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POSTED UNDER Invisalign Reviews

diary of a middle-aged woman who never thought she would have to wear braces after menopause-Oceanside, CA

UPDATED FROM photogirlla
11 months post

More pics

$4,200
Of black triangles. I can deal with the upper, but the lower one is, to me, pretty ick.

photogirlla's provider

Dr Allen

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Dr. Allen and his staff took the full set of x-rays for Invisalign to determine if I was a good candidate. He had nixed regular metal braces because of my extensive dental work. The staff is totally nice, although the clientele is mainly teenagers and here I am middle-aged. They did a computer rendering instead of a classic plaster mold, which meant the girl shoved a large wand around each tooth and the computer took a picture of it. Fairly recent technology, but better than those disgusting impressions that make you gag. Dr. Allen then went over with me what we would need to do to move my wayward teeth back into their original positions, and perhaps correct my eyeteeth the top set. It's going to be 15 months, which seems like a lot since I don't have a lot of movement, but he wants to be careful with all my porcelain crowns, etc. and I appreciate going slowly. Getting fitted was easy, I just went in and they snapped them into my mouth, it was a little hurried because they were about six other patients there, all kids probably with a school excuse, and he assumed since I'm older that I had paid attention and knew what to do. Nobody gave me any chewies or tools or anything like that, just said change at the trays in two weeks and come back in a month for your attachments. The trays were okay until that night when they've started cutting into my tongue. I called the next day and they said I could come in or I could try to file the trays myself as I have seen many people do on this board. So that is what I did, and my tongue toughened up within another two days. I will file each tray as I put it in! They are very nice and helpful if I do call, I'm going to ask for chewies and ask about what to do in terms of eating several meals a day as opposed to three big ones in terms of tooth enamel and wear.

Replies (6)

I too have triangles and can see what you mean but I honestly think we Invusaligners are super aware of our teeth. We always everyone can see our trays/attachments when in actuality no one notices so I think black triangles are in the same boat. Looking at your pics I really don't think they are that noticeable - yes, they are there but they don't jump out at me!
I guess what bothers me is I spent a lot of money to end up with my teeth looking worse than they did previously. My case is a little different in that I didn't get them for cosmetic reasons, but for structural ones. So cosmetically, I think my teeth look worse, but they are not cranking around on the bottom tipped over like they were. And the headaches are gone. Short of gum surgery, another year of trays and a lot of IPR( I'm older so IPR not recommended) and or veneers, I am screwed.
I really feel for you, it's ibviously causing you major stress. I hope you manage to get it sorted - I have seen some post op gum surgery and looks good and the comments seem to suggest not that uncomfortable for long. Maybe that's the way to go out if all the above alternatives if you decide you can't live with them as they are. Good luck and let us know how you go.
I agree with Jilly in that we tend to get verrrry picky once we get into this Invisalign stuff. To be honest, unless someone was missing front teeth, had yellow or black teeth or realllllllly crooked ones, I never noticed teeth in general prior to treatment. Now? The perfectionist monster has reared its ugly head and not only do I notice the smallest details in my own teeth, but I always seem to be looking at others' choppers and thinking....."oh, there's a good Invisalign candidate!" Or "wow! Great teeth...Wonder if they've done braces..." For this reason, after 38 initial trays, I decided to subject myself to another go....I'm now on tray 10 of 15 refinement trays in a last-ditch effort to appease the perfectionist monster. If you aren't happy, perhaps refinement is the way to go, especially if it is included in the office you paid. To be honest, I personally think your bottom teeth are much nicer now, although yes, I see the triangle you are referring too. I would, however, need to be really up close and invading your personal space to really see it. Let us know what you decide!
Include in the price, not the office, although you probably paid the price in an office, so technically I guess the typo still works....
I think they look nice :-)
UPDATED FROM photogirlla
11 months post

Done but triangle issues

Not thrilled with results. Have gaps I never had before, which are eroded gums and cannot be fixed without severe IPR and 7 mos more trays, maybe even not then.
My teeth looked better before....maybe it's my age (54), or the fact that my teeth were fine cosmetically, they were just moving and causing blinding headaches. I am one of the few people who had to get braces not because my teeth look bad, but because they were moving for unknown reasons.
My orthodontist did not have me finish out the overcorrection trays. I've only been wearing the last overcorrection tray one week but he wants me to switch to retainers at night only.

This does not seem like a good idea. My teeth felt like they were moving around when I'd have my trays out for one hour. So I am supposed to go 12 hours without anything holding them in? Especially when I didn't wear the last tray for any links of time? I really hope this guy knows what he's talking about.

Anyone else only had to wear a retainer at night straight out of the gate?

Anyone else have black triangles and not happy with their result? I will say the headaches have stopped, but it's kind of sad to have spent so much money to have my teeth look worse than they did when I started :(

Replies (6)

Hi. i found your posts very helpful. I am less than half way through my program and I have several black triangles on my lower teeth, which look hideous :(. At what point did you see the triangles? Did they improve during your treatment? Do you know if bonding can correct this problem? I do not want to have additional IPR -i hate it so much! I think the black triangles look worse than the minor crowfing I had. :(
Hi,
I began Invisalign in March, 2014. I have 8 more weeks until I am done. I thought I was going to end up with black triangles on my lower arch a few months ago, but in the past month, they have closed up. I have not had any IPR done, but did have 1 lower arch tooth extraction about 3 hours before I began wearing my aligners in March, 2014. I don't know if bonding can help with black triangles or not, but yours may eventually close up, like mine have.
Hi. That's great to hear. I hope that mine close up too. Your teeth look great! I'm sure you are excited to be finished shortly.
Thank you, and yes, I am counting the weeks now until I am finished !!!
Unfortunately mine appeared at the very end. Not much can be done short of much ipr and another year of trays, or cosmetic work. I agree the crowding was better looking, I am unhappy as hell. But because my teeth were really moving, and I had terrible headaches from it, they needed to be aligned, albeit not prettily in my case.
Hopefully yours will come together since you are midway through:)
I'm wondering if bonding can be done without having additional IPR. I am going to look into this as an option. My ClinCheck did not show any triangles and I was not told that this was even a possibility.
UPDATED FROM photogirlla
4 months post

Tray 10

Is ok, 9 was awful. I still hate these w a passion, never adjusted to them at all. Cannot WAIT for this to be over with. I wonder if these are so very very uncomfortable for me because I have fibromyalgia? And a bad stomach to start which has gotten worse having to gulp food in large quantities 3 x a day? I told the orthodontist I had fibro, maybe they need to study up on the medical for patients. Though in fairness most people getting braces are much younger and are healthy. I never would have done this if teeth hadnt moved so quickly within 2 mos of menopause.
Anyone else having a hard time w these? Not the tooth moving pain, but the misery of thick plastic that you chew on 24/7 in your mouth?

Replies (2)

I hear you, the only time that I don't think about them is when I get so busy. Also I try to relax my jaw, so my top and bottom teeth don't touch. Hope that helps. Your teeth look really good.
It's like you are writing my Invisalign story! You are not alone!

I am so sorry you are suffering. But I must admit I am a little relieved to find someone who, like me, recognizes the absurdity of this process. This would have to be for tweens with no money, no power and no quality of life. They are the only ones who would put up with it.

I am on tray 19 of 21. I am almost done and still thinking of quitting early. I never, ever, ever got used to them. I chew them day and night--even in my sleep. There is something wrong with this plastic that, from the first night with the first tray, I am tormented by nightmares. I haven't slept right in a year. And that does things to the brain.
Add to that the pain, the life disruption and, because I work at a university and share a bathroom with 100's of undergrades, constantly being sick. It's made me a hot mess.

I have an ulcer so, like your fibromyalgia, I have to have 5-6 small meals a day. I feel like I don't get to live like a person, but like a hit man on the run from the law--gobbling food and living with the indigestion.

Even though my smile looks really amazing now, I don't care. The disruption to my life, along with the absurdly high expense, and completely compromised quality of life. was not worth it. If I hadn't paid everything up front, I would have bailed that first week.

Thanks for giving voice to those of us who hate these and never adjusted!