Braces and Retainers

Did my first appointment with orthodontist via video chat. It was pretty straightforward and I felt like I was in the office. I have to adjust must my rubber bands, but all looks well. I will continue to wear braces. Pictures coming soon.

Update: Just finished examination and tightening of braces. DeSantis took time to evaluate my teeth thoroughly plus explain what changes were noticed. I received rubber bands today as well. This is my first time wearing rubber bands on teeth. I was told to wear 22-23 hours a day and follow-up appointment in 7 to 8 weeks.

I’ve been recently experiencing teeth grinding during sleep related to stress. It has resulted in the upper aligner being damaged after 3 days of installation. Aligners are suppose to be worn on average 22 to 23 hours a day for 2 weeks per aligner. However, I noticed on the 3rd or 4th day wearing the aligners, there would be several holes in certain areas. The office was nice enough to replace the aligners when needed. However, I personally became concerned and embarrassed from the damage to the aligners. In my personal opinion, the aligners are fabulous and I enjoy wearing them more than braces. The orthodontist strategized a new plan that seems fabulous. He assured me that the aligners are very durable, but my situation was rare. My aligners are coming in direct contact with teeth and the teeth are damaging the aligner. If I had aligners for the top and bottom, I would have no damage to the aligners. So, today I had braces placed on the upper area and my lower braces tightened. I was very happy with this decision. After my teeth get further along, I will switch to lower and upper aligners. The appointment was fantastic. I felt like it was a nice vacation and was encouraged to relax. I fell asleep during the process of having my braces installed and tightened. I was shocked when the process was finished. I haven’t experienced any pain since installation. It’s been 12 hours since appointment. It was recommended to take Ibuprofen if needed. I was very happy with their work and also the personalized care. Dr. D called personally after appointment to verify everything was going well and no problems being experienced with braces. Hands down best practice! My next appointment is in August. I highly recommend this practice. Very happy my journey is here.