I was lucky enough to have a wirelign system developed by Dr. Cassalia in Chalfont, PA placed on the back of my upper and lower teeth. As you see my youtube video as well as the photos posted I have crowding in both my upper and lower teeth. The crowding in the lower teeth was more bothersome to me but Dr. Cassalia had a sincere desire to make my smile as beautiful as possible (you can tell he is a perfectionist and I love it!) so I decided to get both my top and bottom teeth wireligned. From the moment I walked into Dr. C's office I felt so welcomed and surrounded by knowledgeable, skilled and professional people. After seeing the amazing before and afters of prior patients It was clear to me that I was committed with going forward with the process of wirelign. Some of Dr. Cassalia's coworkers have gotten wirelign and you will see their beautiful results when you visit the office. It is truly amazing. Check out before and afters at his website. The process of getting the wires placed on my teeth was pretty easy and nothing I wouldn't expect. Photographs we taken, x rays done and then Dr. C had me lie in his chair as he delicately placed wire around each tooth that needed to move in order to correct crookedness and crowding. The process was not too uncomfortable- it felt similar to having braces tightened. He used a light to bond the wire to the teeth which felt warm. When he finished my teeth felt like they had a slight pressure on them. Nothing I couldn't handle...especially since I've had full braces in the past. My next appointment is in 1 moth to reactivate the wire. Judging by the process of the before and afters I looked at I wouldn't be surprised to see some slight movement in my teeth. My treatment plan is for 10 months but in the before and afters there is often movement after just 2 months. Hope that happens! I will keep you updated on pictures, photos and videos about the process. I think Wirelign could be amazing for orthodontics and amazing for my smile. Send me your questions and comments!:) Updated on 15 Jun 2016: Just wanted to post some pictures of what Wirelign actually looks like on teeth. I got my wire placed yesterday. The wires are not at all visible on the front of teeth and only slightly visible form the back (I even let my mom look inside my mouth on the backs of my teeth and she couldn't see it)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J_Xygk4nGU&feature=youtu.be Updated on 16 Jul 2016: So it's been one month since I had my wires placed and I got them repositioned and tightened 2 days ago. My teeth are already dramatically straighter. I'm pretty thrilled! I'm so happy I went forward with this process. There's still some work to done and Dr. C is going to correct my arches using a special wire he developed but so far I'm supper excited with the results and it's only been a month:) Yay! The results were so dramatic that for a second I forgot which side of my lower teeth originally had the crowding! Lol. I hope people considering other methods get access to this process- it's so great:) send me any questions! Updated on 16 Jul 2016: Just a side by side show 1 month of progress. Updated on 12 Aug 2016: Here is my update at months. I had my wire tightened again earlier this week. I continue to be amazed. My top teeth are now almost completely straight...I am getting prowire at my next visit so that we can start the process of correcting my arches. All in 2 months- invisible, no trays, buttons or braces. I couldn't be happier! See my videos for more details about he process and feel free to send me your questions.
Based on your photos, lingual braces or invisalign® should be excellent options for your concerns. If you are traveling a great distance for your treatment, Invisalign® may be the better option. Tooth movements can be programed during the digital setup of your prescribed tooth movements with invisalign® to accommodate your travel schedule. Problems that may arise with fixed orthodontic appliances may be difficult to address quickly and your treatment time may be prolonged. I hope this information was helpful. Dr. Cassalia
Braces are definitely an option. I would recommend a consultation with your local orthodontist to discuss your concerns and available treatment options. Alternative treatment options may include clear aligner therapy like invisalign®, removable retainer like devices (inman aligner), lingual (behind the teeth) braces, or other specialty techniques that align the anterior teeth (see attached video). I hope this information was helpful. Dr. Cassalia
The general appearance of your bite and smile line look good. It is hard to tell from the photos but there is most likely a midline shift toward the left of the facial midline due to the missing bicuspid. If your main concern is your lower arch crowding, then there are several options you may want to consider. If you are looking for cosmetic options to align your teeth, Invisalign® or lingual treatment options are a consideration. There are some specialty lingual techniques available but are not provided by many practices that provide orthodontic treatment (see attached video). Personally I would not remove a tooth in your case but would recommend a slight amount of IPR. For a case like yours, I would estimate total treatment time to be 8 to 10 months to align the lower anterior teeth. I hope this information was helpful. Dr. Cassalia
The small gap between your teeth is a “cosmetic” issue. It may not be necessary to close the space for any health related concerns but you are self-conscious of the space and it concerns you. If your dentist is not willing to discuss treatment options for your dental and cosmetic concerns, get a second opinion. Options may include full or limited orthodontic intervention or restorative dentistry in the form of bonding or veneers to close the space. You can also have a consultation with an orthodontist to discuss treatment options. Based on the photos you provided, there appears to be spaces on both the upper and lower arches. Orthodontic treatment may be required on both arches to correct the spacing on the upper. The other factor to consider is maintaining the space closure. Long term retention may be required with a lingual bonded retainer (fixed retainer behind your teeth) if orthodontic treatment is recommended. I hope this information was helpful. Dr. Cassalia
There are a number of things to consider when a small space such as yours is a cosmetic concern. If the space is due to a tooth size discrepancy (teeth are small relative to other teeth), then bonding or veneers may be a viable treatment option. Orthodontic treatment with braces or clear aligner products like Invisalign® may also be an option. I would recommend discussing your concerns with your dentist and have a consultation with an orthodontist. They can evaluate your situation and concerns and recommend the optimal treatment plan. There are limited orthodontic treatment options available that can address small spaces when bite conditions are ideal (See attached video reference). I am not exactly sure what you mean by the “bands” but once again your overall tooth and bite relationship should be evaluated and treatment monitored by a dental professional. Another thing to consider is maintaining the space after closure. Orthodontic intervention may require permanent retention. Be sure to discuss long term retention options with the orthodontist. I hope this information was helpful. Dr. Cassalia
