POSTED UNDER Invisalign REVIEWS
Geriatric Orthodontia! (Second, Uh, Third Adolescence).
ORIGINAL POST
Geriatric Orthodontia! (Second, Uh, Third Adolescence).
WORTH IT$1,900
Coming a little late to the party, as I'm well more than halfway through my (planned) treatment--at age 68. So far, so good!
Little background here. At age 10, with teeth coming in nicely, I had a playground injury in day camp in Brooklyn that knocked one upper front incisor halfway up & out. (Think half of Freddie Mercury's upper arch). Our family dentist was also a close family friend (my mom's lifelong BFF's BIL)---and so charged us very little. We got what we paid for. He was not an orthodontist. The molar anchor bands kept loosening, the wires kept breaking, the elastics excruciating and difficult to apply. Thus, I was not the most compliant patient. When I did wear my elastics, they often popped at the least opportune times. (Like once, when singing an important oratorio with my university choir that was being recorded, I hit a high G and to my horror, felt and saw it slingshot out my mouth and heard it hit one of the drop mics). For my wedding & college graduation present--at 20--my dentist removed my braces (and yanked an impacted wisdom tooth with only Novocain).
Went through law school & early law practice in Seattle with inexorably slowly flaring top and crowding bottom teeth. My dentist there gave me referrals to a dentist, perio and orthodontist here in Chicago, where I moved 41 years ago. When I was 28, I started ortho treatment--conventional braces top & bottom, starting with headgear. I was a very compliant patient, wearing my elastics even when I sang & ate. Had four bicuspids pulled to make room in my small mouth for my big teeth to be pulled into line, in preparation for jaw surgery...that my HMO refused to cover (not even any post-op complications). Did the math, and on a gov't lawyer's and a medical resident's salary combined (and modest--by today's standards--student loans), we couldn't afford the surgery. Ortho wasn't happy (surgeon was livid), but we followed through, kickin' it old-school, with naked straight teeth at last.
Until, 6 months into wearing my Hawley retainer, during a drunken debauch on a Nova Scotia vacation, I barfed it up somewhere between the garden party & several stops to pull over by the roadside. Somewhere, out in the Bay of Fundy, there's a lobster sporting a shiny chrome smile. I was so mortified and embarrassed to face the orthodontist that I never went back to replace it. (My current ortho keeps a huge looseleaf in his waiting room filled with "Tales of Lost Retainers").
Went through the decades with the usual cleanings, root canals, crowns, etc. till I had to extract a lower front incisor that a root canal couldn't save and get a single-tooth fixed bridge. We had no dental insurance (still don't), but our careers reached fruition and I retired (from law, not music). So we had the money to make sure to be able to hold onto my (and rein back in my flaring upper) teeth.
That pesky upper incisor was beginning to loosen ever so slightly due to my lowers acting as a wedge against the uppers and causing flaring. Now that I am a breast cancer survivor on Prolia, I can't afford to lose any teeth lest I get osteonecrosis of the jaw. My dentist suggested one more ride on the orthodontia train, and the orthodontist to whom he referred me decided Invisalign Express was the ticket.
We decided to do just the upper arch, as even though the lower was not perfect, there was no more crowding, it had too much metalwork, and was in no danger itself of loosening; and my natural overjet hides it anyway when I smile.
I discovered this site (and the Invisalign app) too late to post "before" selfies. I am 5 days into the 5th of 7 planned aligners. My next visit will be at the end of tray #7, and at that time I'll learn if I need "refinements" to close up whatever spaces remain from the extracted bicuspids, or if I can go to a retainer. My ortho favors a permanent wire behind the incisors, and a clear retainer over that. I just worry that a wire would screw up my home care because it would impede effective flossing.
I look in the mirror and marvel that in only 2 months my wayward front incisor is almost completely vertical, and already flush with its "neighbor." I'd feared that the Prolia would slow my progress, but my worry was unfounded. But there are two other benefits.
First, out of necessity I have become a home-care fanatic--because you have to take the aligner out to eat and then brush & floss, and then clean the aligner before putting it back in, snacking is a royal pain in the butt (especially having to sneak out to the bathroom after a restaurant meal). I use the TrayMinder app (better than the Invisalign app) as a timer, so I am motivated to keep the aligner in as close to 22 hrs. as I can. (Easiet than I thought.
So, second, I eat less often, which took 10 lbs. off me in 9 weeks.
And now that I'm on a low-carb diet, I'm losing even more weight. The Invisalign alone was responsible for a 10-lb. loss. Now it's 15. I may get to escape the plus-size dept.!
I promise to get some selfies up soon.
Little background here. At age 10, with teeth coming in nicely, I had a playground injury in day camp in Brooklyn that knocked one upper front incisor halfway up & out. (Think half of Freddie Mercury's upper arch). Our family dentist was also a close family friend (my mom's lifelong BFF's BIL)---and so charged us very little. We got what we paid for. He was not an orthodontist. The molar anchor bands kept loosening, the wires kept breaking, the elastics excruciating and difficult to apply. Thus, I was not the most compliant patient. When I did wear my elastics, they often popped at the least opportune times. (Like once, when singing an important oratorio with my university choir that was being recorded, I hit a high G and to my horror, felt and saw it slingshot out my mouth and heard it hit one of the drop mics). For my wedding & college graduation present--at 20--my dentist removed my braces (and yanked an impacted wisdom tooth with only Novocain).
Went through law school & early law practice in Seattle with inexorably slowly flaring top and crowding bottom teeth. My dentist there gave me referrals to a dentist, perio and orthodontist here in Chicago, where I moved 41 years ago. When I was 28, I started ortho treatment--conventional braces top & bottom, starting with headgear. I was a very compliant patient, wearing my elastics even when I sang & ate. Had four bicuspids pulled to make room in my small mouth for my big teeth to be pulled into line, in preparation for jaw surgery...that my HMO refused to cover (not even any post-op complications). Did the math, and on a gov't lawyer's and a medical resident's salary combined (and modest--by today's standards--student loans), we couldn't afford the surgery. Ortho wasn't happy (surgeon was livid), but we followed through, kickin' it old-school, with naked straight teeth at last.
Until, 6 months into wearing my Hawley retainer, during a drunken debauch on a Nova Scotia vacation, I barfed it up somewhere between the garden party & several stops to pull over by the roadside. Somewhere, out in the Bay of Fundy, there's a lobster sporting a shiny chrome smile. I was so mortified and embarrassed to face the orthodontist that I never went back to replace it. (My current ortho keeps a huge looseleaf in his waiting room filled with "Tales of Lost Retainers").
Went through the decades with the usual cleanings, root canals, crowns, etc. till I had to extract a lower front incisor that a root canal couldn't save and get a single-tooth fixed bridge. We had no dental insurance (still don't), but our careers reached fruition and I retired (from law, not music). So we had the money to make sure to be able to hold onto my (and rein back in my flaring upper) teeth.
That pesky upper incisor was beginning to loosen ever so slightly due to my lowers acting as a wedge against the uppers and causing flaring. Now that I am a breast cancer survivor on Prolia, I can't afford to lose any teeth lest I get osteonecrosis of the jaw. My dentist suggested one more ride on the orthodontia train, and the orthodontist to whom he referred me decided Invisalign Express was the ticket.
We decided to do just the upper arch, as even though the lower was not perfect, there was no more crowding, it had too much metalwork, and was in no danger itself of loosening; and my natural overjet hides it anyway when I smile.
I discovered this site (and the Invisalign app) too late to post "before" selfies. I am 5 days into the 5th of 7 planned aligners. My next visit will be at the end of tray #7, and at that time I'll learn if I need "refinements" to close up whatever spaces remain from the extracted bicuspids, or if I can go to a retainer. My ortho favors a permanent wire behind the incisors, and a clear retainer over that. I just worry that a wire would screw up my home care because it would impede effective flossing.
I look in the mirror and marvel that in only 2 months my wayward front incisor is almost completely vertical, and already flush with its "neighbor." I'd feared that the Prolia would slow my progress, but my worry was unfounded. But there are two other benefits.
First, out of necessity I have become a home-care fanatic--because you have to take the aligner out to eat and then brush & floss, and then clean the aligner before putting it back in, snacking is a royal pain in the butt (especially having to sneak out to the bathroom after a restaurant meal). I use the TrayMinder app (better than the Invisalign app) as a timer, so I am motivated to keep the aligner in as close to 22 hrs. as I can. (Easiet than I thought.
So, second, I eat less often, which took 10 lbs. off me in 9 weeks.
And now that I'm on a low-carb diet, I'm losing even more weight. The Invisalign alone was responsible for a 10-lb. loss. Now it's 15. I may get to escape the plus-size dept.!
I promise to get some selfies up soon.
Boomerette's provider
Replies (9)
June 22, 2019
I tried to take selfies, but they're truly winceworthy. (One looks like a crossbite, but that's just because of a temporary crown over a lower molar, and the angle of my phone). My smile is "on the bias," since it is quite evident that my bone structure is skewed (hence the 1979 ortho's plan for maxillofacial surgery--would have required breaking and realigning the bones and wiring my jaw shut for months, not to mention my HMO refused to cover it because it was "cosmetic" and the providers & hospital were out-of-network). My dentist told me that I will need some edge-grinding of the longer front incisor (it looks longer now that it's nearly vertical) once my orthodontia is over. Either that, or a veneer over its neighbor (which has me nervous because it had a root canal last year).
Good luck with your treatment--will it still be Invisalign or will it be
Good luck with your treatment--will it still be Invisalign or will it be
June 22, 2019
Congrats on being a fellow b.c. survivor, BTW. How long has it been for you? Any symptoms or side effects with Prolia? I started with a Zometa I.V., but ran a fever and had bone aches for days. Fortunately, Medicare Part B came through and began covering Prolia. I have only 7 trays planned, with 2 attachments, but I'd be quite surprised if we didn't do "refinements" for at least as long as the treatment. My dentist is dead set against a permanent upper retainer wire because it would interfere with home care and possibly harm the enamel--he wants me to get a clear retainer instead when all is said and done.
July 30, 2019
Thank you so much for all your posts. They are not only informative, but read like a humorous novel. Consider a second career as a writer!
I had invasive ductal carcinoma stage I grade IA removed by lumpectomy just under two years ago, no radiation. I take Arimidex ( an estrogen blocker) and prolia overy six months without side effects. Had previously been on zometa and its cousins for years due to a prior illness that required steroids, which had caused osteoporosis.
All diseases are in remission but I will be continuing prolia indefinitely to prevent BC recurrence. Good dental care is important when doing this, which is what got my interested in fixing my crowding in the first place.
My new ortho made new aligners, with only five attachments planned, 32 trays, plan is to change once a week, but I do not start until I get my lower canine extracted, probably next week. Aligners came in, I remain unclear on how they will fit after the extraction because they were designed ro accomodate my wayward lower canine that is going to be extracted.
He is not worried about ONJ risk increase with one extraction on prolia ( absent other risks like smoking) , only with implants, and even then risk is only around .03%, based on literature, a little higher with much higher doses of prolia every month for metastatic cancer, which I do not have, or radiation which I did not do then goes to1-2%.
There is no documented risk of Invisalign causing ONJ either.
I had to laugh reading your lifestyle and tricks: I used all of them when I tried tray 1 of my prior set and had it in for over a month though I had no yellowing problem.
Wine and luxury meals on trips were a challenge, especially in an airplane. On redeyes, I would take the airplane blanket and hide under it while I removed my tray. Then it would go into my pocket in a hanky, and after the meal I would go to the bathroom. I had the routine of brushing, flossing, and reinsertion down to two minutes, not long enough to irritate fellow plane pax more than a woman primping a bit, much less someone with constipation.
I have a three week trip to Europe in September to visit friends, and a cruise, snacking will be challenging unless I tell my friends about my seniorvanityproject. :)
I did the teeth whitening with ZOOM three montns ago as strips were too weak after all these years of doing nothing other than whitening toothpaste.
When my 32 trays are done I might need refinements, and I will have little “ black triangles” on the lowers that will need filling or veneers if they bother me ( will see, my smile barely shows my lowers).
I will see if I can figure out how to post, but I too have apple products, so will likely not have success.
Thanks again for your blog, very helpful, and amusing.
Maybe I will move on to a neck lift after I am done with my teeth, so looking in the mirror my remaining years of old age will no longer be quite so frightening.
The whole time I had my first aligner set in, hubby had not noticed ( he is nearsighted) even with frontal attachment wells. This time they will be in longer so I will tell him about them.
I had invasive ductal carcinoma stage I grade IA removed by lumpectomy just under two years ago, no radiation. I take Arimidex ( an estrogen blocker) and prolia overy six months without side effects. Had previously been on zometa and its cousins for years due to a prior illness that required steroids, which had caused osteoporosis.
All diseases are in remission but I will be continuing prolia indefinitely to prevent BC recurrence. Good dental care is important when doing this, which is what got my interested in fixing my crowding in the first place.
My new ortho made new aligners, with only five attachments planned, 32 trays, plan is to change once a week, but I do not start until I get my lower canine extracted, probably next week. Aligners came in, I remain unclear on how they will fit after the extraction because they were designed ro accomodate my wayward lower canine that is going to be extracted.
He is not worried about ONJ risk increase with one extraction on prolia ( absent other risks like smoking) , only with implants, and even then risk is only around .03%, based on literature, a little higher with much higher doses of prolia every month for metastatic cancer, which I do not have, or radiation which I did not do then goes to1-2%.
There is no documented risk of Invisalign causing ONJ either.
I had to laugh reading your lifestyle and tricks: I used all of them when I tried tray 1 of my prior set and had it in for over a month though I had no yellowing problem.
Wine and luxury meals on trips were a challenge, especially in an airplane. On redeyes, I would take the airplane blanket and hide under it while I removed my tray. Then it would go into my pocket in a hanky, and after the meal I would go to the bathroom. I had the routine of brushing, flossing, and reinsertion down to two minutes, not long enough to irritate fellow plane pax more than a woman primping a bit, much less someone with constipation.
I have a three week trip to Europe in September to visit friends, and a cruise, snacking will be challenging unless I tell my friends about my seniorvanityproject. :)
I did the teeth whitening with ZOOM three montns ago as strips were too weak after all these years of doing nothing other than whitening toothpaste.
When my 32 trays are done I might need refinements, and I will have little “ black triangles” on the lowers that will need filling or veneers if they bother me ( will see, my smile barely shows my lowers).
I will see if I can figure out how to post, but I too have apple products, so will likely not have success.
Thanks again for your blog, very helpful, and amusing.
Maybe I will move on to a neck lift after I am done with my teeth, so looking in the mirror my remaining years of old age will no longer be quite so frightening.
The whole time I had my first aligner set in, hubby had not noticed ( he is nearsighted) even with frontal attachment wells. This time they will be in longer so I will tell him about them.
July 30, 2019
Congrats on your long-term survival! My IDC was Stage IA, Grade 2, highly ER+/PR+, HER2-. OncotypeDX of 16 kept me off chemo (whew)! I too had a lumpectomy (result is that breast, while still big, looks normal and is much smaller than the other, droopy one--so a unilateral oncoplastic reduction/lift may be in my future once I reach goal weight). I had radiation, but it was just 16 hypofractionated (double-strength) "hits" to only the tumor bed. Went to Europe 3 weeks after the last session.
I had osteopenia even before radiation (my DEXAScan was done on day 1), so since I was placed on Letrozole/Femara my onc. was worried about it becoming osteoporosis. I'm on Prolia--had 5 shots and my final (fingers crossed) one will be in Sept. Last DEXA showed some improvement over the first; have another due in Nov. (a bit nervous, as I had to reduce my Ca supplement due to borderline high levels and a family hx of kidney stones).
I have another year-&-1/4 to go on Letrozole, after which I'll get the BCI test to see if staying on it for a full 10 yrs. (or for life) is necessary. The side effects are beginning to be cumulative--I initially gained 15 lbs.; though the low-carb diet has got me down to 10 lb. below my weight at diagnosis, it's been slower going than the food restrictions would be expected to result. My joint pain (except foot) isn't so bad, but the fatigue is increasing, my hair is getting a bit thinner (frizz is now my friend), my skin drier, and my back goes out more often. At least no more night sweats.
I do have the dreaded "black triangles" on the lower arch and subtly developing on part of the upper; but I'm not vain enough to get veneers (and I'd rather spend the money on travel and fixing up the house). Not gonna touch the rest of my face: I've earned my wrinkles and bangs are cheaper than Botox anyway. Don't want to do anything that might impact the facial muscles (much less nerves) I use for singing.
Oh, and as for writing? There's a glut of humor writers these days--with blogs, anyone can be the next Erma Bombeck, but sans royalties. But I am a (mostly) satirical singer-songwriter who's gotten airplay on Dr. Demento and the Midnight Special, and I give concerts occasionally. Am also in the Chicago Bar Assn.'s annual (since 1922, me since 2002) satirical musical "Bar Show." The weight loss will make running up & downstairs to & from my dressing room easier; and I've lost my "Invisa-Lisp" weeks ago. Just no more pizza at the cast after-parties.
I had osteopenia even before radiation (my DEXAScan was done on day 1), so since I was placed on Letrozole/Femara my onc. was worried about it becoming osteoporosis. I'm on Prolia--had 5 shots and my final (fingers crossed) one will be in Sept. Last DEXA showed some improvement over the first; have another due in Nov. (a bit nervous, as I had to reduce my Ca supplement due to borderline high levels and a family hx of kidney stones).
I have another year-&-1/4 to go on Letrozole, after which I'll get the BCI test to see if staying on it for a full 10 yrs. (or for life) is necessary. The side effects are beginning to be cumulative--I initially gained 15 lbs.; though the low-carb diet has got me down to 10 lb. below my weight at diagnosis, it's been slower going than the food restrictions would be expected to result. My joint pain (except foot) isn't so bad, but the fatigue is increasing, my hair is getting a bit thinner (frizz is now my friend), my skin drier, and my back goes out more often. At least no more night sweats.
I do have the dreaded "black triangles" on the lower arch and subtly developing on part of the upper; but I'm not vain enough to get veneers (and I'd rather spend the money on travel and fixing up the house). Not gonna touch the rest of my face: I've earned my wrinkles and bangs are cheaper than Botox anyway. Don't want to do anything that might impact the facial muscles (much less nerves) I use for singing.
Oh, and as for writing? There's a glut of humor writers these days--with blogs, anyone can be the next Erma Bombeck, but sans royalties. But I am a (mostly) satirical singer-songwriter who's gotten airplay on Dr. Demento and the Midnight Special, and I give concerts occasionally. Am also in the Chicago Bar Assn.'s annual (since 1922, me since 2002) satirical musical "Bar Show." The weight loss will make running up & downstairs to & from my dressing room easier; and I've lost my "Invisa-Lisp" weeks ago. Just no more pizza at the cast after-parties.
UPDATED FROM Boomerette
2 months post
Tray 5, 9 days in
Stupid site won't let me upload selfies! Keep getting errors--whether the .jpegs were taken from my iPhone or webcam (PhotoBooth). I think it hates all things Apple. (My browser is Safari--Firefox & Chrome are a pain in the butt with a Mac, IMHO).
Anyway, here I am 9 days into tray #5 of 7. Honestly, can't imagine that 7 is all it'll take, but who knows? Until I can upload a photo here, I'll just have to describe it. When I started, my R upper central incisor was flared up & out. In a 2-D photo looking head-on, the teeth appeared level. 9-1/2 weeks along, that tooth is vertical--but appears much longer than its neighbor.
Let me explain. I had broken my lower R 2nd molar last week on a piece of limp low-carb pizza. When I bit into that little hard object my first thought was "dang attachment fell off again." But when I spat it out I was shocked to see it was definitely a hunk of tooth. Let my tongue do the walking, and sure enough, the cusp of that molar had broken off. Didn't hurt, though, and my ortho and endodontist both suggested I wait till I could see my regular dentist. Went to the dentist this past Mon. and was surprised to learn that an old silver amalgam filling had finally failed. How old? My first filling EVER--at age 15! (From a different dentist--my cousin in FL who actually knew what he was doing). But because so much of the rough stuff needed to be filed away (amazingly, there'd been no decay) an acrylic filling wouldn't work; so I now have a temporary acrylic crown till the permanent porcelain-faced gold one can be made. No root canal necessary--whew! (The first molar has a full-gold crown--but what with the Maryland bridge down there, covered by an overjet, the aesthetics are much less of a priority than is utility.
Anyway, my dentist is delighted with my progress--and my gums, thanks to the obsessive brushing & flossing. But he says that after orthodontia but before getting scanned for a retainer, something will have to be done about shortening that reined-in upper incisor--talk about "long in the tooth!" Either it'll have to be "equilabraded" (sp?) further (like it was to file off the edge notches after my first, failed, braces were removed) or its neighbor might need a veneer to appear 1/2mm longer and even things out. But last summer said "neighbor" and its adjacent canine had to have root canals due to an abscess. Isn't it ironic (sorry, Alanis Morrissette) that my two root-canaled front teeth needed only fillings & not crowns, but the crowned molar didn't need a root canal. Go figure!
Anyway, my Invisalign+low-carb diet has me down 3 more lbs. (18 down, 25 to go to escape the Plus Size section and bring my BMI from "mildly obese" to "overweight." If I could maintain that, I'd be delirious (not the least because I'd be able to get back into my 14s & 16s, no "W" necessary, or "XL" without a 1, 2, or (ugh, been there) 3 prefacing it. A good solid 2 or 3 from Chico's (aka Forever 61) would be lovely. Besides, all my old single-digit size clothes are either at Goodwill or disintegrating in my attic, aka "the Mall" (sizes 2 to 22).
Had my first combination Invisalign-and-diet challenge yesterday. I am a foodie and an oenophile (a wino with a credit card), and there's a neighborhood restaurant with an outstanding wine program. They do monthly tastings and monthly or bimonthly winemaker "pairing" dinners--featuring wines from one producer, with courses themed to those wines' country of origin and paired to each wine. Now, as a breast cancer survivor I must limit myself to less than a pint a week--and my new diet further restricts my consumption. (Consequently, I've become addicted to colorless, unsweetened, flavored seltzer). These dinners consist of a half-hr. meet & greet (with aperitif, usually bubbly or a dry white), and 2 to 2-1/2 hours (or longer) for the courses--then waitstaff running and returning 65 dinner checks. And the ladies' room has 2 stalls & 1 sink. Fortunately, it also has a table & mirror. My goal, knowing this, was to minimize aligner-out time as much as I possibly could. The theme, BTW, was "wines of the Tyrol" (Alto Adige/Trentino region of the Italy-Austria border).
So for the preliminary schmooze, I had them pour me a flute of club soda, which I happily guzzled while leaving my aligner in. I waited till the first course to be served, and then ducked off into a far corner to pop my aligner out into its case and return to the table. I was able to artfully eat my way around the starches and sugar (and brought some of those home for my husband). First wine was a Chardonnay--not a fan, so I took a swirl, sniff and a couple of sniffs and moved on. All the rest--dry rosé, Pinot Noir, Lagrein (deep rich red)--I limited myself to an ounce or two each. But for dessert, since I had to pack the sachertorte and had only 5 blackberries to savor, I splurged on 3 oz. of champagne.
Check came, I plunked down my card, grabbed my purse and headed to the restroom. Set up my little collapsible cup, toothbrush & paste, flosspick, and soft toddler toothbrush for the aligner. Had to shift up & back between sink & table to avoid monopolizing the sink, but somehow I got it all done. Got back to the table and my card still hadn't been run. Good thing I hadn't waited to put my choppers back in jail. My total "out" time by then (including breakfast interrupted by a few phone calls I couldn't blow off) was 3-1/4 hrs. OUCH. So much for enjoying my little late-night piece of sugar-free chocolate...until midnight and the 24-hr clock reset.
Woke up this morning...another 1/2 lb. down. I could get used to this insanity.
I have a question, though--how do people keep their trays from yellowing? During my first tray, I drank iced coffee through a straw, sipped white wine (with my ortho's okay), and after two weeks the molar edges were darker than the wine--despite using the little packets of cleaning crystals that came with the aligner. Subsequently, became diligent about drinking only clear water or colorless seltzer with the trays in, gently brushed the trays with a toddler toothbrush and clear Dawn Ultra dish soap, tried the 50-50 water/peroxide mixture, Efferdent, and Retainer Brite--no luck. Not as bad as tray #1, but still not colorless. Bought an ultrasonic cleaner, and even with the crystals and tabs, all I was able to do was slow down the discoloration (always worse in the back). Even decided to switch to distilled water in case my hard Chicago water was the culprit. Not much luck. I think it's the composition of my saliva. (Not that my teeth are pearly-white anyway--they've always been a dark ivory-to-light-yellow except when I used to bleach them, which made them too sensitive). Got any tips? Please let me know!
Anyway, here I am 9 days into tray #5 of 7. Honestly, can't imagine that 7 is all it'll take, but who knows? Until I can upload a photo here, I'll just have to describe it. When I started, my R upper central incisor was flared up & out. In a 2-D photo looking head-on, the teeth appeared level. 9-1/2 weeks along, that tooth is vertical--but appears much longer than its neighbor.
Let me explain. I had broken my lower R 2nd molar last week on a piece of limp low-carb pizza. When I bit into that little hard object my first thought was "dang attachment fell off again." But when I spat it out I was shocked to see it was definitely a hunk of tooth. Let my tongue do the walking, and sure enough, the cusp of that molar had broken off. Didn't hurt, though, and my ortho and endodontist both suggested I wait till I could see my regular dentist. Went to the dentist this past Mon. and was surprised to learn that an old silver amalgam filling had finally failed. How old? My first filling EVER--at age 15! (From a different dentist--my cousin in FL who actually knew what he was doing). But because so much of the rough stuff needed to be filed away (amazingly, there'd been no decay) an acrylic filling wouldn't work; so I now have a temporary acrylic crown till the permanent porcelain-faced gold one can be made. No root canal necessary--whew! (The first molar has a full-gold crown--but what with the Maryland bridge down there, covered by an overjet, the aesthetics are much less of a priority than is utility.
Anyway, my dentist is delighted with my progress--and my gums, thanks to the obsessive brushing & flossing. But he says that after orthodontia but before getting scanned for a retainer, something will have to be done about shortening that reined-in upper incisor--talk about "long in the tooth!" Either it'll have to be "equilabraded" (sp?) further (like it was to file off the edge notches after my first, failed, braces were removed) or its neighbor might need a veneer to appear 1/2mm longer and even things out. But last summer said "neighbor" and its adjacent canine had to have root canals due to an abscess. Isn't it ironic (sorry, Alanis Morrissette) that my two root-canaled front teeth needed only fillings & not crowns, but the crowned molar didn't need a root canal. Go figure!
Anyway, my Invisalign+low-carb diet has me down 3 more lbs. (18 down, 25 to go to escape the Plus Size section and bring my BMI from "mildly obese" to "overweight." If I could maintain that, I'd be delirious (not the least because I'd be able to get back into my 14s & 16s, no "W" necessary, or "XL" without a 1, 2, or (ugh, been there) 3 prefacing it. A good solid 2 or 3 from Chico's (aka Forever 61) would be lovely. Besides, all my old single-digit size clothes are either at Goodwill or disintegrating in my attic, aka "the Mall" (sizes 2 to 22).
Had my first combination Invisalign-and-diet challenge yesterday. I am a foodie and an oenophile (a wino with a credit card), and there's a neighborhood restaurant with an outstanding wine program. They do monthly tastings and monthly or bimonthly winemaker "pairing" dinners--featuring wines from one producer, with courses themed to those wines' country of origin and paired to each wine. Now, as a breast cancer survivor I must limit myself to less than a pint a week--and my new diet further restricts my consumption. (Consequently, I've become addicted to colorless, unsweetened, flavored seltzer). These dinners consist of a half-hr. meet & greet (with aperitif, usually bubbly or a dry white), and 2 to 2-1/2 hours (or longer) for the courses--then waitstaff running and returning 65 dinner checks. And the ladies' room has 2 stalls & 1 sink. Fortunately, it also has a table & mirror. My goal, knowing this, was to minimize aligner-out time as much as I possibly could. The theme, BTW, was "wines of the Tyrol" (Alto Adige/Trentino region of the Italy-Austria border).
So for the preliminary schmooze, I had them pour me a flute of club soda, which I happily guzzled while leaving my aligner in. I waited till the first course to be served, and then ducked off into a far corner to pop my aligner out into its case and return to the table. I was able to artfully eat my way around the starches and sugar (and brought some of those home for my husband). First wine was a Chardonnay--not a fan, so I took a swirl, sniff and a couple of sniffs and moved on. All the rest--dry rosé, Pinot Noir, Lagrein (deep rich red)--I limited myself to an ounce or two each. But for dessert, since I had to pack the sachertorte and had only 5 blackberries to savor, I splurged on 3 oz. of champagne.
Check came, I plunked down my card, grabbed my purse and headed to the restroom. Set up my little collapsible cup, toothbrush & paste, flosspick, and soft toddler toothbrush for the aligner. Had to shift up & back between sink & table to avoid monopolizing the sink, but somehow I got it all done. Got back to the table and my card still hadn't been run. Good thing I hadn't waited to put my choppers back in jail. My total "out" time by then (including breakfast interrupted by a few phone calls I couldn't blow off) was 3-1/4 hrs. OUCH. So much for enjoying my little late-night piece of sugar-free chocolate...until midnight and the 24-hr clock reset.
Woke up this morning...another 1/2 lb. down. I could get used to this insanity.
I have a question, though--how do people keep their trays from yellowing? During my first tray, I drank iced coffee through a straw, sipped white wine (with my ortho's okay), and after two weeks the molar edges were darker than the wine--despite using the little packets of cleaning crystals that came with the aligner. Subsequently, became diligent about drinking only clear water or colorless seltzer with the trays in, gently brushed the trays with a toddler toothbrush and clear Dawn Ultra dish soap, tried the 50-50 water/peroxide mixture, Efferdent, and Retainer Brite--no luck. Not as bad as tray #1, but still not colorless. Bought an ultrasonic cleaner, and even with the crystals and tabs, all I was able to do was slow down the discoloration (always worse in the back). Even decided to switch to distilled water in case my hard Chicago water was the culprit. Not much luck. I think it's the composition of my saliva. (Not that my teeth are pearly-white anyway--they've always been a dark ivory-to-light-yellow except when I used to bleach them, which made them too sensitive). Got any tips? Please let me know!
Replies (5)
June 22, 2019
In case you're wondering--that avatar is my own free-poured latte art. (Yup, I'm also a "caffiend").
June 27, 2019
I did have only clear water while the aligner was in, for the entire 2 weeks of tray #5. Still yellowed around the molar edge. Ortho says some people just have highly mineral saliva, and hard water also exacerbates it. Them’s the breaks.
August 2, 2019
I’m amazed your ortho didn’t warn you off seltzer water. It’s acidic, ranging from a pH of 3 to 4, so with every sip with your trays in your teeth were bathing in mild acid which eats away at the enamel.
For people who must drink something other than water: drink something alkaline, NOT acidic. For me that’s warm green tea (black tea is acidic, green alkaline) with a bit of xylitol for sweetness and bacteria starving power.
For people who must drink something other than water: drink something alkaline, NOT acidic. For me that’s warm green tea (black tea is acidic, green alkaline) with a bit of xylitol for sweetness and bacteria starving power.
August 2, 2019
I rinse with clear water after drinking seltzer. My dentist also knows I drink it. And saliva is slightly alkaline. Warm green tea just does not float my boat--sweetened or otherwise. My primary care doc believes the whole alkaline thing is b.s. because of homeostasis.
UPDATED FROM Boomerette
3 months post
Tray 6, one week in
One week into tray #6. Had a bit of a scare last week when I made the switch. Tore open the envelope (6's & 7's were joined along a vertical perforation, took aim and popped #6 in. But unlike my previous changes, this time the sides didn't "snap" on cleanly over the attachments--and wouldn't fit over my L upper molar at all! When I did click it on, it popped off right away. Oh, no--another trip to the orthodontist? As if I don't have enough to do?
One last desperate thought--I know I've been very careful, but have I jumped the gun? Let me check the now-empty envelope.....yup, I'd skipped tray 6 and gone straight to 7! Took it out, rinsed it off, put it back into its envelope and popped in #6 instead. Ah, that's more like it. Tight transition, but stays in & on. And no need for a Tylenol at bedtime.
I am noticing, though, that despite using chewies occasionally during the day (something my ortho never mentioned but I found on other patients' blogs), each tray has a bit more "daylight" showing at the bottom. Asked my ortho and he said to just keep pushing them back up from time to time--though they exactly fit my tooth surface contours, they still overshoot at the bottom.
One more week till tray #7, supposed to be the last before retainer, but I'm exceedingly skeptical that I have only 3 more weeks (well, 3-1/2 because of the next appointment date) to go. I expect to have at least as many refinement trays as I did aligners--but heck, 14 weeks is an extremely short time. I see my dentist next Tues. for a cleaning (and maybe my permanent porcelain molar crown will be ready), so I will ask what he thinks I should do about one tooth appearing longer than the other. Of course, because of bone structure anomalies (which would have been addressed back in the day had my HMO not been such cheapskates), my smile is a couple degrees off-horizontal.
Speaking of back in the day (1979) when my then-ortho & maxillofacial surgeon tried to get me to finance the surgery ("even shopgirls get this done," the surgeon said disdainfully), my husband (then an internal medicine resident) put his foot down and said we could never afford to go out-of-pocket for hospitalization for complications (like infection). When I protested that my ortho warned me that without proper treatment my teeth would loosen & fall out, my husband said "so they'll fall out. Everyone gets tooth trouble when they get older. So you'll get dentures. Millions of people have dentures. Your mom's been wearing full plates since she was 50." Hahaha. He has horrendous lower crowding (as does our son who refused to get braces, even on our dime) and an underbite that gives him TMJ pain...as did his dad. But his dad died at nearly 91...with all 32 teeth intact. (Our son had his wisdom teeth--all impacted--removed, but my husband never had his own extracted).
Now that I've had to take Prolia for osteopenia, losing teeth is not an option...unless I want to get ONJ and watch the lower half of my face rot away. So my husband is a lot more sympathetic...but still refuses to correct his own crowding & underbite.
One last desperate thought--I know I've been very careful, but have I jumped the gun? Let me check the now-empty envelope.....yup, I'd skipped tray 6 and gone straight to 7! Took it out, rinsed it off, put it back into its envelope and popped in #6 instead. Ah, that's more like it. Tight transition, but stays in & on. And no need for a Tylenol at bedtime.
I am noticing, though, that despite using chewies occasionally during the day (something my ortho never mentioned but I found on other patients' blogs), each tray has a bit more "daylight" showing at the bottom. Asked my ortho and he said to just keep pushing them back up from time to time--though they exactly fit my tooth surface contours, they still overshoot at the bottom.
One more week till tray #7, supposed to be the last before retainer, but I'm exceedingly skeptical that I have only 3 more weeks (well, 3-1/2 because of the next appointment date) to go. I expect to have at least as many refinement trays as I did aligners--but heck, 14 weeks is an extremely short time. I see my dentist next Tues. for a cleaning (and maybe my permanent porcelain molar crown will be ready), so I will ask what he thinks I should do about one tooth appearing longer than the other. Of course, because of bone structure anomalies (which would have been addressed back in the day had my HMO not been such cheapskates), my smile is a couple degrees off-horizontal.
Speaking of back in the day (1979) when my then-ortho & maxillofacial surgeon tried to get me to finance the surgery ("even shopgirls get this done," the surgeon said disdainfully), my husband (then an internal medicine resident) put his foot down and said we could never afford to go out-of-pocket for hospitalization for complications (like infection). When I protested that my ortho warned me that without proper treatment my teeth would loosen & fall out, my husband said "so they'll fall out. Everyone gets tooth trouble when they get older. So you'll get dentures. Millions of people have dentures. Your mom's been wearing full plates since she was 50." Hahaha. He has horrendous lower crowding (as does our son who refused to get braces, even on our dime) and an underbite that gives him TMJ pain...as did his dad. But his dad died at nearly 91...with all 32 teeth intact. (Our son had his wisdom teeth--all impacted--removed, but my husband never had his own extracted).
Now that I've had to take Prolia for osteopenia, losing teeth is not an option...unless I want to get ONJ and watch the lower half of my face rot away. So my husband is a lot more sympathetic...but still refuses to correct his own crowding & underbite.
Replies (3)
July 2, 2019
I want to edit text (spelling, punctuation), not anything about my provider or other review details.
July 2, 2019
Hi Boomerette - if you let us know via contactus@realself.com what you'd like changed one of our team will help you out :)
and upper jetting that I finally decided to do something about now that I am retired to both help prevent future dental disasters that could lead to ONJ and finally get my smile right for my remaining 10-20 years of estimated retirement life. Am on my first tray of 19 tray Invisalign with 12 attachment wells from a cosmetic dentist but then got a second opinion from a more senior orthodontist and he has an entirely different idea of what needs to be done that makes more sense to me though will take longer and involve extraction of the tooth causing the crossbite.We are transferring care. Hopefully this will not result in more problems.
Thank you for posting your experience, good to know I am not the only crazy senior doing this.