My Experience with Invisalign and Gum Surgery
I chose invisalign because I wanted to close the...
I chose invisalign because I wanted to close the space between my 2 front teeth. I'm 25 and in my career, I have to talk to people all the time...so I felt like invisalign was the better option for me compared to regular braces.
It took longer than I had expected to get started. The dentist took my impressions and said it would take invisalign about a week or 2 to come back with my treatment. The dentist wasn't happy with the first treatment plan he received from invisalign so he sent it back in to be adjusted. About 4 weeks after I had the impressions done, I went to the dentist to approve the revised treatment. Invisalign sent an animation that I could watch and it showed me what my teeth should look like at the end. I was pleased with what the results showed.
About 3 weeks after I sent in the approval, I FINALLY received my first set of trays. They are pretty easy to snap in and out of my mouth. I was worried that the "buttons" on my teeth we're going to be ugly but they aren't too bad at all. You can barely see them. I was also worried that I would talk funny for a few days, but they didn't affect my speech at all. My teeth were definitely sore for about the first week but not unbearable.
I'm now on my 2nd set of trays. I haven't noticed any changes in my teeth yet but I know it's early still. This set feels a lot tighter than the first.
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The dentist said I have a lot of extra space between my top teeth... so initially, when invisalign sent the first treatment plan for review, the space between my two front teeth closed but there would be a small space before my canine. The dentist asked invisalign to revise my treatment so that the small space would be behind my canine tooth instead. That way you really won't be able to see it when I smile.
Not sure if this affected the placement of the buttons. I have a total of 7 buttons, 4 on the right side and 3 on the left side.
Yeah, the buttons don't look bad in your pictures. Thanks for posting those it is so great to be able to actually see what is being talked about!
Good choice on your dentist's part to have the gap behind the canine. That will look a lot better.
Looking forward to hearing updates on how you are doing!!
Finished my last tray for my bottom teeth today....
I have 6 more weeks (3 trays) before the top teeth are done. It took about 12 weeks before there was really any noticeable movement.
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Glad to hear an update from you! :)
6 weeks?! You are nearly done, so exciting!! Thanks for making the note that it took about 12 weeks before you saw noticeable movement. That is a really helpful tip for other going through treatment to be able to keep in mind.
I’m a single mom and I have 2 kids who both needed dental braces. I make just enough to not qualify Medicaid services so I can’t get free dental and medical services for the kids. I had to pay over $4800 so that my child can have braces and a beautiful smile. . .She was very scared and timid at school. I couldn’t find anyone in Los Angeles who would do the braces at a normal price so I had to launch find it with free services like (HealthSouk- the dental discount plan or discounted dentistry) and (800 dentist) The first one was free and the second apparently charges the dentist but not me.
- Jenny Thomas
Yesterday I had a small periodontal procedure done...
Yesterday I had a small periodontal procedure done. When I started invisalign, my gums were not in tiptop condition. I'm on my last set of trays and I noticed the gum in between my two front teeth-- where my gap used to be-- was red, swollen and bloody. The dentist referred me to a periodontist. When my two front teeth closed, they pinched my gum and caused some excess gum tissue. I had to have the excess gum tissue removed.
I searched the internet for a case similar to mine and couldn't find anything so I wanted to share my story. The periodontal surgery didn't hurt much but it is an added expense that I hadn't planned on. A small part of my gums looks kind of gross now but I know it's only a matter of time before it heals.
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Thank you so much for sharing about the periodontal surgery you had. It is really good that you noticed what was happening with the gums. I have heard of that before, and have heard that if the surgery (I believe its called a Gingioplasty or Gingivectomy) isn't done sometimes the gap can return as a result of the tissue putting force on the teeth - so good job on taking care of it!
So glad to hear your buttons aren't noticable. I know a lot of people have been disappointed by the way the buttons look.
Do you happen to know if the placement or shape of the buttons were part of what the dentist changed from the first treatment plan that was sent?