Orthodontist concerns

[cottonball]

Hi everyone,

I recently took the plunge and am currently on Day 3 of my Invisalign treatment. I suppose it's because I'm overly aware of my teeth with the aligners on, along with fear that comes along with a major decision/commitment, that I find I'm (obsessively) reading about other people's experiences and questions re: Invisalign more than when I was still deciding whether or not to get them...and now have some worries/questions regarding my orthodontic treatment...

Was my orthodontist supposed to show me my ClinCheck video before ordering my aligners? That seems to be what a lot of people on the board have described, but I didn't see my video until 5 minutes before they checked the fit of the aligners and put on the attachments. It looked OK to me, though at the end the size of the overbite didn't seem to change (but the teeth did look less flared out). The assistant wasn't sure, but I think they only showed me the first phase of my treatment, because the second phase involves elastics. Should that have been shown in the video as well? And just to confirm, are elastics used to reduce overbite? If so, how? Pull the upper (teeth? arch? jaw?) back? Pull the lower (teeth? arch? jaw?) forward? Both?

How much interaction with my orthodontist should I expect or is ideal? During the initial consultation, she took quite a bit of time examining my mouth and then explaining to me, answering my questions about her proposed treatment plan, and showing me before & after's of similar cases. During my records appointment, she checked in to see how the assistant was doing with the molds and polished some of my teeth to smooth them out because the grooves on my teeth were giving the assistant trouble with the molds. During my fitting appointment, she also checked in and finished the polishing off of the excess glue from putting on the attachments that the assistant was taking a long time with. I'm not sure if she should be looking at my teeth more or I should be asking her more questions, beyond helping out assistants having trouble during my appointments?

How often should I come in for appointments? My second appointment is 9 weeks after the fitting appoinment, during which I'm supposed to wear Set 1 for 3 weeks and Sets 2-4 for 2 weeks each. Is that standard or too long for checking progress?

Is polishing between teeth mandatory to aid in tooth movement? I'm afraid of drills and also the idea of removing tooth enamel/material. Does polishing make the teeth weaker or more susceptible to cavities or more sensitive? My orthodontist already polished some of my teeth to smooth them out for record taking, after which my dentist noted erosion during my regular 6-month check-up. Also, instead of having grooves on my right upper front tooth, I now have a dent, albeit a smooth one, on it that I think is more noticeable than the grooves...

Thanks so much for reading what ended up being a longer post than I originally intended...

[Snowglobe32]

If you post this in the forum for "invisline or clear aligners", you will get helpful advice.

[sammywantstraightteeth]

I was obsessive for the first few days. I swear I did no work (shh, don't tell my boss) for about 3 days before I finally got used to these things.

Most orthodontists will show the patient the clincheck before they commit to the treatment. Obviously they don't *have* to, but one of the major selling points of invisalign is that you can see the intended result before you start treatment. I can't answer your question about elastics as my treatment doesn't involve them. The invisalign clincheck should show anything that the trays will do - each frame will equate to a tray.

My experience was similar to yours in that there was lots of time allowed up to and including my fitting to explain the process and answer any questions I had. Since the fitting 4 months ago I have not seen my dentist again - although he has responded to emails very quickly when I've asked a question. I am due to go in tomorrow for my regular 6-month checkup and clean and he's going to check my invisalign progress at the same time. Your ortho will tell you at each appointment when you should come in for the next. I guess its down to their own preference. I don't really think mine is taking that much care and attention over my teeth - but then he's a dentist not an ortho and therefore I'm paying a lot less. I knew the risk of dentist vs ortho before I started so I'm not making a fuss.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'polishing'. Do you mean the shaving small gaps in between teeth to make room? If so I don't seem to have suffered any adverse affects from this. No additional sensitivity, no apparent weakness. I guess I'll find out about cavities tomorrow!

As snowglobe32 pointed out, you would be more likely to get useful replies to this if you posted in the invisalign forum. Also the title helps get the right people to read it - we are all here to discuss 'orthodontist concerns', try to be a little more descriptive - like 'new invisalign patient on day 3 with concerns'.