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POSTED UNDER Invisalign Reviews

Fashioning The New Me a.k.a. My Invisalign Experience - Georgia, GA

UPDATED FROM PreOrtho
1 year post

Refinement Aligners 5-8: Subtle Changes

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PreOrtho
$5,280
I just finished with my 8th refinement aligners and I am noticing that my intruded lower canine is looking more level with the other teeth. In addition, I forgot to add that my refinement aligners are raised slightly in the back, as to help with the open bite caused by the previous aligners. This makes the aligners a little uncomfortable and awkward-feeling for the first couple of days, but alas it is working: the open bite is getting much better.

Surprisingly, because it is supposed to take fewer aligners to fix than the lower canine, I see little to no difference in the main issue that I personally have: my intruded left upper central incisor.

Attached photo is at the end of aligner 8. I previously said I'd update every 3 aligners, but the changes are so small that even with every 4, it is hard to see a big difference.

Replies (4)

February 10, 2015
This has been helpful to a newby invisaligner like me, thanks. I'm on tray 1 of 21.
April 10, 2015
Is your treatment complete? Are you happy with the results?
November 20, 2015
So how are things looking now in November 2015? :)
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November 23, 2015
What do you mean by "your aligners are raised slightly in the back"? I am curious because I, too, am now on refinments. I had an open bite issue and based on other RealSelf reviews I read, I requested my retainer and the refinement trays all include the molars I have on one side. Originally, my trays did not include the molars, even though I have them on my right sides - so I think that is how the open bite developed. I wore metal braces for a few months to correct that so I was worried the retainer and refinements might cause that again. I'm only on 1 of 30 refinement trays but so far so good!
UPDATED FROM PreOrtho
1 year post

Aligner 30 of 30 + Refinement Aligner 1-4: The End and the Beginning

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PreOrtho
Hi, I'm back! Actually, I never truly left as I regularly read updates to other reviews; I was just too busy with school, exams, and other aspects of daily life to reply or update my own review.

Anyway, I completed my initial treatment and I'm now on my refinement aligners. Aligner 5, to be exact. The refinements are to address two intruded teeth -- my left upper central incisor and left lower canine.

The total number of aligners needed to fix these?

19-24.

Yes, more than he predicted. Plus, I now have 18 attachments as an attachment was added to my lower canine to aid the extrusion process. My upper tooth requires 19 aligners while the lower requires 24. However, the orthodontist says, depending on the progression, the refinement phase will end at 19. I change aligners every week now, so I should be finished by the end of April/beginning of May if that is the case. Hopefully, it will be, because I graduate in May!

I'm supposed to be getting some more IPR a little later down the line but I will talk to the ortho about it because I don't think I will go through with it. I just want my two teeth to be back in the same vertical space they were before -- nothing more!

Attached are my teeth at the end of the 4th aligners. I'll be updating every 3 aligners from here, as there isn't a large amount of difference with the refinements as there were with the initial set.

Replies (5)

January 10, 2015
Your results are amazing! Such huge transformation! A quick question - did they close your gaps by picking teeth back only? Or did they also move your molars forward? The reason I am asking is that I have gaps too and we are shifting mine back to reduce the radius of the arch without doing anything to molars. I am worried that my teeth will be shifted too far. Did you have these concerns?
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January 10, 2015
Hi, thank you! Nope, no molars were moved. I had an overjet so there was space to move the teeth back. If you hold your hand out with fingers splayed as if you were about to grab something, then pull them together to reach your thumb, you can understand the kind of movement I mean...Do you have an overjet or bite? If not, then moving the space back would be more or less the only way.
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January 11, 2015
They are doing the same thing with my teeth as well! I have several gaps, but they are all at the front of my mouth, and my molars are perfectly aligned (some of them are TOO close together, according to my ortho). They are just pushing my front teeth back and my molars are not moving at all. I also have an overbite and slight overjet - I might have to get elastics at some point, but that's something I'll have to be re-evaluated for at the refinement stage.
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January 15, 2015
I was supposed to get elastics but never needed them! Your results look good in the Clincheck, so I wouldn't worry too much about it right now.
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January 11, 2015
Your smile looks so amazing!! And your teeth are ridiculously white, haha! I'm glad you finally updated us on your progress! Kind of crazy that you have so many refinement aligners though... definitely makes me wonder if I'll have the same (I'm currently on 20 aligners and will most likely need refinements).
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January 15, 2015
I knoowwww.. I thought "Huh?" I already went through 30 aligners, now I have another full set. Fabulous. Really, can you tell how thrilled I am about this? Lol.
January 12, 2015
What is the name of your orthodontist?
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January 12, 2015

You're graduating already!?  Woot!  You look great too, of course.  But wow!  Is this grad or undergrad?  I just realized I had no idea, LOL!

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January 15, 2015
Undergrad. Grad...I wish!
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January 16, 2015

Tihi :).  I kind of figured since you chose PreOrtho, but then I thought maybe you'd just written pre because you weren't an ortho yet ;).  Still, undergrad is great to finish as well!  Do you know where you're going to grad school yet?

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January 17, 2015
I don't know yet. I'm not going for this cycle, since I need a break and time to make the big $$$ I need for dental school, so I'm still having fun looking at all of my options.
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January 18, 2015

So cool :).

January 15, 2015
Did you have to get the frenectomy?
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January 15, 2015
Nope! The extra tissue just sort of magically dissolved as my teeth moved closer...Actually, it wasn't that magical. I bled in that area for a few aligners, but nothing serious. I sent you a message about my ortho.
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January 16, 2015

So that was what the blood was about!  My daughter has been recommended a frenectomy as well, so I wonder how that'll go for her.  She has Damon braces.

UPDATED FROM PreOrtho
10 months post

Closed: Aligner 29 of 30

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PreOrtho
I was beginning to question whether I'd get there before refinements, but finally, The Gap is closed. *Rejoices* Initially with this set, it would reopen slightly after 20 minutes or so of the aligners being out, but now it stays closed the entire time. In addition to this, the overjet is also gone. So it seems the treatment was a success, however...

My two front teeth are now uneven! It is a bit more exaggerated in close-up photos, but you can see that my left central incisor has intruded. I traced it back to a few aligners starting around 23, which had this defect. My tooth simply shaped to the aligners. I'm more than a little disappointed at this, because as others have mentioned, this is a costly and time-consuming procedure. I would hope they work out kinks like this in the future because now, even though my initial issues have been dealt with, I still have to go through refinements to fix this tooth.

Replies (3)

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October 23, 2014
Did you post a picture and it didn't show up?  I want to see that tooth--that really is extremely disappointing :(.
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October 25, 2014
Nope, I didn't post a picture. You can see how the tooth is higher in the last few pictures. It IS really disappointing and I hope it won't take forever to fix, considering how difficult extrusions can be with Invisalign.
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October 25, 2014
Okay--some people have bern having problems posting pics lately--glad that wasn't the case.

Went back and looked at all your pictures--I'd forgotten how pronounced your diastema was.  There is no hint of it left.  But at tray 3 I found what I was looking for.  You do have an attachment on that tooth.  Wondering if that'll help or if the angle is wrong.
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November 13, 2014
I'm getting my first set of aligners in the next couple of weeks, and reading your posts have made me so much more excited than I was before! I also have "The Gap", an overbite, and a slight overjet, and seeing your progress pictures has given me a real-life example of what my teeth will (hopefully) look like someday! Just noticed that you haven't posted in a few weeks, hopefully you'll let us all know what happened with those two front teeth!
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January 10, 2015
Hi Chompy! I've finnnallllyy updated. :)
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December 10, 2014

Hi Preortho!  Wondering if you've gotten your refinement trays yet and started them?

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January 10, 2015
Yes! See my update :)