Satisfied now :) - San Mateo, CA
I had a moderate crossbite and some crookedness...
I had a moderate crossbite and some crookedness that was getting worse over the years. I'm 37 years old, but I never thought there wasanything worth fixing with my teeth until my late 20s. Slowly, one of my front upper incisors became crooked enough that it was affecting my smile from the side in pictures. My husband went through the ordeal of Damon braces (the best thing he's ever done for himself besides being treated for hypothyroidism). If you have terrible teeth and the orthodontists have recommended pulling teeth or jaw surgery, definitely look into Damon. If you only need a moderate or small fix, in my experience, Invisalign is a great way to go, because it allows you to more efficiently floss and brush your teeth. You just have to have the discipline to wear your aligners 20-22 hours/day.
My total treatment will be 15 initial aligners plus 6 refinement aligners, or about 42 weeks--less than a year in all. My teeth are straight and I love the way they look now! I have a couple of triangular gaps I didn't have before, which I knew would happen, but that was worth it to me. The ortho sanded me down three times in all, to make room for teeth.
The main cons are gum recession, which for me has been minimal, and the staining from the adhesive used to attach the anchors. So far, polishing with pumice has been able to remove the staining (it retirns within a few weeks, though). My only real concern at this point is whether they are able to remove the anchors without any negative side effects.
The insurance, btw, covered $2000 of the total cost.
Will post pics soon!
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I have 2.5 aligners left at this point and I'm very pleased with my results! I've been leaving them in for the full two weeks, but I noticed they were fitting perfectly after less than a week. A week ago, I misplaced my aligner after one week (found it the next day) so I moved on to the next aligner. I couldn't tell a difference! So I'll see how the changeover goes next week and hope all is well (I have very little doubt it will be). Brings me that one week closer to being done, tho'! ;)
Thank you so much for adding pictures! My goodness, you do have gorgeous teeth!! The shape and color are phenomenal - looking good!!
Today was my last day with Invisalign, and I had...
Anyway, I'm very happy and would not hesitate to recommend Invisalign to those who are good candidates (ie. not with severe problems).
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Still haven't gotten pictures from the doctor, but...
It increases the price of the treatment somewhat, obviously, and ancillary damage is always something to consider. Still, I am very happy with the way my teeth look, and more fillings will not affect that. It's more inconvenient than anything else, since I'm not scared of the dentist :)
It sounds like you are plugging right along with your treatment! Here is a Q&A that talks about removing the buttons after Invisalign treatment.
Looking forward to seeing your pictures!
Yeah, its always nice to get those little lingering questions answered - just sets your mind at ease. :)