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*Treatment results may vary
End of the Journey - Retainers and Final Results
On July 14th, 2016 I went back to pick up my retainers. I admit, I was excited. I wasn't sure which retainers I paid for since the day I agreed to them was either the day of the laser gum surgery or the day of the bonding, I believe. I got into the office and my Vivera Retainers were fitted. They looked...exactly like my Invisalign trays. I received four "trays" labelled 1 to 4. I will need to wear each tray for 3 months (10 hrs per night every night) for a total of 1 year then once I'm finished with tray 4/4 I'll go back to tray 1/4 and do it all over again. So my retainers are for 2 years and I will need to clean each one and not toss it out. Along with the retainer trays I received packets of cleaning crystals, a retainer case and as part of my special package, a take-home whitening kit.
I'm not going to lie, I'm disappointed with the retainers. I still have to file it down, it hurts my teeth, and for the first 2 days I had to wear them full time so that my teeth could get used to them. I thought I was done with Invisalign trays but Vivera is the same company that makes Invisalign so it makes sense that they use the exact same technology. I've been good, like I was with my trays, I've been wearing them. I am even still brushing my teeth every time I eat a meal and a few times have found myself laughing and reminding myself to take the trays out because I only need to put them in at nights now from here on out.
All in all, good experience with Invisalign! I do recommend it. My teeth look great, and surprisingly white this past year and a half. I do think it was all worth it for the result I received. Hopefully, everything remains great from now on.
Good luck with your own journey! And remember, smile :D
I'm not going to lie, I'm disappointed with the retainers. I still have to file it down, it hurts my teeth, and for the first 2 days I had to wear them full time so that my teeth could get used to them. I thought I was done with Invisalign trays but Vivera is the same company that makes Invisalign so it makes sense that they use the exact same technology. I've been good, like I was with my trays, I've been wearing them. I am even still brushing my teeth every time I eat a meal and a few times have found myself laughing and reminding myself to take the trays out because I only need to put them in at nights now from here on out.
All in all, good experience with Invisalign! I do recommend it. My teeth look great, and surprisingly white this past year and a half. I do think it was all worth it for the result I received. Hopefully, everything remains great from now on.
Good luck with your own journey! And remember, smile :D
Bonding for Teeth and Fitting for Retainers
Today I went in to have the bonding done on the two incisors. It took a while. It also hurt my still healing gums beyond belief, but I toughened it out and endured. The doctor who did the bonding was very pleasant. He accepted the challenge of molding me two perfect looking side teeth like it was an art project. In fact both he and my lead doctor did a little tag-teaming. He molded me the teeth, she came in, took a look and decided to have a go at them too. Then the two of them admired their handy-work fine tuning and encouraging each other. I felt kind of special lying there with tears of pain in my eyes while they happily smiled and carried on with their task.
The end result took my breath away. I couldn't stop smiling. Couldn't stop staring at my teeth. If nothing else worked - or works anymore - for this Invisalign journey I've endured for more than a year now, the sight of my teeth today was beautiful. At least for now.
Next I got fitted for my retainers. Retainers, not refinements. I did a little dance at the news.
I have to wear my final Tray #32 for 2 - 3 weeks at night while my retainers are made. Then I'm told I have to marry them. In the meantime, I have a small issue that I need to discuss, and I'm going to need to file my tray down since I'm stuck with it for weeks more now, because of course, it's one of the sharp ones. Otherwise, I carry on and look forward to the very close end.
Final (maybe?) update and conclusion will come when I get my retainers. I might as well show what they - or mine at least - looks like.
The end result took my breath away. I couldn't stop smiling. Couldn't stop staring at my teeth. If nothing else worked - or works anymore - for this Invisalign journey I've endured for more than a year now, the sight of my teeth today was beautiful. At least for now.
Next I got fitted for my retainers. Retainers, not refinements. I did a little dance at the news.
I have to wear my final Tray #32 for 2 - 3 weeks at night while my retainers are made. Then I'm told I have to marry them. In the meantime, I have a small issue that I need to discuss, and I'm going to need to file my tray down since I'm stuck with it for weeks more now, because of course, it's one of the sharp ones. Otherwise, I carry on and look forward to the very close end.
Final (maybe?) update and conclusion will come when I get my retainers. I might as well show what they - or mine at least - looks like.
Tray 32 and Laser Gum Treatment
Went to my appointment the day after completing Tray 31 with my fingers and toes crossed that my treatment tray wearing days were over and I would be moving on to refinements. The Doctor herself took a look around my mouth to determine if my treatment phase was in fact over. She was very nice and patient. She took a look at my Clincheck video and seemed very impressed with how my teeth improved from overjet to straight. Her disappointment was with the fact that my lateral incisors seems to have given up on moving any lower, leaving me with rabbit-looking teeth and that my smile seemed very gummy as my teeth in general were short. She suggested 1) laser gum treatment on my upper gum line to elongate my teeth, and 2) bonding on the incisors since they looked stubby from being slightly higher up than I like. I don't have any dental insurance so my heart skipped a beat at the (discounted) price, but I agreed.
Laser gum treatment is quite an experience. It began with about 4 - 6 needles of localized anesthetic. After that, everything from the bottom of my nose to the corner of my lips disappeared and went dead numb. I couldn't feel a thing. I didn't want to feel anything. I put on the special goggles, closed my eyes, clenched my fists, and held my breath. She very gently explained that I wouldn't feel a thing but that the smell was going to be rather disconcerting. I couldn't hold my breath that long. I smelled the smell. Actually, honestly, it couldn't have taken more than 10 mins for her to burn and carefully shape my gum line with her matchstick thin laser. I couldn't feel anything, but the smell of burning flesh is now branded into my memory. I think I was shaking for the entire procedure. After she was finish she made me take a look. She said it hadn't bled much and that it wouldn't really hurt much while healing.
She stuck Tray 32 in my mouth right away and said that this would be my last treatment tray as she just wanted my teeth to tighten a little more. Then she sent me on my way with my appointment for my bonding, and my mouth still extremely numb.
It has now been almost 3 day. I gargled salt water after every meal for 24 hrs on day 1, and after breakfast on day 2. I've left it alone today. And so far the pain is only as bad as an irritated or scratched gum. My new tray hurts my teeth more than my gums hurt, but ibuprofen does the trick as always. The gums have been bleeding a tiny bit after each brushing, salt water rinse, and whenever my trays go back in but I hold some ice cold water in my mouth once I notice any bleeding and the bleeding stops.
In 2 days I return for my bonding appointment so Tray 32 will only last for...a few days? I will return to the office to do my bonding procedures, remove my attachments, and get my teeth imprinted possibly for my refinements. I will update again with photos at that time.
Laser gum treatment is quite an experience. It began with about 4 - 6 needles of localized anesthetic. After that, everything from the bottom of my nose to the corner of my lips disappeared and went dead numb. I couldn't feel a thing. I didn't want to feel anything. I put on the special goggles, closed my eyes, clenched my fists, and held my breath. She very gently explained that I wouldn't feel a thing but that the smell was going to be rather disconcerting. I couldn't hold my breath that long. I smelled the smell. Actually, honestly, it couldn't have taken more than 10 mins for her to burn and carefully shape my gum line with her matchstick thin laser. I couldn't feel anything, but the smell of burning flesh is now branded into my memory. I think I was shaking for the entire procedure. After she was finish she made me take a look. She said it hadn't bled much and that it wouldn't really hurt much while healing.
She stuck Tray 32 in my mouth right away and said that this would be my last treatment tray as she just wanted my teeth to tighten a little more. Then she sent me on my way with my appointment for my bonding, and my mouth still extremely numb.
It has now been almost 3 day. I gargled salt water after every meal for 24 hrs on day 1, and after breakfast on day 2. I've left it alone today. And so far the pain is only as bad as an irritated or scratched gum. My new tray hurts my teeth more than my gums hurt, but ibuprofen does the trick as always. The gums have been bleeding a tiny bit after each brushing, salt water rinse, and whenever my trays go back in but I hold some ice cold water in my mouth once I notice any bleeding and the bleeding stops.
In 2 days I return for my bonding appointment so Tray 32 will only last for...a few days? I will return to the office to do my bonding procedures, remove my attachments, and get my teeth imprinted possibly for my refinements. I will update again with photos at that time.
Provider Review
Dr. Marika Dekanoidze
I met with Dr. Marika once when she did my initial assessment. From what I've heard and it seems to be true, I don't expect I'll really ever see her again. Her staff takes care of a lot of the treatment, which I'm not too bothered about as long as everything is on track and goes well. The staff has been lovely and I hope that they continue to be while I progress through my treatment.