Category Archives: Liz’s Invisalign

Invisalign Trays no 28!

27 Saturday Feb 2016

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Invislign Trays no 28/53! ….or maybe 28/50 apparently according my dentist. So yesterday I had my first IPR experience, somewhat of a non event as I cannot actually see the new gap as it is towards the back of my upper arch. I knew that he had the options of a hand file or a electric drill file, and was a little disappointed that he used the drill file, as lots of high speed whirring, and one slip and that is a gouge in the wrong place.This was the first of 7 cuts I have to have. Each IPR is about 0.2 or 0.3mm.

My dentist also confirmed that he has now received the new 3D scanning machine but didn’t offer to use this which I found really disappointing. He said that he has only just received it and is using it to send off to Invisalign the scans for a much faster turn around of the trays. I see this scan as the  only real way to evaluate the bite properly. I have one  upper molar that is refusing to move down as planned, and the tray now has  gap of about 2mm at the bottom of which is empty and it fills up with water and saliva – charming! I mentioned this to him but he seemed very casual about it and said that later on “down the line” if I needed some attachments to bring this tooth down then we would need to get a refinement. But don’t I need this now? It is getting really left behind in the treatment plan. It is pretty clear to me that this tooth is not moving as planned and putting if off will surely just mean adding more time to the end of the process?

 

tooth

So the next planned 4 IPR cuts take place in 6 weeks, and these ones are right at the front of my lower arch – so these will be on show – great.

Delighted to be “over the tooth hill” now tho and less than half way to go!

Invisalign Trays 27!

13 Saturday Feb 2016

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Invisalign Trays 27! So number 27/53………and now looking forward to the first IPR in 2 weeks, the day before I get given my next few trays. I am bit nervous about this process as it will be the first of 6 cuts programmed to take place – 3 at the top and 3 at the bottom over the next 6 months. I have a major concern about filing off perfecting good enamel, and fought hard with my orthodontist to avoid having one upper tooth extracted as it was so far inwards from the rest of the arch…….but I signed up to this and although my dentist recently offered a new IPR free plan – as you will see from previously blogs, he could not say how long this alternative treatment plan could take or what it would look like – so how can you sign up to that!!!!! So I am sticking with Plan A for now. My dentist also told me against doing too much internet research – but I have to be well informed afterall these are my only set of teeth and this treatment is costing ££££.

If I am feeling brave enough after the first IPR I will post a photo.!

Invisalign Trays No 26! Half Way!

05 Friday Feb 2016

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Invisalign Trays No 26! No 26/52 so I am counting this as half way through – technically of course its not until the end of these trays but hey that’s just being mean to myself.

So half way and where am I on the road to the promised perfect smile? Well I beginning to think I am not sure it will lead to the perfect smile but a much more tidy and even smile – as I would be horrified by the thought of a blinging white set that looks like I have the false teeth set of a 93 yr old. What I hate right now is the horrid distorted bottom teeth that have been splayed so far forward to prepare for 3 lots of IPR before bringing them back in again. I am worried I might scare young children! Surely they cannot go much further out?! My first IPR for the upper set is planned in about 3 weeks – just the one, so I hope it is not too noticeable and it will give me an idea of what it feels like. The widening of the upper arch is questionable – I am not convinced it is working as the Clincheck model shows.

What I am loving is the confidence to wear bright red Chanel lipstick – so I don’t mind bringing attention to my teeth even with attachments and plastic – so that says a lot. You do have to watch the lipstick smearing on the trays tho – so remember blot blot blot….

Happy half way – well done me……a little smug right now at my perseverance.

 

 

Invisalign Trays No 25!

22 Friday Jan 2016

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Invisalign Trays No 25/52! For the first time since I started this process I actually forgot that it was “changeover” day on Saturday, but luckily did remember later in the day. Again the top trays feel very loose and there is one tooth where the tray is not fitting very well and water sloshes around, so I have emailed my dentist. I also had very sharp edges and on Sunday when I took them out after playing tennis, out came the bottom trays covered in blood where they had actually cut my tongue – and boy was it sore. I couldn’t speak properly for the next couple of days as it was so painful to move my tongue and had to file them down with a nail file. Not very impressive when they cost thousands of pounds!!! Drama over, I emailed my dentist about the planned IPR saga. He has offered me a new option half way through the treatment plan of omitting all the IPR but cannot tell me what this might look like or how long it might take – so how on earth can I decide on what to do! I have said that I would be happy with a compromise – no IPR to top set but keep it to the bottom arch – as my bottom arch has 1 more tooth than the top. Anyway I am a couple of weeks being half way through this treatment plan – and I will be celebrating this big time! To the lady who asked my about possible allergic reaction – I had a horrid start to this process and had to ask for a different aligner material – so all my trays were remade by Invisalign after me having terrible sore throat, chest infection and nausea. Please read earlier blogs on this.

Invisalign Trays no 24!

03 Sunday Jan 2016

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Invisalign Trays no 24! So 24/52………

I have a horrid cold that came on New Year’s day – not a great way to start 2016 but trays no. 24 in. There is something about having a cold that has made my teeth much more sensitive to the trays and they seem to ache more – poor me. I cannot wait for the half way mark to come – although also know that a refinement plan is likely to happen at some point so realistically this treatment could go on for over 2 years. I also have yet to have any IPR – but I think the first one is coming soon, possibly February – will it look really noticeable? Not everyone close to me likes that fact I am getting my teeth straightened – and I have had the odd slightly bitchy remark – but one the whole everyone is pleased for me – and it has to be a good thing that I smile more!  HNY

Invisalign Trays No 23! IPR or no IPR that is the question.

24 Thursday Dec 2015

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Invisalign Trays No 23/52! Again I have felt almost no pressure from the upper tray – and do wonder if the arch is actually being widened at all as planned – it is very hard to tell and after 10 months now, it is the one area that is difficult to see improvement to the molar positions.  I have got a little lazy and especially with so many Christmas mince pies and bubbles being consumed, the trays have been out more than in. I am soooo glad I do not have to deal with the power chains associated with lingual braces that my friend is having to contend with that stained over time. I just now am waiting to get to the half way mark – that is February  time, and it will be huge boost to my moral to get there – can’t wait to get over the half way milestone. What did throw me a few weeks ago was my dentist now saying that I could have a replanned treatment with no IPR arghhhhh- it could extend treatment by a year!!!!! Apparently this was not an option when I started the Invisalign treatment plan. I am torn as do not think having any enamel stripped off your teeth can be a good thing – but I can’t face another year of plastic. Dilemma – any shared experience on this would be really welcomed please – does IPR risk sensitivity and decay?

Invisalign Trays No 22!

06 Sunday Dec 2015

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Invisalign Trays No 22!  22/52 and getting nearer to the big half way milestone. Nothing much new to report other than a very stratchy set this time and more soreness at the sharp edges. My front LHS bottom teeth are now looking really quite odd – and skewed, the trays have now caused a horrid underbite on one side so I just have to keep reminding myself that this is part of a long journey and that I have to trust my dentist to know what he is doing – not that he is doing anything really other than checking that they still fit each 3 months or so. I suppose I didn’t quite realise that they could look so odd.  But the top ones are coming along slowly – it is the widening of the arch that I am after and I suppose that it is a long process. I do have a niggling feeling that even when I get to the end of this there might be refinements! I hope everyone else’s treatment plans are going ok? Lispth 0/10 (that means no ill effects) pain 1/10 discomfort 3/10, boredom factor with them 7/10!

Invisalign Trays no 21!

21 Saturday Nov 2015

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Invisalign Trays no 21! An important milestone today – 40% of the way through this mammoth exercise. I can’t wait to get to the magic 50% of course but today I will focus on 21/52 – hurrah. I go through days of thinking that nothing much has changed to other days when I think the upper teeth are looking much better but the bottom teeth are now looking quite perculiar – as several front teeth are getting so pushed out beyond the top teeth that they look worse than before I started this process. The important next step will be the IPR – but I don’t think that starts until around Trays 28-30 or maybe later – hard to tell from the Clincheck model. I found that even more people at the tennis club have had invisalign – I now know of 5 using invisalign and one with the lingual – and all 35yrs plus – so most second timers to braces. Not one person in all these months has commented on them even tho I have a mouth of attachments – either too polite or just oblivious. Someone did pick up on my sllight lispth the other day tho  and I explained the braces.

Let me know how you are all getting on.

Over and out.

Invisalign Trays No 20!

07 Saturday Nov 2015

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Invisalign Trays No 20!

I am delighted to report that I have passed through and out of my teens. There have been some tears, tantrums and strops – but I have finally reached my twenties…happy days. I can see the top teeth are becoming much straighter and the widening of the top arch is slowly, very slowly beginning to happen. The bottom teeth do look very odd however with the teeth on one side now being pushed so far out I have an underbite…..and the front 6 teeth have been pushed into a ski slope like droop, so I have to just keep with the programme and believe that things have to get worse before they get better.

Not much to report on Trays no 20, the top trays feel loose again after Trays 19 that were actually pleasantly painfully tight.  Only another 32 to go!

Invisalign Trays No 19 Orthodontists review

30 Friday Oct 2015

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Invisalign Trays No 19 Orthodontists review.

9 months in. Well just a quick update on my visit to the orthodontist this week. We poured over the clincheck model to talk about the teeth I was worried are looking worse not better – the Mutley canine in particular, but I was assured to keep the faith and just keep wearing the trays, so no refinement at this stage…..phew

What threw me was his comment that invisalign strategies have “moved on” and so now there is an option of a solution involving NO IPR but it could take up to another 6 months if I wanted this and he couldn’t tell me what it would look like other than “better” – so not much to make a decision on! I liked the idea of not having to have my teeth filed down but hated the idea of yet more months in this plastic for something that I could not see a plan for – and that would be almost another 2 yrs!!!!! He has also ordered new sophisticated scanning equipment but won’t have it until June 2016 so unlikely to decide on a refinement until this arrives – beyond the date of my planned IPR in February/ March. Hmmmm……so

We also talked about Invisalign’s ability to widen the arch and I questioned him about the long term stability…..he showed me some impressive work just done on some other patients but does not yet have any evidence that it has held 5 yrs down the line.

Teeth