Going Incognito!

Firstly, I just want to say how amazing Real Self is! I've been considering Invisalign for years and years and only recently discovered this in my googling. It's a wealth of knowedge and I really think it is what has convinced me to just get this done!

Back story, I had a pre molar removed by a dentist when I was around 11 or 12, which has resulted in my front teeth shifting and I have about a 4mm (that's what the ortho said) midline shift as well as a slanted smile. You can see this in the one photo I've uploaded. I'll upload more down the track. My bottom teeth also suffer from over crowding on one side. For years I have only posed on an angle and on one side, where I know my midline won't be as noticable. For some reason in the past 12 months it's just really got to me and I want to do something about it! I also want to seek revenge on the dentist who caused this to happen but I can't even remember who he was!!

My other half isn't too excited about the money I plan to spend, but I know when he sees he end result it will be worth it!!

So ,I recently saw an orthodontist who said they would open up a space that would then need an implant eventually. He did warn me that worst case scenario it could take up to three years. However I'm hoping that within 12 months I would see a big improvement that I would then be happy to stick with it for as long as needed!

I have booked into have my first scan to get my trays early February and in the meantime I am going to get a second opinion, just in case.
My biggest fears are having a lisp (I work in PR and communications), the attachments being so obvious and making me socially awkward (I'm very social!!) and the fact I think I will need to use elastics. Anyway, let's hope it's worth it!

Will update you all early Feb! :)

Hi Everyone!!

So my second opinion with another orthodontist was really interesting! I had spent the weeks in the lead up reading everything I could possibly find on invisialign. I think I was becoming a little obsessed! My boyfriend is actually so over me talking about my teeth. Oops!

Come my ortho appt on Wednesday, everything changed! This lovely orthdontist said that he is sure invisalign can do what I want it to do, but that it will probably take over 3 years, and do I really want the hassle of having to remove them all the time? No I really don't!

Then he mentioned incognito/lingual braces and my ears perked up! I've known for some time that braces will work a lot better for me but am against having metal on the front of my teeth. No way. But braces that are behind my teeth and mostly undetectable to other people? Yes please!! I am a bit concerned about a sore tongue and a speech impediment, but I feel like it's worth it. It is also very pricey....but its an investment I want to make in myself. My argument to my boyfriend is that it's cheaper than my car!

So the plan is to basically work in the same way invisalign would have, open up a gap where my old tooth used to be that the silly dentist pulled out when I was younger. The good thing about lingual braces too is that when the gap is big enough and noticeable they can attach a pontic tooth to the brackets. This also makes me very happy. I do have the option of going lingual on the top and ceramic on the bottom, but it's really not a huge price difference so I think I'm just going to go for the whole haul lingual. My bottom teeth have some crowding so I'm looking forward to that being fixed too.

It was a pretty easy decision for me to go with this orthodontist and give up on my invisalign plan. I'm booked in next Friday to have my impressions taken. I'm nervous..but excited!

Are there any words of advice on how to handle the impression part of getting braces? I hear it's quite yucky!

I would also love to hear from anyone else who has lingual/incognito braces!

So tomorrow is the day I get my lingual braces on - top and bottom! Nervous as!!! I feel like I should be spending the day eating crunchy food and chewing gum!

I have the day off work tomorrow, working from home the day after and then it is a long weekend here so I have 5 days until I have to be back in my office talking to people. So hoping my speech adjusts quickly...but am a bit worried still. I am thinking that if I expect the worse..maybe I will be pleasantly surprised!

I also feel a bit disorganised. By now I wanted to do a big chemist trip and stockpile on floss picks, mouthwash etc...but I haven't yet! I'm hoping the orthodontist send me away with a goodie bag with all the money I am paying!!!

Will update you all when I am officially a lingual braces wearer!