Dental Forum - Dentistry.com®

Dental Forum & Message Board - Dentistry.com

Dental Braces

Invisalign Braces (Page 26)

profile | register | preferences | faq | search

Email This Page to Someone!
This topic is 56 pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56

Author	Topic: Invisalign Braces
Josh888 unregistered	posted 02-23-2006 11:52 PM KT, No, I never had to wear any rubber bands, but I do have 5 buttons. Yeah, the first several trays shifted my molars back to make room for my crammed-up teeth in the front... and a couple times my ortho had to shave between a few teeth to make sure the spacing was as prescribed... My lower teeth, for which I only had 8 trays, aren't quite perfect... There are slight spaces between a couple teeth, and I think we're going to have to order a couple more trays to pull them in tight (which will be free, of course)... I was never too worried about the lowers in the first place, however. I just want to get the uppers right.. .
LC unregistered	posted 02-24-2006 09:04 AM Last night I tried using the efferdent and now the aligners are just as clear as they were the first day... I'm very excited thanks for the advise! My ortho recommended a daily flouride treatment for while I'm using the aligners, he said it would cut down the chances of developing a cavity while I had the aligners and it would also decrease tooth sensitivity. Did everyone get this? If not, it seems like its working so far and I noticed a lot of people were saying that their teeth seem much more sensitive, it might be something worthwhile to ask your ortho about... .
KT unregistered	posted 02-24-2006 02:14 PM Anne, For my upper teeth (3 buttons): Basically they're pulling back my upper left molars mainly to straighten one crooked tooth adjacent my front teeth. My upper teeth are slightly jammed to the right, but otherwise relatively straight. For my bottom teeth (4 buttons): No changes to my bite (molars), only rotating some slightly crooked front teeth (they actually look straight now, even though I still have 8 more retainers). The doctor mentioned he would be putting a band on my upper left fang tooth and hooking it to the lower left molar on about tray 14. It didn't make sense to me since the molars have been moving fine, why the rubber band? My teeth are even in length. For me, it's definitely not for 'pulling down' my tooth (as other have mentioned). My doctor said that after 300 cases, they've found movement in the front (fang) teeth to be more difficult, often actually resulting in a reversal in the movement on the molars. That's why I was also curious about what Josh888 required since his time table sounded similar to mine, and he seemed to be having success without mentioning any bands. Also, I originally thought each retainer would be worn for 2 weeks, but maybe this isn't always the case... as I have been reading that some people need to leave them in for 4-8 weeks. Hmmmm.... .
Joe unregistered	posted 02-24-2006 11:27 PM Does anyone think it is bad for me to take my aligners out on Friday and Saturday night for a few hours if I go out for a few drinks at a bar....I wear them all the time otherwise. .
XRayTechforHire unregistered	posted 02-25-2006 02:32 AM quote: Originally posted by Joe: Does anyone think it is bad for me to take my aligners out on Friday and Saturday night for a few hours if I go out for a few drinks at a bar....I wear them all the time otherwise. You're supposed to wear them for 22 hours a day...but you're gonna choke on them if you try to eat or drink with them things on! I've gone to a movie or out to a club without them on, and as long as I remember to put them back on before I pass out, it's fine. Just imagine trying to pull those things out before each drink and then putting them back in with the alcohol taste in your mouth. And then the alcohol gets stuck underneath the Invisalign tray...unless you go to the bathroom and brush your teeth and rinse your mouth before you put the tray back on...such a hassle. .
TGP unregistered	posted 02-25-2006 05:55 PM Do a lot of you get dry lips from your aligners? Just curious... .
christine unregistered	posted 02-25-2006 07:14 PM yes, my lips are very dry too. also, i have a little sore in the corner of my mouth (from opening so wide to remove the aligners) that will not go away. i have been using chapstick, but that's annoying because it gets on the aligners. quote: Originally posted by TGP: Do a lot of you get dry lips from your aligners? Just curious... .
Abby unregistered	posted 02-25-2006 07:16 PM What sort of flouride treatment is it? Like a mouthwash or something? Can you get it over the counter or does the ortho have to prescribe it? quote: Originally posted by LC: Last night I tried using the efferdent and now the aligners are just as clear as they were the first day... I'm very excited thanks for the advise! My ortho recommended a daily flouride treatment for while I'm using the aligners, he said it would cut down the chances of developing a cavity while I had the aligners and it would also decrease tooth sensitivity. Did everyone get this? If not, it seems like its working so far and I noticed a lot of people were saying that their teeth seem much more sensitive, it might be something worthwhile to ask your ortho about... .
E Strader unregistered	posted 02-25-2006 08:17 PM Day 1 of Tray 2. When they snapped in, they felt very tight in comparison to Tray 1, which had become quite loose. But it feels better than the Day 1 of Tray 1. No more tongue pain, sore throat, etc. Yes, I have a dry mouth and still lisp a little when talking alot. But now the trays feel good in and my teeth feel "unprotected" when they are out and I am anxious to get them back in after eating. Different from the panic I felt in week 1 when I wanted to rip them out of my mouth. Now the brushing, rinsing, etc. all seems pretty routine. I would not have survived the first week without these posts. .
Bel unregistered	posted 02-26-2006 04:23 AM Yes, I've been going crazy with the chapstick lately too. I hadn't linked it to Invisalign until I read your post :-) but I'm in Australia where we're just coming out of Summer, so I'm pretty sure it's the aligners and not the weather. The cold months ahead (okay, not that cold for our Northern friends!) will kind of suck without being able to drink hot tea and soup all day... :-\| At least I can eat ice-blocks with my aligners in :-) quote: Originally posted by TGP: Do a lot of you get dry lips from your aligners? Just curious... .
Anne unregistered	posted 02-26-2006 06:03 PM KT - thanks for that explanation. I've been researching some more & found some interesting reading (hope it copies & pastes without going too wonky). This first link is to an article entitled "Predictability of Successful Orthodontic Treatment Using Invisalign" submitted by Dr. Robert Boyd: http://www.gpso.org/events/2003_outline.pdf It's heavy reading, but a few notes that I found particularly insightful are: (Page 6)"How are forces applied with Invisalign? ~ Preliminary finite element studies show that forces are dissipated over the majority of the crown which tends to distribute the forces over more of the root surface than with fixed appliances." (Page 4)"Does interproximal reduction result in increased caries or periodontal disease? ~ Conclusion: No increase in caries or periodontal disease." (with study references) (Page 6) "Invisalign retention protocol: Full-time wear 5-6 months (can do additional minor treatment or over-correction) To close posterior bite (>85% of patients have this) ~ cut aligners distal to occlusal contacts (usually 1st or 2nd premolars) and let settle 2-4 week ~ Then wear while sleeping only (usually indefinitely)" ~ how/why "over-corrections" are prescribed (just so this shouldn't entirely freak you out if/when it happens to you) Give some attention to the Advantage Summary at the end of the article - it's reassuring. I did read here of the recommendation for a 5 minute soaking in 3-4 drops of Clorox added to water for cleaning - all points to ask your own doctor about. (I'm getting all my questions ready for my first 6 week check-up) Also this last one is from a site that provides info to dentists on products: http://www.dentalcompare.com/details/5236/Invisalign.html & One more - an article highlighting how computer 3D graphics software is revolutionizing oral health care: http://www.geomagic.com/news/articles/pdf/ieee-dental.pdf ----------------------------- All of this is, of course, only if you have nothing else to do... .
LC unregistered	posted 02-27-2006 09:08 AM Hi Abby, Its called Gel-Kam, you brush your teeth with it leave it on for a minute and spit it out. My ortho wrote out a prescription for it, but then he said it was over the counter but to give the note to a pharmacist and she'd give it to me. They kept it behind the counter, but I'm pretty sure I could have just gone in and asked her for it, not positive though. It's in a green and white tube and costs about $10. Hope that helps! quote: Originally posted by Abby: What sort of flouride treatment is it? Like a mouthwash or something? Can you get it over the counter or does the ortho have to prescribe it? .
lou unregistered	posted 02-27-2006 07:57 PM This post is for anyone interested in getting started with Invisalign. In my opinion, it was the worst decision I ever made. When I was consulting with my dentist about the whole process before we got started, I was never informed about the 'buttons' (basically where they put bumps on your teeth to hold the trays in place), nor was I informed about the "reprox" procedure, where they SHAVE OFF PARTS OF YOUR TEETH, and you end up with embarassing gaps in your mouth. The aligners are a huge inconvenience, make you sound like you're mentally challenged, and cost a lot of money. So all in all, totally not worth it, in my opinion. I'm not even halfway through my trays and don't want to keep going, but I have no other alternative, because of the hideous gaps in my teeth. If you talk to your dentist/orthodontist, make sure you ask LOTS of questions, because every case is different, but make sure you're making an INFORMED DECISION. .
JL unregistered	posted 02-27-2006 08:07 PM quote: Originally posted by lou: This post is for anyone interested in getting started with Invisalign. In my opinion, it was the worst decision I ever made. When I was consulting with my dentist about the whole process before we got started, I was never informed about the 'buttons' (basically where they put bumps on your teeth to hold the trays in place), nor was I informed about the "reprox" procedure, where they SHAVE OFF PARTS OF YOUR TEETH, and you end up with embarassing gaps in your mouth. The aligners are a huge inconvenience, make you sound like you're mentally challenged, and cost a lot of money. So all in all, totally not worth it, in my opinion. I'm not even halfway through my trays and don't want to keep going, but I have no other alternative, because of the hideous gaps in my teeth. If you talk to your dentist/orthodontist, make sure you ask LOTS of questions, because every case is different, but make sure you're making an INFORMED DECISION. Lou, it's too bad that you weren't informed of all the details. My dentist, not ortho, sat down with me for a long time & explained everything that the Invisalign treatment would entail. He still shows me the Clincheck so we can both see how the movements are progressing & I'm about 1/2 way thru treatment. I'm very happy with Invisalign. The buttons are nothing (I have 7)and the shaving of teeth is no big deal. I didn't end up with big gaps between the teeth, just enough space for the other teeth to move. .
Amy unregistered	posted 02-27-2006 11:03 PM quote: Originally posted by lou: This post is for anyone interested in getting started with Invisalign. In my opinion, it was the worst decision I ever made. When I was consulting with my dentist about the whole process before we got started, I was never informed about the 'buttons' (basically where they put bumps on your teeth to hold the trays in place), nor was I informed about the "reprox" procedure, where they SHAVE OFF PARTS OF YOUR TEETH, and you end up with embarassing gaps in your mouth. The aligners are a huge inconvenience, make you sound like you're mentally challenged, and cost a lot of money. So all in all, totally not worth it, in my opinion. I'm not even halfway through my trays and don't want to keep going, but I have no other alternative, because of the hideous gaps in my teeth. If you talk to your dentist/orthodontist, make sure you ask LOTS of questions, because every case is different, but make sure you're making an INFORMED DECISION. I definitely agree with lou in that you have to make an informed decision any time you're shelling out thousands of dollars for what is essentially a long term medical procedure. However, I get frustrated when people pin all the blame on their dentists/orthos for "failing to inform." Sure, it would be nice if our orthodontists told us everything without us having to ask them outright, but then again responsibility is about taking the initiative. For any considering invisalign, I know the problem with forums is that you only get the extremes of opinions. I would like to say that I find myself somewhat in the middle, as I have had great results on my bottom teeth, but am still in that phase of treatment when my back teeth are moving, so I can't tell if my top teeth are getting better. The buttons have not been a hassle, in fact I don't even notice they're there. The shaving does not hurt and if done as it is supposed to be done will not drastically change the shape of your teeth. Though I've heard reports that bite problems cannot be corrected with invisalign, my overbite has already gotten much better. Every time I change trays I can feel teeth touching that didn't touch before, and it's actually made chewing food easier. I encourage anyone who's interested to talk to their orthodontist about it because it can work. It's about going into it with a measure of maturity and responsibility that's key. .
Anne unregistered	posted 02-27-2006 11:12 PM Well said, Amy. .
Shawn unregistered	posted 02-28-2006 10:59 AM I have some concerns about how my bite is going to end up. I've heard a few times now that a misaligned bite cannot be corrected, which is a topic debatable by itself, but can a bite that comes together fine now be thrown off by Invisalign? Most of my teeth that need corrected are toward the front of my mouth. My bite is ok. However, some slenderizing was done on some side teeth in order to pull them back to make room for realigning my front teeth. By pulling these side teeth back I would think my bite would not come together correctly anymore. Does anyone know if bite is taken into consideration when the 3d modeling is performed before the stereolithography begins? Part of me thinks we would have horror stories all over the place of misaligned bites if not. Yet I have doubts about some of my own teeth movement. .
Betty unregistered	posted 02-28-2006 12:51 PM I use a lot of Carmex! .
Joe unregistered	posted 02-28-2006 01:02 PM I only got one button, is this normal? .
Suzy unregistered	posted 02-28-2006 01:45 PM I'm still on my first set of trays. Tomorrow is 2 weeks, but Invisalign totally screwed up on all my trays and they have to be remade. (Apparantly when scanning my molds, their computer only scanned half of my last molar on the right, lower side, so the trays all just cut-off. Talk about a sharp edge.) So I'll be wearing Trays #1 until all my new trays show up. Anyway, I will only get one button too. My teeth are somewhat crowded so I guess they don't need a button, just moved. The button is for the one tooth that's at a 45 degree angle. quote: Originally posted by Joe: I only got one button, is this normal? .
heather unregistered	posted 02-28-2006 02:54 PM mikey, when are you going to update your blog? you and i are on exactly the same schedule, so i'm interested to see how it's going for you! -heather quote: Originally posted by Mikey G: I just got my first aligners today. I'm doing the Invisalign Express. Ten trays total. I'm blogging my experience at http://invisimikey.blogspot.com/ Check it out and leave comments/questions. M~ .
Courtney unregistered	posted 02-28-2006 03:03 PM Lou, how big are the gaps between your teeth? Judging from this board I am not alone in my fears about the slenderizing process. Seems that most people say it's not a big deal, and others complain of hideous gaps. I guess I can just hope that my dentist does it correctly. I was told that it would be about 3/10 millimeter, and that any spaces would close up within three days. I'd be interested in how long it took your gaps to close. quote: Originally posted by lou: This post is for anyone interested in getting started with Invisalign. In my opinion, it was the worst decision I ever made. When I was consulting with my dentist about the whole process before we got started, I was never informed about the 'buttons' (basically where they put bumps on your teeth to hold the trays in place), nor was I informed about the "reprox" procedure, where they SHAVE OFF PARTS OF YOUR TEETH, and you end up with embarassing gaps in your mouth. The aligners are a huge inconvenience, make you sound like you're mentally challenged, and cost a lot of money. So all in all, totally not worth it, in my opinion. I'm not even halfway through my trays and don't want to keep going, but I have no other alternative, because of the hideous gaps in my teeth. If you talk to your dentist/orthodontist, make sure you ask LOTS of questions, because every case is different, but make sure you're making an INFORMED DECISION. .
Bel unregistered	posted 02-28-2006 05:52 PM I'm wondering whether anyone has considered the issue of who is performing these shavings if "hideous gaps" are the result? I've only had one shaving so far, and it was no big deal. However, I go to an ortho rather than a regular dentist and he has like 20 years of experience and is one of the better ones in my city. I guess (or at least hope) that invisalign would make sure that people knew what they were doing before authorising them to fit their products, but orthodontists are trained to understand how teeth move, so they'd know exactly how much is required to be shaved off, etc. Experience would help too. One of my mates is a dentist and there's no way I'd let him start shaving away at my teeth :-P It's no disrespect to dentists - I'm sure that most of them are very good at what they do, but my impression was that orthodontists are just trained more in this area... And it's probably better to be safe than sorry :-) That said, I hope my other shavings (yet to come) don't result in horror stories - maybe I've just been lucky!!! quote: Originally posted by Courtney: Lou, how big are the gaps between your teeth? Judging from this board I am not alone in my fears about the slenderizing process. Seems that most people say it's not a big deal, and others complain of hideous gaps. I guess I can just hope that my dentist does it correctly. I was told that it would be about 3/10 millimeter, and that any spaces would close up within three days. I'd be interested in how long it took your gaps to close. .
singa unregistered	posted 03-01-2006 11:02 AM joe, that shd be fine. i do that almost every weekend and i am still able to proceed to the next tray as scheduled. in fact there was once i forgot to put it on before going to sleep. the tray felt really tight the next day but didnt slow down my plan quote: Originally posted by Joe: Does anyone think it is bad for me to take my aligners out on Friday and Saturday night for a few hours if I go out for a few drinks at a bar....I wear them all the time otherwise. .
singa unregistered	posted 03-01-2006 11:02 AM joe, that shd be fine. i do that almost every weekend and i am still able to proceed to the next tray as scheduled. in fact there was once i forgot to put it on before going to sleep. the tray felt really tight the next day but didnt slow down my plan quote: Originally posted by Joe: Does anyone think it is bad for me to take my aligners out on Friday and Saturday night for a few hours if I go out for a few drinks at a bar....I wear them all the time otherwise. .
Dean unregistered	posted 03-01-2006 10:26 PM quote: Originally posted by Nikki81480: I just got my buttons on today and I'm not really a big fan of them. It could be much worse I'm sure and they probably aren't as noticeable as I think they are but I still don't like them. Can anyone tell me if they had to have the buttons for the full course of treatment or do you get rid of the buttons earlier than that. I have a total of 38 aligners (top teeth only) and the buttons started at aligner 3. Will it go all the way to aligner 38. Also, for anyone who has had them and they are now off - do your teeth look all right? Are there any markings to show that there was something there stuck to your teeth? On another note, in regards to the people who are wondering about how to clean the aligners, I brush mine with a regular toothbrush and toothpaste whenever I take them out to eat and then once a day or once every 2 days, I use efferdent denture cleaner and I think it works great. .
acfairman unregistered	posted 03-02-2006 07:59 AM hello, andy from uk!! What alcoholic drinks can you have with invisiline in, Im having them fitted next week! I do go out a bit but just wanted to know if their is any thing available to drink, vodka? Really just don�t know, can anybody help please? .
becca unregistered	posted 03-02-2006 11:03 AM quote: Originally posted by cinnalily: I've had my aligners on for a week today. I found the same thing as most of you...they're tight at first and really hard to take off, putting back on wasn't too bad. When my ortho's assistant got me to practice it took me about 5 minutes to get the top one off and I never did get the bottom one off myself, she had to do it. So I was a bit worried, but she sent me home with a tool to try out (was plastic and too flimsy) and I suggested that maybe rubber gloves would help because then you can use your hands and they won't slip. She sent me home with a bag full and I tried it when I got home and it worked great and ever since the trays have loosened up and they're a lot easier to take off. Plus they gave me a toothbrush for cleaning them when I take them off and I actually use the handle of it as a tool to help take them off. I've gotten used to it and it only takes a couple of minutes to take them off and give them a scrub. The next thing I noticed was that it really hurt to take them off and put them back on and I was really tempted to back out, calculating hor much money I would lose! But it's gotten much better and I think I see my teeth changing already, so I'm happy now! My tongue got really irritated on the sides too, but I think that's finally gone now. Someone mentioned the constant pressure driving him insane and I totally agree! I laughed when I read how he wanted to rip his face off...so true! It's such a distraction! At least we can take them off even for 10 minutes to have a break though. I've decided that traditional braces could be classified as torture devices and are designed to keep teens too distracted to get into trouble, I'm sure they are much worse than these are! Yes, I do have a bit of a lisp, but I think it's going away slowly. I also move my mouth differently when I talk, but I think it's only noticeable to people who know me well. I had some filing done between my bottom teeth too and will have a bit more done on my next three visits and in about three weeks he'll be putting some 'buttons' on. Invisalign wanted to put them on my front four upper teath, but my ortho got them to do them on the inside of my teeth, so I'm happy about that, they won't be visible and look weird! I'm also going to have one on the front of each first molar on the bottom, but I don't think they'll be very noticeable. I think it's going to be good overall. I'm in Vancouver BC and I'm paying 6200. What orthodontist did you use in Vancouver? I have been quoted $8500.00 and I am worried that is way way too high a price. .
Hells unregistered	posted 03-02-2006 12:43 PM quote: Originally posted by acfairman: hello, andy from uk!! What alcoholic drinks can you have with invisiline in, Im having them fitted next week! I do go out a bit but just wanted to know if their is any thing available to drink, vodka? Really just don�t know, can anybody help please? .
Hels unregistered	posted 03-02-2006 12:45 PM Hey, I drink beer with my aligners. The only prob is that they ten to fill up with drink and then yuo sort of feel like your "spitting" as your talking. Other than that they're fine. I usually try and brush my teeth asap afterwards though. quote: Originally posted by acfairman: hello, andy from uk!! What alcoholic drinks can you have with invisiline in, Im having them fitted next week! I do go out a bit but just wanted to know if their is any thing available to drink, vodka? Really just don�t know, can anybody help please? .
LC unregistered	posted 03-02-2006 02:30 PM I'm on my second aligners and I've noticed that my bite sucks when I don't have the aligners on. I can't bite down all the way because of the way my teeth come together in the front. It's making me really nervous about the whole process... someone please comfort and tell me that this is temporary and i'll have a normal bite again soon. .
me too unregistered	posted 03-02-2006 02:59 PM I noticed the same thing, but that's b/c your teeth are moving into their new positions. I asked my ortho & he told me my bite will end up being different, but you will eventually get used to it. Just hang in there-if you saw the computer images, you can see how certain teeth have to move along the way to make the transition. quote: Originally posted by LC: I'm on my second aligners and I've noticed that my bite sucks when I don't have the aligners on. I can't bite down all the way because of the way my teeth come together in the front. It's making me really nervous about the whole process... someone please comfort and tell me that this is temporary and i'll have a normal bite again soon. .
e unregistered	posted 03-02-2006 03:51 PM christine, that is funny. Ive been wearing inviz for 6 weeks now and everything has been just great, but I also had a dream recently where I pulled out the aligner and a few of my teeth broke off!!! I was glad to wake up from that one... :-) quote: Originally posted by christine: i had my first invisalign nightmare last night. i dreamed i took them out to eat and my front tooth was just hanging by a thread! guess these things are really stressing me out subconsciously. .
e unregistered	posted 03-02-2006 04:00 PM Its no big deal, usually after being freaked out by the changes for a couple days it becomes normal and you'll probably forget all about the new sensation. The good news is its doing its job. quote: Originally posted by LC: I'm on my second aligners and I've noticed that my bite sucks when I don't have the aligners on. I can't bite down all the way because of the way my teeth come together in the front. It's making me really nervous about the whole process... someone please comfort and tell me that this is temporary and i'll have a normal bite again soon. .
gp unregistered	posted 03-02-2006 07:30 PM quote: Originally posted by acfairman: hello, andy from uk!! What alcoholic drinks can you have with invisiline in, Im having them fitted next week! I do go out a bit but just wanted to know if their is any thing available to drink, vodka? Really just don�t know, can anybody help please? to all you guys out there worried about drinking, let me tell you that i have been wearing invisilign for two months and i have drank everything from beer to coffee.i even went as far as eating ice cream. as long as u brush your teeth before going to bed.its ok .

This topic is 56 pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 All times are ET (US)
Administrative Options: Close Topic \| Archive/Move \| Delete Topic