My Invisalign Journey! - Waukesha, WI

April 8, 2014

Are the refinements supposed to take care of the open bite? Or are they for different spacing issues? Thanks :)

April 10, 2014

After I was originally done with Invisalign (before any refinements) my teeth were fine it was just a severe open bite problem that I was unhappy with. They had me in retainers already so what they did was cut off most of my retainers so the retainers were only over the top 4 teeth & the bottom 4 teeth. This way they hoped my bite would improve. It did improve but then because my back teeth were not being retained they all shifted. I got refinements to then fix THAT! The refinements included my wisdom teeth as the first 24 trays did not. I'm on the 2nd set of refinements to still fix the left over spaces from cutting my retainers. My bite is MUCH better and I seriously believe it to be because these refinement trays covering my wisdom teeth!

May 12, 2014

Has everyone's open bite resolved? I had traditional braces 10 years ago and got a clear retainer as a replacement for a Hawley from a new ortho about seven months ago. I developed a major open bite where nothing was touching. Went for a consult and One ortho suggested jaw surgery (which I won't have- I never had an open bite before this) and a general dentist who said open bites should resolve themselves. I've seen major improvement over the past two months, the front four teeth still need to settle a bit more. I still have my wisdom teeth and fear that the top two will have to be removed because they seem to have really grown down from the clear retainers not covering them. I'm just looking for some advice on others experiences. This has been very stressful! I'm also worried about getting other dental work done....how can I get a filling or crown if my teeth still have some settling too do!

May 12, 2014

No not resolved although my bite problem IS better then it was with having my refinement trays covering my wisdom teeth. I wouldn't have jaw surgery either. I'd have a 2nd opinion somewhere else to see what else can be done for you.

May 13, 2014

For me, they made me wait six weeks of not wearing the retainers full-time before they'd even look at my open bite (I was wearing my retainer sometimes up to 12 hours/day because I felt like I didn't like my teeth shifting at all, but I had to go down to 8 hours MAX for those six weeks). After that settling time, they performed the equilibration. They made me bite on this weird marking paper to see where teeth were in each other's way, then they filed down those places. That took about 30 minutes. They also cut off the molar portions of my bottom retainer. Now my open bite is resolved. I also work hard to clench as little as possible (can't control it while I'm sleeping, but I actively think about it as much as I can while I'm awake).

May 13, 2014

Thank you for the reply! I am glad your open bite has resolved! I went to a new ortho (because I was concerned about going back to the one who made them) and she told me she didn't know why this happened and that the only thing she could do for me was double jaw surgery. This was two months ago when I realized this problem. (I won't be having the jaw surgery)This forum has been so helpful and has helped ease my stress. I felt like my mouth was stuck open with this open bite! Did The retainers/open bite affect your wisdom teeth at all? My top wisdom teeth seemed to have super erupted. I need to go get a new retainer made and will be asking for the Hawley!

May 13, 2014

My wisdom teeth are impacted (sideways) so no, they don't touch each other. I need to have them surgically removed, unfortunately. One of them is actually rubbing my cheek the way it's come in. But yeah, I remember sometimes just screaming in frustration, because my jaw was so tired from being open all the time, and clenching on the trays. Try not to wait too long! You should not be in pain and stressing over this one second longer than necessary!

May 14, 2014

Thank you! I am going to make an appointment with my general dentist and a new ortho! I will report back following! What's your take on wisdom teeth removal? I have two erupted on top and one partially out on the bottom. The idea if getting knocked out is stressful for me! So I would want to do it with just novacaine. People tell me not to stress out but it's hard not too!

May 14, 2014

exactly! I'm a night clencher as well so I'm sure THAT doesn't help the situation either. Nothing you can really do about it though. :/

May 14, 2014

I think the retainers helped push my wisdom teeth down a little bit which helped my bite because before my wisdom teeth were up higher than the rest of my molars so my wisdom teeth touched but my other molars weren't touching when I closed my mouth. Now it's a bit more even. Still an open bite but not as noticeable as it was.

May 14, 2014

Which is EXACTLY why I have all 4 of my wisdom teeth despite multiple dentists telling me how 'impacted' they were & how they all needed to come out. Pfft...of course they hurt when they were coming in but they aren't impacted and the only issue I have is brushing my teeth and flossing back there. I know someday they'll probably have to come out, especially since my dentist doesn't want to keep filling cavities in those teeth but for one I'm scared because of everyone else's wisdom teeth removal horror stories and two it's $800.00 per extraction X four teeth. (sigh) So for now, they are staying put! ;)

May 14, 2014

I am hoping fully erupted wisdoms will be easier to remove! I am also scared. I said I would never have mine pulled but now this retainer had caused them to grow so much. I wish they could just grow out and come out on their own!! My lower left is only partially out so I may try to leave that one if possible! I had a molar pulled about 8 years ago and had no idea what to expect! It was such a relief when it was done!

May 14, 2014

I never would have though trying to retain my teeth by getting a new retainer would cause so many problems and stresses!

May 15, 2014

I had no intention of removing my wisdom teeth--it terrifies me! But one of them is touching another tooth so deep that I can't clean either of them, but it smells bad, so I know bacteria is growing in there, and I don't want it to kill my other molar. Plus the dentist can't clean in there either :(. I wanted her to remove them, but she won't do it because of the way they're all impacted and may be in the sinus.

Since I've had a complete Mommy Makeover, I can honestly say the getting knocked out part doesn't worry me at all. It's the aftermath that scares me. When you go under general, you don't feel anything. You're talking one second, the next you're kinda groggy and confused. But I sing in a choir, so I can't just take off to heal four wisdom teeth whenever I want. We have a concert coming up in a couple of weeks.

There's always something going on :).

May 15, 2014

To make matters worse, I have a molar that was filled a year and a half ago for a large cavity. The tooth had chipped two more times after the filling. The dentist said next time a crown may be needed. I'm pretty sure a tiny piece chipped off in two spots. I'm going to have to go have it looked at but worry since having this open bite issue...are my teeth settled enough to get a crown? Will having dental work done cause the open bite to get worse? If I want to get invisalign down the road (even though I've already bad braces) can it work with a crown? Plus this tooth is right next door to a wisdom.

May 16, 2014

I got a crown recently, while I was still resolving the open bite issue but after I was done with the main Invisalign treatment. It made no difference at all, but it was also a premolar. You're welcome to look up my review on the Crown :). That one I actually documented well, since I knew about RealSelf by then ;).

May 16, 2014

ugh, insane INSANE INSANE. This was all supposed to be so easy. Braces...make our teeth straight & beautiful, easy right. :/

May 16, 2014

Yes, you would think! I already suffered through braces in high school...was happy with my smile. Now all of this from a retainer. I just want things to go back to normal. I am praying that the front teeth settle more. Than I need to get a new retainer. It's been two months of not wearing one and I feel weird without it. I won't be going back to the ortho that said jaw surgery.

May 16, 2014

This had been the only forum wear I have found people with a similar problem. Thank you for your feedback and answering questions!

June 11, 2014

Just wanted to provide an update. I visited my general dentist recently who was happy to see my bite has improved. He said that it should still close up on the left where it is a little high. He said I should get a new retainer sooner than later and said that I should inquire about a wire retainer vs. a spring retainer. Wisdoms can stay for now which is a relief but I still find myself worrying because the top erupted so much my mouth feels crowded and the tip of the top is clanging into the bottom wisdom. I dread making an appoint with another orthodontist because I worry that they won't want to just give me a new retainer. My teeth still look good. I have three teeth on the bottom that have tilted to the right but you don't notice it when i smile or talk. I think it had something to do with extracting my lower right molar 8 years ago. Has anyone had a spring retainer? How do they work?

August 25, 2014

How have things gone in the last four months? Did the refinements do the trick?

NowOrNeva

July 23, 2015

This is so helpful to me. I am currently in a combination of metal braces and Invisalign (on just the middle front teeth, top and bottom) since I had a major posterior open bite develop through the course of my Invisalign treatment. I expected to be done by now, as well - but I was really not happy with the open bite - it just feels so weird! (And it not good for the long term life of your front teeth since it puts more pressure on those over time). The metal braces have closed my bite, but I am supposed to move on to refinement trays to correct alignment issues. I am worried that the refinement trays are just going to create the same posterior open bite. But after reading about your experience, I am going to request that the refinement trays include the three molars that I have (which were not included on my initial treatment trays). I hope that works. And I will consider getting a different type of retainer to avoid the open bite developing because of the Invisalign retainer. Had anyone had the open bite issue corrected and then had no problems with the Vivera retainers? I think I will have to pay more for any non-Vivera retainer, but I am willing to do that to avoid this open bite nonsense! Thanks everyone for the advice!

UPDATED FROM Kristen37

Refinements - Tray #3

Kristen37January 8, 2014

Replies (2)

January 9, 2014

Mine didn't go over my wisdom teeth either, but my wisdom teeth don't touch. For me it was my canines that keep my mouth from closing after the molars got pushed down. But same principle. So glad that what they've done has fixed it for you, though!! Your teeth already look beautiful, so it'll be nice to fix the remaining issues!

January 15, 2014

Thanks. I'm hoping this does it. They claim it can take months to years for the open bite to 'correct' itself. Seems a bit extreme to hear 'years'. Months I could handle but years?

January 15, 2014

Huh…yeah, I hadn't heard that either. But I have heard that sometimes it doesn't self-correct, so maybe that just means years. I hope it's much shorter for you…us, even :)

Smithry2

January 12, 2014

You saved my life with this post! I have an open bite when my slingers aren't in (I'm on tray 3/15). I had my right upper wisdom tooth pulled while pregnant & never got the others done. My trays are fashioned excluding my wisdom teeth & now my wisdom teeth on the left touch but no other molars. Reading this clears up the reason & makes me think that if I just have the others extracted post aligners it should improve...

January 15, 2014

Getting 3 more wisdom teeth extracted seems really extreme though. I think it would be less costly & less painful if they just resubmitted your pictures to invisalign and have invisalign redo the trays to INCLUDE your wisdom teeth. I had 24 trays and all 24 trays excluded my wisdom teeth. My refinements include my wisdom teeth. I'd talk to your dentist about this and see what they think.

April 8, 2014

Also, if you don't use clear aligners after Invisalign but go with the traditional wire retainer (Hawley) or bonded retainers instead, it's very possible that your open bite will resolve. That is also something do discuss with your doctor. When I stopped wearing my aligners full-time, my open bite closed, but when I wear clear retainers for an extended period of time, the bite opens again.