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POSTED UNDER Invisalign REVIEWS

Quest for a Better Bite and Straighter Teeth!

Name: Quest for a Better Bite and Straighter Teeth!
Item: Dr. Merilynn Yamada
Author: NowOrNeva

ORIGINAL POST

I have just started my Invisalign treatment! I...

NowOrNevaSeptember 4, 2014

WORTH IT$5,850

I have just started my Invisalign treatment! I started using my first tray right before bed last night.

I have to be honest - the first day is a little tough. I am realizing how much of a snacker I am. I am hoping this indirectly helps me curb my appetite and lose weight! The idea of brushing after eating a piece of chocolate is not so cool. I'll skip the sweets!

I am also getting nervous already about getting buttons put in (before Tray 3) because there are SO many. I thought I had a very mild case, but I was quoted a year treatment plan by two orthodontists. I don't know why I need so many buttons, but I want to make sure I have the best results - especially with such an expensive treatment - so I am getting them! I feel weird with just the single tray and no buttons so I can't imagine how weird that is going to feel.

My tongue is getting scraped by the tray a little so that is annoying too.

This is gonna be an interesting journey!!! I think I will invest an additional 1K in AcceleDent to cut my treatment in half. Seems worth it. And I plan to resell the unit after to make some of that $ back.

I really hope I get the results I want. Mostly I want my bite pulled back (my teeth stick out a bit from a profile view) and widened (I have slight crowding and a narrow bite) and my teeth straightened as much as possible. I also want my front teeth aligned, but I was told since my roots are already straight, I may only be able to accomplish that by having a cosmetic dentist file them. That is TBD! First things first, let's get these teeth straight!

NowOrNeva's provider

Dr. Merilynn Yamada

Replies (11)

TwoPlusOne

September 5, 2014

Hello, and welcome! I think you meant to say "AcceleDent". Would you like me to fix that for you? (I made the exact same mistake in a comment I left and confused everyone for days!) :)

Please post a picture! I'd like to be able to introduce you to some others who are in a similar situation to you. :) Also, how many attachments will you be getting? You mentioned it'd be a lot. We have one community member with 27 and another with 28 that I know of!

I was a little confused about your start date. If you tell me the date, I can fix it in your review.

Congratulations, and I hope you have a wonderful treatment experience! I look forward to following your progress, and if you need help with anything here on RealSelf, please don't hesitate to ask!

NowOrNeva

September 5, 2014

Hi! thanks for catching that - I DID mean Acceledent! I started my first tray before going to bed on Sept. 3rd. (I wasn't able to choose a date earlier than when I made my post). I will keep this tray for 3 weeks and then Tray 2 for three weeks, and then I get the buttons put on for Tray 3 (Oct 16th). I'm not sure exactly how many buttons but in the ClinCheck projection, there were sooooo many- looked like there was one on each tooth even! I will post pictures soon. I'm looking forward to tracking my progress on this site to help others because I read a lot of users posts before making my decision to move forward with Invisalign. Thanks!

TwoPlusOne

September 5, 2014

I've changed the start date to Sept 3 and edited the one word :). I look forward to seeing your pictures! And don't hesitate to leave comments to others here that you feel a kinship with! Otherwise they don't know you exist :D.

Zvezda

October 20, 2014

You know, I am telling my friends I have a new diet that really works: Invisalign! Only now do I realize what a snacker I used to be. But, hey, I will take it. Have been trying to get some pounds off for years. I am on trays 10 and started on Aug. 13. I use Acceledent.

Amusser

November 7, 2014

I am the same way! I am a choco-holic and it's just not even worth it anymore! I just got my buttons yesterday, before tray 3 also. I have 18 in total-wahhh! I have a total of 40 trays, and would LOVE to speed it up with AcceleDent, but my ortho didn't mention that so I might ask him next visit. I can't wait to hear about your journey and see your results! Keep us posted :)

Norcamom

March 3, 2015

Congrats! The first tray intake a bit to get used to. Make sure you check with your Ortho about acceledent, if you have any periodontal disease you risk bone loss using acceledent.

NowOrNeva

March 3, 2015

I have been using Acceledent with good results from the beginning. I know its controversial because of the bone loss, but my ortho uses it so I decided to give it a go. I am on Tray 24 now.

Norcamom

March 3, 2015

That is great. I have been treated for periodontal disease and have bone loss so AcceleDent is not an option for me. :( My gums had to be stable before getting Invisalign so I am just happy I can have that.

UPDATED FROM NowOrNeva

3 days post

Day 3.... This isn't easy!!!

NowOrNevaSeptember 7, 2014

So overall this first week hasn't been too bad but there have been some rough moments. The biggest issue I'm having right now in the beginning is with the rough edges of the trays. They are cutting into the bottom of my tongue the sides of my cheeks - starting to feel pretty raw and painful and I just look forward to the two hours that I take the trays out!

I do feel like I can already sense movement especially with the way my bite aligns when the trays are in.

I read online that people recommend ortho wax to protect the tongue from tray edges so I just ordered some off Amazon. In the meantime I'm going to take a nail file to the edges because other people have suggested that! Hopefully, it gets better!

Replies (9)

PreOrtho

September 7, 2014

Welcome! How many aligners are you set to have? Your teeth look pretty straight already, especially from a distance.

NowOrNeva

September 7, 2014

Thanks! I believe 28-32. I was surprised because I thought it would take less but I think because of my crowding and bite, however slight, still takes a lot of effort to move. I did see two orthos to get a second opinion and their projection was the same. I am hoping to get a copy of the ClinCheck projection so I can post that on here. That was the best way to see the results I am looking for. I recommend for anyone who is moving forward with Invisalign to request a ClinCheck to see your full projection before your ortho orders your trays (so you won't faint when you see a million buttons, and also to give you something to look forward to through the pain!)

PreOrtho

September 8, 2014

Ah, okay, I see what they would be working on with the bite. It will take longer because the teeth are so tight together on top and crowded on the bottom. But your teeth will look great when you're finished.

NowOrNeva

September 8, 2014

Yes - I didn't realize they spread out before they pull them in to make the best bite. Thanks for the vote of confidence - that gives me hope for the final results!

TwoPlusOne

September 8, 2014

Thank you for the pictures! I wonder if you can give us a picture of your natural resting bite (jaw closed with your lips open) so we can see the starting position for your bite? With your jaw open it's hard to see what will take so many trays to fix (though intellectually it makes sense).

NowOrNeva

September 8, 2014

Yes I'll add them now!

TwoPlusOne

September 8, 2014

Thank you! You're so pretty--it's gonna be great to get that bite fixed. But I see how both arches lean out toward your lips, so that makes sense that it'll take a little while to fix it. We have someone else who has almost the same thing going on. She's really super nice, and she's called fab45mom (the link goes to her review). You can see her starting point was more severe, but where she is now, her teeth lean out toward her lips as well. You can go meet her :). You already met PreOrtho below--she had a little bit of that as well. She used to have a gap too but that's already been taken care of, essentially. She's got 5 aligners left, I think, but may have some refinements.

I look forward to following you! :D

Norcamom

March 3, 2015

It gets better. I use a baby nail clipper to cut off sharp edges.

rileycat1

April 12, 2016

You can even buy the wax at your local grocery store. Look in the dental aisle. It is a God send when you wear Invisalign and the edges dig into your gums!

UPDATED FROM NowOrNeva

4 days post

Starting Pics

NowOrNevaSeptember 8, 2014

I didn't post starting pics without my first Tray in so attached are the before pics of my teeth without the trays in so you can have a clearer idea of my case.

Replies (0)

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