn't sure if I was getting a fair quote. I was referred to another provider by a co-worker and their price was roughly the same, but I was creeped out by the orthodontist and just got a bad vibe from the whole experience. A few months later and after much deliberation, I went back to my initial Invisalign orthodontist and gave them the go-ahead to order the molds and start the process.

Part of my treatment plan was to have a tooth extracted to make room for the crooked upper canine to shift into place. Apparently when all four of my wisdom teeth surfaced (non-impacted, luckily), they shifted everything forward which only exacerbated the degree of my smile's crookedness.

Onto the process: The molds weren't that cumbersome to take, especially compared to some horror stories I've heard. It took a few weeks for the aligners to be sent from the Invisalign headquarters in California. Once they arrived, we had an appointment and went over the ClinCheck, a 3D animated program that shows the progression of tooth movement over time, from tray to tray. I started the trays on Tuesday, 10/6/09 after eating a delicious Cuban dinner in honor of my brother’s birthday. Those first few hours were the most orally painful of my life. The first tray is certainly the worst, but gradually you get used to them.

First, there is pain and pressure. You take the trays out and your teeth feel somewhat loose in their sockets; this is perfectly normal since they are in the shifting process. A good tip is to take an Advil PM about an hour before bedtime and then put them in right before you go to sleep. This gives the trays ample time while you are sleeping to do their magic so it’s not as difficult to remove them in the morning when you brush your teeth.

During the Invisalign process, patients are supposed to visit their orthodontist’s office roughly every 4 weeks to check their progress and make any adjustments. After the first tray or so, my orthodontist had me come back to have attachments put on my teeth. They are small, tooth-colored nubs that fit into what can best be described as pockets on the aligners themselves. It makes them fit tighter and harder to remove, and I believe it helps with tooth rotation. The process of putting on the attachments is less than desirable. They first prep your teeth with a bonding agent and then apply the attachments using a UV/heat gun. After they have set, they use a drill to remove any excess material from the teeth. The drill is scary and loud; if it deviates in the slightest, you smell enamel burning (scary!).

After the attachments were applied, I was told to have a soft diet (soups and pastas) for the next day or so. Despite my adherence to this policy, some of the attachments wore off. My orthodontist seemed slightly concerned by this, but went on with treatment, stating that if they were to try to reapply the attachments they would only be more likely to come off because they would be applied on the attachment polymer rather than pure, porous enamel.

The next step in my orthodontist’s bag of tricks was “elastics” – their fancy way of saying rubber bands. These elastics are strung between my upper and lower arches, making the fact that I am wearing braces QUITE noticeable. I didn’t know this would be part of my treatment program, and honestly if I had I doubt I would have proceeded. The elastics hook on to small tabs that the orthodontist cuts into the aligners. The purpose of the elastics is to put more pressure on the teeth to move, and also to ensure that my bite lines up properly now and later on when treatment is completed.

Of course, nothing is ever easy. In addition to the attachments popping off (making my aligners less than snug), I had trouble with the elastics staying on the makeshift hooks. This is a recipe for disaster! I had rubber bands snapping in my mouth constantly, popping off of one hook or another; it’s painful and annoying. I remember one lower tray in particular that was quite loose to begin with, and the torque from the elastic actually made the tray pop off of my teeth entirely whenever I would open my mouth (yawning, speaking, etc.) which was quite embarrassing. I made an emergency orthodontist appointment that day and went in after-hours for them to pinch the aligner with some pliers to make them grip my teeth better. It was a temporary fix until I put in my next, tighter aligner.

As I write this now, I’m on the last week of my 10th aligner out of 16. I’ve seen some encouraging progress in the shifting of my teeth; my mother even noticed and said that they look a lot straighter. I’m about halfway there and am excited for the final result. Once I’ve completed treatment, I am supposed to wear a retainer at night for the first year, and then one night a week for the rest of my life (or as long as I want straight teeth).

My suggestion for people considering Invisalign is to discuss in detail EVERYTHING in your treatment program. My "invisible braces" are anything but invisible with these God-awful rubber bands in sight. I have developed a lisp that hasn't gone away (even after 5 months). I honestly feel like a teenager - and not in a good way - but if you don't have the elastics as part of your program or if it's only for a limited time, this shouldn't be an issue.

Beyond the obvious obstacles I've had with Invisalign thus far, I feel it's a great way to improve your smile in an unobtrusive way. I wear my aligners religiously and if I am ever EXTREMELY self-conscious about the elastics, I just unhook them from the top arch and let the band fall to rest on my lower gums (making them unnoticeable). When I am free from the embarassing situation, I hook them back on and I'm on my way. The movement I've seen of the crooked canine tooth is very impressive - I would gladly pay $5K merely for the results I've had thus far.

Words can't describe how excited I am for the ultimate end result, when I can finally smile with full confidence! I, of course, will update this review once I'm finished with the program. Best wishes and good luck to all! :)

blondesunshine's provider

Dr. George Wedell

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Replies (11)

February 20, 2010
Wow, thank you for taking the time to offer great insight into the invisalign experience. Are you willing to share the name of your provider? I can predict lots of comments asking this!
February 21, 2010
i would love to see pictures of this when you are done i have the same canine problem on both and my dentist warned me they may not be perfect but def better, congrats!
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February 22, 2010
I definitely will, Sarah! I just uploaded another picture which shows my current progress and how the canine tooth has shifted so far. You can also see how the aligners and elastics look when in place.
February 23, 2010
Wow thanks for writine back yout canine looks great thanks for pics no one puts them i plan on doing this when i get my invisalign
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February 25, 2010
Thank you! It still has a little ways to go, but a definite improvement :) good luck with yours, I am excited to see your progress! When are you planning on starting your treatment?
February 26, 2010
I am planning on getting my molds mid march and i will update you accordingly...question about the "attachments"- where were yours placed?
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February 26, 2010
They're placed on the outer surface (not the part you bite with) of your teeth - meaning they're in between your teeth and the inside of your cheek. They can be rough and scratchy at first while you are chewing food when the aligners are out, but not a big deal. Something else to note: if it's determined that you need elastics, the makeshift hooks that they cut into the aligners can be scratchy to the inside of your mouth - I used really small pieces of braces wax to soften the rough edges as I was getting used to them. Just a helpful hint! :) Good luck, and I'm excited to hear how your experience goes!
March 15, 2010
Hey, great reading you process with invisalign. I myself am almost finished with straightening using them. I started 11/08 just before I moved overseas which was a bit tricky as i was away 6 months and sent updates to my dentist via photos and emails. When i got back home I had another lot of guards made up to compete the process, I am three quarters the way thru the second lot and going well. I am back overseas and found it a great way to straighten when you have to travel. I also had attachments but mine are still on over one year later. I had a rubber band over one tooth to help pull it down but that was only for 3 weeks so didn't bother me and it never snapped off. I fully recommend them and can't wait until May 2010 when i will be finished!I had a lisp to start with but it went away after about two months of wearing the guards. Sometime i lisp on the odd letter when i am talking but hardly noticeable to anyone, plus know one ever notices them so they are invisible for me.
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March 18, 2010
Thank you for your comment! I am glad to hear you are happy with the treatment program. I finish in May 2010 as well - I hope you can post pictures! I am excited to see how yours turn out.
UPDATED FROM blondesunshine

The end of my treatment has finally arrived! I...

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blondesunshine

The end of my treatment has finally arrived! I went in last week for my last consultation and my orthodontist asked me if I was satisifed with the end result. I rated it an 8 out of 10 (my starting point being a 2), and we agreed that my smile could get *even* better, so we are ordering refinement trays. This involves a lengthy office visit where the doc will remove the attachments and take fresh molds of my new mouth. Then the molds will be sent in to Invisalign (located in California) and they'll send back the new refinement aligners. At this point, we are unsure of exactly how many aligners and months of treatment are yet to come, but since refinements are free and he assured me that no more elastics (rubber bands) will need to be used, it was a no-brainer. I've included a picture of myself with my new smile (so far).

Replies (6)

August 1, 2010
Thanks for taking time to write about your experience. I really appreciate it. I am on the third day of tray 1. I am struggling a bit and it is encouraging to read about others.
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November 24, 2010
I hope things are getting easier for you, kimbiec! Let me know if you have any questions, and good luck!
August 11, 2010
and after reading this i really understand invisalign better..thanks so much
September 9, 2010
Great post and very helpful! All done with week one...bring it!
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October 13, 2010
Thank you so much for taking your time to write it. How long did your treatment go for? Did the price you paid for included all the visits, trays and adjustments? thank you!
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November 24, 2010
Hi Fernanda - My treatment ended up taking 406 days (but who was counting, haha). The price I paid did include ALL visits, trays, and adjustments, along with a retainer at the end - this is the case for most Invisalign quotes. Please let me know if you have any other questions and best of luck to you!
UPDATED FROM blondesunshine

406 days of Invisalign and I'm finally...

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blondesunshine
406 days of Invisalign and I'm finally finished! I've provided before and after photos. I feel (and look like) a new person. I've lost over 50 pounds, changed my hair, and cleared up my skin. I whole-heartedly recommend Invisalign to all qualified candidates.

Replies (11)

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November 24, 2010
I am curious about eating...
I am considering Invisalign and I am aware that they must be on as much as possible; taking them off only to eat and brush.

I notice you lost weight. Does wearing these make you eat less? or less often? I am afraid that I will overeat; trying to satisfy my cravings the short time that my liners are off. Also, what about drinking coffee and red wine?

Thanks!
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November 24, 2010
Thanks for your comment! I did find myself less likely to snack with Invisalign, especially before bed (and that's when I would typically snack). I wanted to avoid cavities so I always made sure my teeth and aligners were super clean before going to sleep.

I only drank water and clear diet soda (like Diet Sprite) with them in because I didn't want my teeth or the aligners to get discolored. I don't think coffee and red wine would be any problem as long as your aligners are out while drinking and you brush your teeth before putting them back in.

Best of luck to you, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
December 27, 2010
Hi there,

when they first put the attachments on your teeth did you find you had sensitivity? I can hardly put my toothbrush over the teeth they put the attachments on? Is this normal?
I'm on my 3rd day of my first tray!

Thanks in advance,
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January 14, 2011
Hello -

I'm so sorry to hear that you're experiencing such extreme sensitivity. Hopefully it has improved by now. I never experienced that kind of tooth sensitivity during the course of my treatment. Please feel free to send any other questions my way. Hope you are doing well!
January 24, 2011
I am also an invisalign patient for 2 years i have had invisalign and i have to say that i am very happy with the entire process. If you are over the age of 25 this is the way to go. for two years i have this process going on but there are still people that i have known for this amount of time that dont even see or notice that i have invisalign until i tell them i have it. The whole process is not inconvienient. As your teeth get straighter you feel better about having the retainers in because everything becomes less noticeable. I totally recommend this for anyone who has slightly crooked teeth. Expect about $1000 more dollars than just braces.
May 11, 2011
Thanks for your information
July 30, 2011
what a fantastic story, you sound really happy now :) I've ordered mine now, they should be arriving in about 2 weeks and I can't wait, now that I've read your story! I'm a little worried about eating/ taking the braces in and out. I don't need to lose any weight but I don't want to overeat and put any on either! I'm sure it'll work out, thanks for all the information and congratulations on all the positives!