Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi all, I've read through quite a few posts here, and have found a lot of helpful stuff.

I will be getting one extraction on Friday, then my invisalign on Monday. My orthodontist said a couple of days to heal a bit, does that sound ok? I am a bit concerned after reading posts, that my teeth might shift in the meanwhile?

I was told to expect approx 2 years worth of trays, not sure what facts are relevant to post here, but on my treatment description it says
4mm overbite, 4.5mm overjet - the rest is kind of unintelligible to me (remember its all in german )

I asked him about how many patients he's treated and how many have needed to switch to metal braces, and he said over 2300 treated, and 2 cases of switching, one of which was a staff member who wanted it that way. The orthodontist seems very capable and helpful, and has spent quite a bit of time with me. Everyone in the office there (it's HUGE!) has been helpful and super nice.

I do have a couple of questions:

Where do most of you have your speedbumps, and how many do you have? Do they change them during your treatment?

How common is shaving? I've seen it mentioned here, but my ortho never said anything about that, isn't that harmful to the teeth?

Does anyone keep a photo journal? I didn't see many pics here, maybe I looked in the wrong place?

Should I really wait until night to put my first aligner in? I'm already so pumped, but I don't want to bring problems on myself by being impatient.

So far, I've read that I should invest in orthodontic wax (I'm in Germany, so I hope I will be able to get it here!), file the aligner bit by bit if it irritates, stay away from coffee or gulp it down double quick , keep very well hydrated- any other tips?


Thanks in advance!

Hi all, I've read through quite a few posts here, and have found a lot of helpful stuff.

I will be getting one extraction on Friday, then my invisalign on Monday. My orthodontist said a couple of days to heal a bit, does that sound ok? I am a bit concerned after reading posts, that my teeth might shift in the meanwhile?

Hi, your teeth are not going to shift that much that quickly unless an outside force (IE - archwire) is acting on them. Natural drifting and tilting is a much slower process and will take a while....so no worries here.

I was told to expect approx 2 years worth of trays, not sure what facts are relevant to post here, but on my treatment description it says
4mm overbite, 4.5mm overjet - the rest is kind of unintelligible to me (remember its all in german )

I asked him about how many patients he's treated and how many have needed to switch to metal braces, and he said over 2300 treated, and 2 cases of switching, one of which was a staff member who wanted it that way. The orthodontist seems very capable and helpful, and has spent quite a bit of time with me. Everyone in the office there (it's HUGE!) has been helpful and super nice.

Always good to feel comfortable with your clinician. This is an advanced case based on your description, glad that he has 2000+ behind him. That is quite a bit for Invisalign, I assume you are outside the US based on the German comment? I would tend to think that 2 is an exaggeration, but if s/he is very skilled then I would expect a very low percentage of cases needing additional bracketing post treatment.

I do have a couple of questions:

Where do most of you have your speedbumps, and how many do you have? Do they change them during your treatment?

By speed bumps do you mean a "composite button" on the side of the tooth? Or a ramp placed on the occlusal/chewing surface? Buttons are common and will not likely be moved throughout treatment. Although certain cases call for them to be moved at a later time.

How common is shaving? I've seen it mentioned here, but my ortho never said anything about that, isn't that harmful to the teeth?

It is a common way to gain space, especially in Invisalign. In orthodontics you need time, space, and force. As long as the reduction is kept to a minimal (usually < 0.5 mm on each interproximal surface) it should not be a problem. But it can negatively effect the shape of the tooth, create a plaque trap, or introduce tooth sensitivity. Again, if you have a skilled clinician then side effects are usually kept to a minimum.

Does anyone keep a photo journal? I didn't see many pics here, maybe I looked in the wrong place?

Yeah, plenty of blogs out there. Are you looking for clinical photo's or a personal account?

Should I really wait until night to put my first aligner in? I'm already so pumped, but I don't want to bring problems on myself by being impatient.

The only way that they will work is if you are diligent about wearing them. You have to wear them 20+ hours per day if you want to have a successful treatment. Any less and you are asking for problems.

So far, I've read that I should invest in orthodontic wax (I'm in Germany, so I hope I will be able to get it here!), file the aligner bit by bit if it irritates, stay away from coffee or gulp it down double quick , keep very well hydrated- any other tips?

You shouldn't need wax for Invisalign. Feel free to trim the edge of the aligner VERY gently if it rubs, but I have had good experience and have not heard of many problems. I tell people that Invisalign is a great weight loss tool since it is a pain to remove them, eat, and then brush and floss. So it keeps people from snacking Any colored liquid will stain the aligners, if you can deal with the stain then go nuts!

Thanks in advance!

My pleasure, good luck in your tx. The most important aspect is patient compliance. Be diligent and I am sure you will see good results.

Regards,
Rory

I do not think personally that the ortho has much influence about invisalign treatment I have been a bit disappointed with mine I told her a couple of months ago that the molars that are moving into the extraction sites were tipping but she said nothing to worry about im interested to see what she is gonna say tommorow when I go iv pretty much come to terms ill end up in fixed brace to fix the bite at the end of invisalign I know people might say then why don`t u just switch now well the problem with that is I live in uk and when it comes to value for money and getting a refund forget it iv already paid £3500 which only leaves £500 left to pay heres how it works in uk £500 to get clin check sorted then £2000 when first sets arrive then 6 payements of £250 total = £4000.

I do have some advice on extractions I have had 4 after all, firstly they do not hurt although some are more tricky to pull than others the thing I found hard was the bleeding sometimes it takes hours to stop and when u wake up in the morning the pillow which started off white is know red, make sure u ask for plenty of swabs to bite on and i sugest warm soup with bread in for a couple of days.

Also talk to your ortho about the teeth tipping in the spaces created by the extractions if it would be better to wear the trays for 3 weeks until the teeth are in position because once the tooth tips its game over .

thanks for your answers!

from rsprouse:

By speed bumps do you mean a "composite button" on the side of the tooth? Or a ramp placed on the occlusal/chewing surface? Buttons are common and will not likely be moved throughout treatment. Although certain cases call for them to be moved at a later time.

Yes, I was wondering where they put the buttons, as I saw photos of someone with them on her FRONT teeth! I have no idea why I wrote Speedbumps, I'm just back from Canada (I live in Germany) so I'll use jet lag as my excuse for that.

Yeah, plenty of blogs out there. Are you looking for clinical photo's or a personal account?

I've seen the invisalign sites, but I meant more of a blog with photos. I looked here but haven't found any, only regular brace blogs.

The only way that they will work is if you are diligent about wearing them. You have to wear them 20+ hours per day if you want to have a successful treatment. Any less and you are asking for problems.

Sorry, what I meant by that was that I'd read here you should start a new tray at night rather than during the day to get past the initial pain while you sleep. Of course I will wear them at least 21 hours a day!


from diehard:

I do not think personally that the ortho has much influence about invisalign treatment I have been a bit disappointed with mine I told her a couple of months ago that the molars that are moving into the extraction sites were tipping but she said nothing to worry about im interested to see what she is gonna say tommorow when I go iv pretty much come to terms ill end up in fixed brace to fix the bite at the end of invisalign I know people might say then why don`t u just switch now well the problem with that is I live in uk and when it comes to value for money and getting a refund forget it iv already paid £3500 which only leaves £500 left to pay heres how it works in uk £500 to get clin check sorted then £2000 when first sets arrive then 6 payements of £250 total = £4000.

I asked my ortho at length about his treatment plan. He said that there are 100 different ways to move teeth, and the planning of which order to do what in is crucial to the success of the outcome. He explained that he works with the invisalign people to plan out the movement of the teeth, and that he makes the decisions about what he thinks is the best route to go. He said if he sees something not going as it should he will stall me at the point I am at, and work with invisalign to reformulate the treatment course/trays. Also, he gave me a contract with an overall price that covers treatment to the end and the permanent retainer that will be put in behind my front teeth at the end (I think). So, hopefully no matter what happens it won't change financially, at least that's how I understand it. I've been here for three years, so my German is good but this stuff is complicated and I have trouble understanding it all sometimes since it's not my native tongue!

Don't get invisalign. I just got it and dropped my treatment after one day. It was so horrible. Check out my post called Invisalign Horror. And just so you don't think I just wimped out, I just got my regular braces on this morning. They are the ones by Damon. Believe me when I say that just getting the stupid speed bumps polished off was more pain and torture than getting my braces on and wearing them. The filing thing they do to make room for your teeth is ridiculous. It felt like they put a lumberjack saw between my teeth and sawed them down. With these new Damon braces, I don't even feel any pressure on my teeth.

What works for some people does not work for others, tomjscott! Good luck with your Invisalign journey, Dawna, keep us posted on your progress!!

What works for some people does not work for others, tomjscott!

True, but even my orthodontist said that he is steering people away from invisalign more and more due to things that are coming to light lately.

My speedbumps are on my canine teeth.

I used to have to file my trays in the beginning (first 10 trays or so), because my mouth was so narrow. My mouth is more wide now, thanks to the Invisalign treatment and now I dont have to file anymore.

My experience with Invisalign is great. Im very happy w/my outcome and recommend it to people who have minimum movement needed.

My trays are actually really starting to hurt the first week of treatment, now that my treatment is getting closer to the end, but its worth it.

Filing - I get my filing done on my teeth when needed (in between teeth). It doesnt hurt, feels funny, but no biggy. Just a lot of pressure on the jaw. But thats only my experience.

Heh! Im a lady - and it takes pain to be beautiful. I would much rather see my ortho, than see my bikini and eyebrow waxer OUCH!

And ohhhh - dont even talk about Aunt Flow visiting every month with her damn cramps.

Hell - I would deal with Invisalign the rest of my life in exchange of having Aunt Flow NOT visiting every freakn month!!

when u have crap teeth you should be able to take the pain and inconvenience id rather have teeth pulled out than smile in public after all no pain no gain

To comment on Rory's assistance here -
(you've prompted me out of my 6 month lurkdom)

Your first answer to Dawna's questions was likely the most comprehensive & helpful response I've read at any of the clear aligner type forums. Just had to say that.

Have been wondering what "dental type" person you are exactly...
Can you say?

Thanks.
& Regards,
AnneC

http://smilingwideopen.blogspot.com/

To comment on Rory's assistance here -
(you've prompted me out of my 6 month lurkdom)

Your first answer to Dawna's questions was likely the most comprehensive & helpful response I've read at any of the clear aligner type forums. Just had to say that.

Have been wondering what "dental type" person you are exactly...
Can you say?

Thanks.
& Regards,
AnneC

http://smilingwideopen.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the compliment, much appreciated. Yoiu can call me a DM-almost D. I'll officially be a doc in 297 days, not that I am counting or anything

Best,
Rory

All right then, "DM-almost D" ---

Are you also having (or had) any ortho treatment done for yourself?

Your knowledge & advice has certainly made this forum more enlightening to all those who read it. Don't mean to gush , but it IS really appreciated, Rory!

I'll stop now....
AnneC

(& Hey, Dawna!)

Now i'm blushing so thanks!

I had the ole' braces --> maxillary expander --> braces routine when I was a wee lad. Now i'm back in them, corrected a small amount of lower anterior crowding and am dealing with a space relapse in my maxilla. I had/kinda still have a unilateral crossbite. I am trying expansion without an expander trying to avoid surgery and it is coming along nicely. I need a few more mm of expansion and then its elastic city to align my bite. Thanks for the compliments.

Best,
Rory