Dental Forum

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Originally posted by Christine:
I've got photos of my progress with OrthoClear!
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2338/1404/1600/before.jpg
The first photo is what my teeth looked like before I started treatment. The top teeth were beginning to crowd, especially pushing my canine teeth outwards. My lower teeth were very crowded and uneven. You can see the spaces on the bottom.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2338/1404/400/after.jpg
This is what my teeth looked like after four months using OrthoClear (my treatment is supposed to last a little over 12 months total). Can you see my buttons? I don't have the aligners on in this shot. You can see that my front teeth are a bit more in line with each other on the top. On the bottom, you can't see any more gaps! Overall, my lower arch has been widened quite a bit (the uppers as well, but not as much), and my teeth are finally starting to fit properly in my mouth!

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Thanks again for posting to this site, and for adding pictures. I went in to get my impressions this past TH, and my ortho said that it would take 6-8 weeks for the first trays to come in. I'm a little nervous, but excited.

Any of you out there finished with your OrthoClear and/or Invisalign treatment? If so, please post your comments about your experience. Pictures would be great too!

Thanks, guys!

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Originally posted by Christine:
And here's what my teeth look like after 5 months of treatment. In my opinion, there's a big difference between the first photo and the third one. I'm not even halfway through yet! http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2338/1404/400/after2.0.jpg

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Originally posted by MusicLover:
WOW! They are coming along nicely! It looks like you also did a whitening treatment. Or is it just the light in the photo?

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Why, thanks MusicLover! I'm happy to say that I have not done a whitening treatment (I'm scheduled for one once my treatment is complete).

MusicLover, I live in Georgia also. Which orthodontist are you with and which one do you not recommend?

BTW how much do the consultations cost?

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Originally posted by MusicLover:
Hi All!

I wanted to thank all of you for taking the time to post to this website. It has helped me to feel better about deciding to go through with OrthoClear, rather than Invisalign and/or braces. I didn't notice a lot of posts from patients who had finished their treatment to see how things are going. If any of you have completed your treatment, I would really appreciate comments about what type of retainer you have, whether your teeth have moved, follow-up treatments, etc.

I plan to contact my ortho tomorrow to start the process. FYI, I've already done the consultation visit, and since I had braces when I was in high school, I only have a few teeth that have shifted, which makes me a good candidate for OrthoClear. BTW, I live in GA, and the price quoted to me for upper and lower trays was $3,000. Discounts available for paying with cash.

One tip that I want to share is that it REALLY pays to shop around and get more than one opinion. I went to three orthodontists before I found the one who was responsive to my questions and who genuinely seemed concerned about my needs. Also, his prices were a LOT more reasonable. One ortho here quoted over 5,000 for Invisalign, and didn't mention OrthoClear as an option. I'm glad I got another opinion.

Again, thanks so much for the helpful information, guys! I look forward to reading more of your posts. Do some of you have before/after pictures posted to Yahoo Photos or other webpages? If so, I'd LOVE to see them.

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Originally posted by CWilson:
Christine, are those pictures with the aligners in? And if so, where are the buttons at? I was concern about the buttons because I don't want nothing to be noticeable.
BTW how much do the consultations cost?

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Those photos are with the aligners off. It's really difficult to see my buttons, they blend in well! There are 4 buttons on the top teeth (not the front 2, but the ones around them, 2 each side), and 6 on the bottom (not the front 2, but the ones around them, 3 each side). You can't see them when the aligners are on.

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Originally posted by CWilson:
Although they cannot be seen, if you were to rub the top tray would you be able to feel the bumps? Also, what are windows?

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If you need to have buttons on your teeth, OrthoClear trays have 'windows' to accomodate them. They are small circular openings in the trays that allow the buttons to 'click' in them. This allows better 'traction' for the aligners to rotate or pull your teeth in a particular direction.

If I'm not mistaken, Invisalign has 'closed windows' instead of 'open windows'; the areas to accomodate the buttons on the teeth are closed. The areas to accomodate the teeth with OC are open. Does this make sense?

To answer your first question, you'd feel the openings of the 'windows' more than the buttons. The buttons don't really stick out of the windows. They sit just inside of them. When you're not wearing the trays, the buttons feel huge on the teeth, but they're not. Hope this helps!

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Originally posted by CWilson:
I have a dentist appointment later this month, and I am going to schedule two or three consultations this month.

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Hey CWilson if you're out there...

How'd the appointment/consultations go?

[Originally posted by DAB:
ABtwincity,
QUOTE]

I have been using Invisalign for about 9 months (I'm on tray 19; total of 21 for top, 24 for bottom) and am surprised to see any discussions re: Invisalign not being "clear" enough. After 19 trays, I can only say that they look great -- they may look slightly cloudy before putting on, but my teeth actually look whiter/shinier with them on than off!! So do not let the "appearance" of them be a turn-off.

I have also never had a tray crack, and had to have buttons ("speedbumps", or whatever) placed on 5 of my top teeth -- I worried over these for a month before I got them for no apparent reason since they are relatively invisible, and taking the trays on/off is only a slight bit harder than before I had to have them bonded to my teeth. I've had no problems with Invisalign, except for a lower tooth that is loose, which is supposedly due to its being "underdeveloped" when it originally grew in.

I also believe that it is important to get a practitioner who has lots of experience and is willing to communicate with you -- I am using my dentist, who I have been seeing for over 20 years -- and although I am doing well so far, I have slight reservations, since he is a relative "newbie" with Invisalign.

If you read all of the posting on this website, you may get nervous -- I certainly did when I first read them -- but I believe that we hear a lot more from people who have problems than those who are happy with their treatment and have a life to live outside of cyberspace (I originally found this site when I was having problems with a sore mouth towards the beginning, and was desperate to find info. from others going through the experience -- and I check in once in a while to see if there are any new tips on cleaning them, and esp. with end results).

That's it -- just wanted to throw in some comments from someone who, thus far, is having a positive experience to balance out all of the bad experiences posted here. [/QUOTE]

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Originally posted by jammygirl:
Hey gang,

I'm in the Seattle area and just got my Invisalign aligners today...so far so good. My orthodontist said there are too many problems with the Orthoclear trays so he didn't recommend them. As well, they take a long time to get from Pakistan to the US apparently.

Wishing everyone straight teeth and a beautiful smile!

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I'm from Seattle also, and had a consult with an Ortho in Seattle. I thought I going in for Invisalignes, but this Ortho now only does OrthoClear. After finding this board and spending an entire afternoon reading it, I have some questions:

1. Ortho quoted me $4,800 - 6,000 for "Limited Treatment". Plus the cost of the Models ($175) and for the xrays ($200). Is this consistent with what others here were charged. I would think that the models/xrays would be part of the huge fee

2. Ortho told me that OrthoClear will only "rotate" a tooth. They can not move teeth. This seems contrary to what I've seen on the Invisalign website and what I've read here. Any comments on this?

3. To correct my v-shape front teeth (they buckle inward and one of the lateral incisors has slightly slipped behind one of the front teeh), he wants to shave all my incisors, upper and lower, and rotate the teeth. Guess this is what he means by "Limited treatment". But I'm not sure that I want this, since my teeth are generally small but very nicely proportioned as is. Any feed back from the group?

Jammygirl, what is the name of your ortho in Seattle? I want to get a few other consults before I commit to either OC or Invisaligns and maybe could see your Otho. What did he charge you?

Thank gawd I found this board!!!!!

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Originally posted by jazz:
Ortho told me that OrthoClear will only "rotate" a tooth. They can not move teeth. Any comments on this?

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I don't think that's accurate. I've been using OrthoClear for 7 months now, and my teeth have moved a lot! Check out the links to photos of my teeth (I posted in previous postings in this thread), and you'll see what I mean. Some teeth have rotated, but the majority of my teeth have shifted around so that they are all mostly in line with each other (I still have several more months to go). Heck, my overbite is almost completely corrected!

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Originally posted by Christine:
I don't think that's accurate. I've been using OrthoClear for 7 months now, and my teeth have moved a lot! Check out the links to photos of my teeth (I posted in previous postings in this thread), and you'll see what I mean. Some teeth have rotated, but the majority of my teeth have shifted around so that they are all mostly in line with each other (I still have several more months to go). Heck, my overbite is almost completely corrected!

Hope this helps!

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Thanks for the input, Christine. I checked out your photos and those pearly whites are looking good. I don't know why my Ortho would say that the OrthoClear don't move molars.

Does anyone have photos of molars that were moved during their treatment?

Any recommendations for Seattle Ortho?

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Originally posted by Jazzie:

Does anyone have photos of molars that were moved during their treatment?

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When I get some time, I'll take photos of my first set of aligners next to my latest set (13). You won't really be able to discern much movement in the molars front to back, but you will definitely see a difference in the overall width of the arch where the molars are, both on top and bottom. My arch on the bottom is now much wider than it used to be!

Christine, I look forward to seeing more pictures soon!! Thanks, guys!

Also, is it normal for your bite not to fit together? When I close down, there is a lot of space between my upper and lower teeth right now.

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Originally posted by Christine:
Hi Liz,
My trays seem like that, too, only just on my bottom teeth. My teeth don't fit all the way into the tray, so there's empty space at the deepest area of the tray. I hope this makes sense!

I thought the extra space was because of air in my impressions, but I've had 2 sets of impressions made, and the resulting trays have been the same.

I'm on my 9th set of trays, and the extra space hasn't been an issue for me. My teeth are moving along as they should.

I can't wait for this to all be over- I've only got about 5 months to go. I miss snacking!

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Originally posted by MusicLover:
Christine, I look forward to seeing more pictures soon!! Thanks, guys!

Also, is it normal for your bite not to fit together? When I close down, there is a lot of space between my upper and lower teeth right now.

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My bite does not close all the way down either. I'm pretty sure that's normal. As far as gaps in between the aligners and the teeth, I think that's a normal thing, too. I think it's to allow for tooth movement.

Here are photos of what my aligners look like. Actually, it's a comparison of my first set of aligners next to set 13. Sorry I couldn't get the shots any clearer!
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2338/1404/1600/OC01.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2338/1404/1600/OC02.jpg

Enjoy!

Thanks again for posting the pictures. I was wondering whether you or any other OrthoClear patients have closeup pictures of your teeth with the first few sets of trays in. I am concerned that my trays don't fit right. It looks like there is too much space beyond the tips of my teeth, which makes the trays more visible.

I plan to post pictures soon on my OrthoClear blog:

http://orthocleer.blogspot.com/

I look forward to reading more of your posts to this message board and/or my blog page in the future. Thanks so much for your input, guys! It is so helpful to have a group of "friends" to go through this with me!!

MusicLover

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Originally posted by Christine:
My bite does not close all the way down either. I'm pretty sure that's normal. As far as gaps in between the aligners and the teeth, I think that's a normal thing, too. I think it's to allow for tooth movement.

Here are photos of what my aligners look like. Actually, it's a comparison of my first set of aligners next to set 13. Sorry I couldn't get the shots any clearer!
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2338/1404/1600/OC01.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2338/1404/1600/OC02.jpg

Enjoy!

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One thing I've experienced this past week is waking up (before my alarm clock goes off) to the sound of me biting down on my trays as I sleep. Has anyone else experienced this? I've never been told by my husband that I'm a tooth grinder, but I've definitely been biting down on my trays lately during the night.

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Originally posted by reenie:
I only wanted to help those OrthoClear patients to know that maybe they just had one bad experience, and not to get discouraged. One of the things OrthoClear is more advanced with is the clarity of the aligners. This is a plus over Invisalign. But I'm sure both are equally good at the final result. So, my intentions were good and not to be anything else.

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It's been helpful today to read everyone's posts. I just got my first orthoclear trays this morning. While they're not as painful as I had suspected they would be, they're a lot more uncomfortable than I thought they would be. I feel the urge to bite down a lot and I feel as though my mouth is making more saliva or something. I constantly know they're there. Does this get better with time? I remember as a kid having braces, it felt really weird for a day or two and then my mouth got used to it.....

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Originally posted by Superbonbon44:
...I feel the urge to bite down a lot and I feel as though my mouth is making more saliva or something. I constantly know they're there. Does this get better with time?
thanks for any feedback!!

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Hey Superbonbon44,

I'm on OC aligner set #14 and I find myself constantly clenching down on my aligners, even when it's painful. Weird! I used to bite down on them in my sleep when I first started treatment, but I don't anymore.

I had the dry mouth problem at the beginning, but I think my saliva production has increased to compensate for the aligners. Believe me, the whole process gets much easier as time goes on (although the pain during the first few days of each tray doesn't!).

Thanks for the info. It's comforting to hear that from someone who's doing the process....hearing it from the ortho doesn't really help. :-)

I assume that the actual trays themselves start not to feel weird....right now they still feel so....wrong....in my mouth. I took a tylenol last night for pain management, which worked great, but now I'm getting cold sores inside my mouth from the roughness of the "buttons". Anyone know of any internal medicine that might help with that? I really don't want to put ortho wax over the spots, I don't even think it would stick.

Thanks again!

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Originally posted by Superbonbon44:
now I'm getting cold sores inside my mouth from the roughness of the "buttons". I really don't want to put ortho wax over the spots, I don't even think it would stick.

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Hi Bonnie!

The wax works great, actually. I use it when the 'windows' are a little rough, or when I want the windows to be less visible. The aligners need to be dry in the area where you're putting it on. I dry mine with a bit of tissue (with the aligners on), and the wax sticks, nicely covering the window without any problems. Give it a try!

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Originally posted by holliskate:
Lastly, I can deal with not "snacking" anymore (LOL), but I need my coffee and tea! Is water really the only thing I can drink while wearing OC? Any insight would be great!

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Hey Holli,

I try to avoid any colored beverages if possible. I love my coffee, but I've had to learn to drink it all in one sitting. Waah!

Can I just gripe about how frustrating not being able to snack is?! I went on holiday to Disneyland a few weeks ago. All the rides and walking around really builds up an appetite. It was so difficult to not be able to eat "on the go"! When we did stop to eat, I had to take extra time out to brush/floss after each meal/snack. Grrrr. I'm 8 months into my treatment, and I can't wait for it to be over!

I'm on day 6 now and these trays are starting to feel significantly more normal in my mouth...although ironically I don't think I'm speaking quite as clearly as when I first got them on....weird.
As for the snacking thing....it does have its benefits. I'd been trying to shed the 10 lbs I put on during the winter and I've already lost a couple just not being able to wander into the kitchen & grab stuff! It IS annoying though....I was at a cookout yesterday, had lunch, cleaned & put the trays back in, then dessert was brought out.....no way I was missing that....so out they can and again I cleaned 'em. All for a pretty smile, right?

I think the weirdest thing so far has been kissing my husband with them in. And drinking out of a straw. That felt weird.

If you're OK with drinking coffee or whatnot with a straw, you can probably do that!! It might stain the backs of the trays, but no one would see that anyway....

How do we feel about soaking our trays with clear mouthwash? I just bought this Vanilla Mind mouthwash (CVS brand) and it seems to be crystal clear....was thinking about leaving my trays in it while I ate.

In theory, it shouldn't stain, right??