POSTED UNDER Invisalign Reviews
18 Years Old, Just Some Overcrowding That I Wanted to Get Started Fixing Before College! - Glen Ridge, NJ
UPDATED FROM charlotteamber
5 months post
Tray 10 out of 23---I promise I'm back to posting regularly!
$5,000
I am so sorry for the late update, but I just graduated from high school and my schedule has been crazy! Just to recap, my main problems are bottom and top right rotated canines, bottom left slightly rotated canine, and overcrowding in the center teeth on the bottom. I have to admit that I have been a bit bad on wearing my trays, and have even gone a few days without wearing them sometimes. I know I know, this is extremely bad for my invisalign process. But I swear I am back to the way I first was! I even put my trays back in immediately after taking these pictures, whereas normally I'd wait until posting this… or until I went to bed.
Although (like I say every two weeks) I haven't noticed any significant differences, I did look at a picture of me before all of this and notice that my smile now seems more even. I am happy to report that invisalign has made differences in my smile, even if for now they are minor. It has improved the whiteness of my teeth thanks to the treatment my dentist included (free of charge!), and of course my oral hygiene has improved because of the frequent brushing and use of mouthwash to strengthen enamel.
The pictures above are after my first day with tray 10 in, and I can't believe how fast this whole thing is going! I love waking up and seeing on my iPhone calendar that it is time to change trays, that's how fast it goes! The main reason I did this was to improve my smile for college, and although my smile won't be fixed until December/January (and thats not including retainer time which I know will be worn pretty much 24/7 for a few months), I am confident now that I can do it! I am scheduled to get my IPR shavings done just before I leave for college (hopefully) as they need to be done before tray 20. Honestly though, they'll probably be done when I come home for thanksgiving break as that date is much closer. Either way, I am glad to finally be in the double digit trays!
I still have yet to bring up the courage to ask my dentist to send me my ClinCheck, although I'm thinking I should just email him. Thank you for all of your support and please comment below-- I love hearing questions or feedback!
Although (like I say every two weeks) I haven't noticed any significant differences, I did look at a picture of me before all of this and notice that my smile now seems more even. I am happy to report that invisalign has made differences in my smile, even if for now they are minor. It has improved the whiteness of my teeth thanks to the treatment my dentist included (free of charge!), and of course my oral hygiene has improved because of the frequent brushing and use of mouthwash to strengthen enamel.
The pictures above are after my first day with tray 10 in, and I can't believe how fast this whole thing is going! I love waking up and seeing on my iPhone calendar that it is time to change trays, that's how fast it goes! The main reason I did this was to improve my smile for college, and although my smile won't be fixed until December/January (and thats not including retainer time which I know will be worn pretty much 24/7 for a few months), I am confident now that I can do it! I am scheduled to get my IPR shavings done just before I leave for college (hopefully) as they need to be done before tray 20. Honestly though, they'll probably be done when I come home for thanksgiving break as that date is much closer. Either way, I am glad to finally be in the double digit trays!
I still have yet to bring up the courage to ask my dentist to send me my ClinCheck, although I'm thinking I should just email him. Thank you for all of your support and please comment below-- I love hearing questions or feedback!
charlotteamber's provider
UPDATED FROM charlotteamber
3 months post
Tray 7 out of 23… completely forgot to post!
Hey everybody sorry I forgot to post tray 7, but I've been wearing it for just over a week now. It is truly amazing how fast these trays can go by, I thought I was still on tray 6 until I looked at my iPhone calendar! I have been noticing subtle changes with my teeth, but no real progress which I'm sure is normal since I'm only on tray 7.
I'm actually kind of bummed out about my bottom teeth because they are very overcrowded and there is no room for them to do any real rotating or moving yet. I know I am getting IPR shavings done (I'm pretty sure those are what they're called), but my dentist says I won't need them until just before tray 20 which seems so weird to me…I just don't understand why they wouldn't do them sooner if my bottom teeth can't move at all from what I can see. Does this mean I won't see any progress until tray 20 for my bottom teeth??? If so I'll be pretty upset. I'll have to ask my dentist when I see him to try out tray 9.
Another reason not having the shavings done until tray 20 is worrying me is because I don't think 3 trays (6 weeks) is going to fix them the way I want. And if it only takes three trays to move them then what the hell did I waste almost 40 weeks of bottom tray wearing for! Very frustrated because even though I'm not that upset about how crooked they are, if you look at my bottom arch you can see that there is no visible change in the past 12 weeks. I know there is no room for them to move, but then why didn't the ClinCheck schedule my IPR shavings earlier. All my bottom trays even look the same :(
Oh well, so far so good I guess. I just wish that I was seeing some actually changes because some other RealSelf people I follow I see progress with and they are only on tray 4 or 5. Sorry for the pessimistic post you guys, because I do think that this whole process will end up being worth it. I just have some doubts and I'm letting the negative reviews I see haunt my nightmares!!! Above are photos so let me know what you guys think or comment if you have any questions/comments!
I'm actually kind of bummed out about my bottom teeth because they are very overcrowded and there is no room for them to do any real rotating or moving yet. I know I am getting IPR shavings done (I'm pretty sure those are what they're called), but my dentist says I won't need them until just before tray 20 which seems so weird to me…I just don't understand why they wouldn't do them sooner if my bottom teeth can't move at all from what I can see. Does this mean I won't see any progress until tray 20 for my bottom teeth??? If so I'll be pretty upset. I'll have to ask my dentist when I see him to try out tray 9.
Another reason not having the shavings done until tray 20 is worrying me is because I don't think 3 trays (6 weeks) is going to fix them the way I want. And if it only takes three trays to move them then what the hell did I waste almost 40 weeks of bottom tray wearing for! Very frustrated because even though I'm not that upset about how crooked they are, if you look at my bottom arch you can see that there is no visible change in the past 12 weeks. I know there is no room for them to move, but then why didn't the ClinCheck schedule my IPR shavings earlier. All my bottom trays even look the same :(
Oh well, so far so good I guess. I just wish that I was seeing some actually changes because some other RealSelf people I follow I see progress with and they are only on tray 4 or 5. Sorry for the pessimistic post you guys, because I do think that this whole process will end up being worth it. I just have some doubts and I'm letting the negative reviews I see haunt my nightmares!!! Above are photos so let me know what you guys think or comment if you have any questions/comments!
Replies (1)
May 28, 2014
Waaaaait!!!! Don't get too worried, now :D. The IPR is not what makes the major room for your bottom teeth to shift. All those other weeks are most likely to make room in your bottom arch by moving all of your back teeth. This is an enormous job. And if you need to make room in the front of your mouth, you need to move all those other teeth first. The IPR will likely just be after most of the movement has already occurred. It may even be mostly to avoid black triangles. They just can't shave that much off of teeth that they could do all of the space-making with IPR, or you'd be left with, like, toothpick teeth :).
Did the doctor never let you see the ClinCheck? This movement should be obvious in at least one of the views in your ClinCheck, and all doctors get them, they just don't all offer them to their patients unless you ask for them :).
Did the doctor never let you see the ClinCheck? This movement should be obvious in at least one of the views in your ClinCheck, and all doctors get them, they just don't all offer them to their patients unless you ask for them :).
May 28, 2014
Thank you so much! I know I should stop worrying but unfortunately it's something I do constantly. I'm an extremely self-conscious person, and while invisalign is better than braces, I can see people stare at my trays when I talk and they say I still have a lisp. I'm just so worried it won't be worth it. As for my dentist, he's helpful, but I always fee rushed. He has showed me my ClinCheck only twice and it was because I asked, but it was very quick and I could barely see what was happening movement wise. Should I ask him to send it to me? Is that a thing? Or should I just wait until my next appointment in three weeks and ask him to show it to me again?
May 29, 2014
Some doctors can send it to you, if they're savvy enough. Some of them can send you a link to a site where you have access to it. I'm not sure what's more usual.
And I know what you mean about the worrying. I was a chronic worrier--it messed up my stomach. I finally decided to see a therapist about it. They call it chronic anxiety disorder or something. But it's expensive and time-consuming to keep going to therapy. I've been slowly growing out of it a little these last few years, though. But I'm almost 40. You don't want to wait that long, if you ever have the opportunity. There are books and group therapy things one can do.
You may want to try to meditate on why it matters that others look at your trays. They don't look that bad, and you're a pretty girl and your teeth aren't even that bad. A huge number of people in this country get braces--not even invisalign--so most people can even empathize with your situation. And even if they don't, how can they judge you negatively for improving your teeth? Dental health is key to overall health, and straight teeth with a healthy bite are easier to care for than crooked teeth. You are doing the right thing for your overall health and well-being, as well as for aesthetics. And if you lisp a little because there is something foreign in your mouth, that has nothing to do with whether you are a worthy person. It's just because you have something in your mouth. Try to search for the quiet confidence within yourself. Your decision to fix your teeth is valid and good and worthy, and anything connected to that is acceptable and understandable.
Does it make you nervous when others look at you in general, or is it just the Invisalign and the lisp?
And I know what you mean about the worrying. I was a chronic worrier--it messed up my stomach. I finally decided to see a therapist about it. They call it chronic anxiety disorder or something. But it's expensive and time-consuming to keep going to therapy. I've been slowly growing out of it a little these last few years, though. But I'm almost 40. You don't want to wait that long, if you ever have the opportunity. There are books and group therapy things one can do.
You may want to try to meditate on why it matters that others look at your trays. They don't look that bad, and you're a pretty girl and your teeth aren't even that bad. A huge number of people in this country get braces--not even invisalign--so most people can even empathize with your situation. And even if they don't, how can they judge you negatively for improving your teeth? Dental health is key to overall health, and straight teeth with a healthy bite are easier to care for than crooked teeth. You are doing the right thing for your overall health and well-being, as well as for aesthetics. And if you lisp a little because there is something foreign in your mouth, that has nothing to do with whether you are a worthy person. It's just because you have something in your mouth. Try to search for the quiet confidence within yourself. Your decision to fix your teeth is valid and good and worthy, and anything connected to that is acceptable and understandable.
Does it make you nervous when others look at you in general, or is it just the Invisalign and the lisp?
May 29, 2014
Some give out the Clincheck, others don't unless ask, a few don't at all. I called my ortho's office and the treatment coordinator sent me the file by email right away. You shouldn't definitely try asking. It can provide much needed motivation.
UPDATED FROM charlotteamber
3 months post
Sorry for the wait… Tray 6 out of 23
First of all I'm so sorry I forgot to update last tray, I was super busy! But hopefully now I'll be able to see some real changes from the pictures of tray 4. I've noticed recently that I don't wear my trays as often but I'm still able to to fit the next tray quite comfortably. I went to my dentist to get trays 6,7, and 8 on tuesday and when I put in tray 6 he said it fit perfectly! I'm definitely not saying you can get away with doing less than the 20-22 hours a day recommended, but don't beat yourself up if you have a busy week because chances are (especially if you wore the trays more often at the end of the treatment) that bad habits during one tray will not effect your invisalign process at all.
So my senior prom is next week and I think I'm going to be using the crest 2-hour whitening strips beforehand. I've used them before, but never while I had the attachments/buttons on my teeth. Although my dentist reassures me it shouldn't make any difference, I'm a bit cautious. Luckily my attachments won't be off until december, so my teeth will have time to go back to their normal color that best matches what's under the buttons. I'm thinking maybe I should switch back to non-whitening toothpaste when I get closer to the end of my process, any thoughts?
I also feel kind of bummed out because not only do I not see any real progress, I don't feel any. I don't feel like my problem teeth are ever really being moved by the trays and there's never really a tightness on them. My top right canine is super rotated and like I stated in my last post it almost looks like it's protruding more. I also have noticed that on some of my teeth my gums have almost receded… It's like there was a little blood and they were sore while brushing for a few days and now the gum line is higher on some teeth (I'll post a pic along with this. It's only on one side and the easiest way to see it is by comparing the gum line on my two front teeth).
Lastly, my dentist is recommending that I don't put a permanent wire behind my teeth to keep them in place after invisalign, but I feel like if I go through all of this I might as well do something to keep them this straight! He reassures me that I'll be able to keep up with wearing my invisalign retainer after the treatment to keep them in place, but why can't I just get a wire? He said something about people developing dental problems from not properly being able to floss or clean their teeth with it, but my friends with wires don't have any problems. I just don't want all of this to be for nothing!
Sorry for the long post everybody! I'd love to hear any feedback or answers to my concerns as I feel like I'm not seeing any progress, although that may be because I look for it everyday. I promise to go back to posting every two weeks as well!
So my senior prom is next week and I think I'm going to be using the crest 2-hour whitening strips beforehand. I've used them before, but never while I had the attachments/buttons on my teeth. Although my dentist reassures me it shouldn't make any difference, I'm a bit cautious. Luckily my attachments won't be off until december, so my teeth will have time to go back to their normal color that best matches what's under the buttons. I'm thinking maybe I should switch back to non-whitening toothpaste when I get closer to the end of my process, any thoughts?
I also feel kind of bummed out because not only do I not see any real progress, I don't feel any. I don't feel like my problem teeth are ever really being moved by the trays and there's never really a tightness on them. My top right canine is super rotated and like I stated in my last post it almost looks like it's protruding more. I also have noticed that on some of my teeth my gums have almost receded… It's like there was a little blood and they were sore while brushing for a few days and now the gum line is higher on some teeth (I'll post a pic along with this. It's only on one side and the easiest way to see it is by comparing the gum line on my two front teeth).
Lastly, my dentist is recommending that I don't put a permanent wire behind my teeth to keep them in place after invisalign, but I feel like if I go through all of this I might as well do something to keep them this straight! He reassures me that I'll be able to keep up with wearing my invisalign retainer after the treatment to keep them in place, but why can't I just get a wire? He said something about people developing dental problems from not properly being able to floss or clean their teeth with it, but my friends with wires don't have any problems. I just don't want all of this to be for nothing!
Sorry for the long post everybody! I'd love to hear any feedback or answers to my concerns as I feel like I'm not seeing any progress, although that may be because I look for it everyday. I promise to go back to posting every two weeks as well!
Replies (2)
May 12, 2014
Welcome back to your review! :D
A few thoughts. First, it takes longer for your roots to move than your crowns, so please try to keep the trays in, to make sure you're moving the roots of your teeth. Otherwise, relapse is more likely than if the roots actually move.
Okay, as far as movement goes, it's likely a little is happening, but it's much more usual to see movement starting around tray 8. Especially with crowding cases, where a lot of teeth have to be moved in order to make room at the front of the mouth. It seems like obvious changes happen a little quicker with fixing gaps, but I'm no expert for sure.
As for the permanent retainer, what your doctor said is exactly the reason I never got one. But know also that that wire only goes behind your front teeth. If you want all your teeth to stay in place, you'll need to either get something specially made, or use Vivera (from Invisalign) or some other plastic tray retainer. They will keep your teeth exactly the way they were at the end of treatment. I know some super gung-ho people on here do (or will do) both simultaneously--meaning get the permanent retainer and use trays at night. But you'll have to use a floss threader and be careful. There are some people who manage and others who get cavities.
A few thoughts. First, it takes longer for your roots to move than your crowns, so please try to keep the trays in, to make sure you're moving the roots of your teeth. Otherwise, relapse is more likely than if the roots actually move.
Okay, as far as movement goes, it's likely a little is happening, but it's much more usual to see movement starting around tray 8. Especially with crowding cases, where a lot of teeth have to be moved in order to make room at the front of the mouth. It seems like obvious changes happen a little quicker with fixing gaps, but I'm no expert for sure.
As for the permanent retainer, what your doctor said is exactly the reason I never got one. But know also that that wire only goes behind your front teeth. If you want all your teeth to stay in place, you'll need to either get something specially made, or use Vivera (from Invisalign) or some other plastic tray retainer. They will keep your teeth exactly the way they were at the end of treatment. I know some super gung-ho people on here do (or will do) both simultaneously--meaning get the permanent retainer and use trays at night. But you'll have to use a floss threader and be careful. There are some people who manage and others who get cavities.
May 18, 2014
I really hate the idea of having a difficult time flossing, but I know so many people who had braces or used invisalign and are now having shifting problems! I just really want my teeth to stay straight after all of this hard work
May 19, 2014
No joke! That's the reason PreOrtho is going for the double-retainer thing. I started with Vivera, then moved to a Hawley, but now am back with Vivera because it just keeps my teeth better. Hopefully you and your doctor can work together on the issue so you can both feel good about the choice.
May 19, 2014
Is a Hawley the metal wire? Or a different type of retainer similar to Vivera?
May 20, 2014
So you found that the retainer tray similar to Invisalign worked better than a metal wire??!!
May 21, 2014
Well, so the difference is subtle, and I'll tell you what happened for me. I put in the metal wire, and I think that it actually made my arch a little more perfect from the front. But it also let my teeth shift together. Forward. So they got really tight in the front and it got harder to floss. I really didn't like that feeling, so I went back. So it seems to keep the arch shape in your teeth, but it doesn't maintain spacing between the teeth, if that makes sense? I don't know whether this is in general or just what happened to me, though.
May 22, 2014
My experience just showed me that it's all extremely individual, unfortunately. Some people's final outcome is more stable than mine has been. (Do not skip the post-treatment full-time retainer wear!) Unfortunately, I think it'd be best if everyone were allowed to try all of the types of retainers, and that's cost-prohibitive for most.
But honestly, if you're not having any trouble with your aligners (like clenching or grinding), and your doctor wants you in Viveras, the doctors here on RealSelf say it's the most stable way as long as you are diligent in wearing your retainers. If things start going wrong, you can look into other types of retainers. There is a special kind of permanent bonded retainer called a v-loop bonded lingual retainer, that is arched on every tooth and allows you to floss without a threader. You could also ask your doctor if he's heard anything good/bad about that. The studies I've seen say the detachment rates aren't statistiscally significantly worse than those for straight retainers.
Keep us posted :D.
But honestly, if you're not having any trouble with your aligners (like clenching or grinding), and your doctor wants you in Viveras, the doctors here on RealSelf say it's the most stable way as long as you are diligent in wearing your retainers. If things start going wrong, you can look into other types of retainers. There is a special kind of permanent bonded retainer called a v-loop bonded lingual retainer, that is arched on every tooth and allows you to floss without a threader. You could also ask your doctor if he's heard anything good/bad about that. The studies I've seen say the detachment rates aren't statistiscally significantly worse than those for straight retainers.
Keep us posted :D.
May 15, 2014
Seeing progress really depends on what teeth are moving. Some start with the front teeth, others the back, others elsewhere. Usually if it's the front teeth moving first you can see some changes pretty quickly, but it also depends on how bad the fronts were to begin with. If it's minor alignments along the sides/bottoms/back that are happening first, then it's really hard to see immediate progress :-( Either way, I'm sure more is happening that what you think! I can see some pretty great differences by yourtray 6!
May 18, 2014
Thanks! It makes me feel better knowing a few people have noticed some minor changes! I hope the teeth that I have a real problem with start to move soon!
Replies (1)