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
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and now I dont have to file anymore.
AnneC