How many aligners before...

Message

#1 Post by **canadiana** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 9:49 am

...you started to see some improvement in your teeth?

I'm new here, I am on my second aligner of 52 on top and 30 on the bottom. So far so good, I am very used to them by now. So I was wondering, to all you veterans, how many aligners you all had to go through before you saw significant change? Or was the change so gradual that you didnt notice it until one day it was just like wow!

My ortho told me it would take about 5 months before I saw significant change. My two front teeth are pointing inwards (lack of room) and my bottom teeth are all over the place (lack of room).

ok see ya

#2 Post by **waiting2smile** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 7:23 am

Welcome canadiana! Wow 52 and 30 huh? You are right up there with Diehard and myself (I had 12 on the bottom and 52 on the top). It's hard to say when I started to see improvement because I found myself (and still do at time) in the mirror inspecting my teeth every change I get. My bottom teeth are great now and that was after 12 aligners. Im still waiting to see great improvement on the top (now on 25 of 52).

My situation seem opposite of yours, my front teeth stick out to far and the Invisalign are working to move them back and straighten things out. Unfortunately the teeth I want to see the most changes in will be the last to move. Some people tell me that they see a huge difference in my top teeth already but honestly I don't see it yet, I DO know its working because I have huge gaps that I've never had before from the teeth moving but I've yet to look at myself straight on and say wow what a difference.

I hope this doesn't discourage, I just think for myself Im less likely the see the changes as they happen because Im always looking at my teeth so closely. I can say though that I am now starting to notice a difference in my smile when I look at pictures of myself from a year ago, maybe that's the best to do it, comparing picture of yourself from different stages in your treatment?

Anyways the bottom line is everyone's situation is different so just hang in there and keep a positive attitude, your smile will be gorgeous before you know it!

#3 Post by **diehard** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 12:50 pm

also u can keep all your trays like i do and you will see a big change between say tray 1 and tray 7 especially if you have had extractions like me.

waitingtosmile have you had extractions to make room or do you have the teeth slimming thing done? also bit worried about a couple of molars that have tipped forward hope i dont have to have braces to upright them

#4 Post by **waiting2smile** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 1:08 pm

Diehard-
I have had some teeth slimmed (not my favorite thing by any means) no extractions. I had my wisdom teeth out kind of late (when I was 26, I think) which apparently cause my other teeth to push forward as they were coming in adding my to already lovely overjet.

so now my teeth are sliding back nicely with again some help from the slimming and amazingly they seem to be staying line with the bottom, I too would be really bummed to have to get braces after all of this just because my bite gets screwed up, keeping my fingers crossed that that doesn't happen.

I had a tooth tip a bit as well, mine was a tooth on the bottom towards the front. I'm not overly concerned about it because I figure when it comes time for a refinement it can be addressed then, since it really seems to be a cosmetic issue than anything else (people swear they don't even notice but I can see it)

Do you have any pics you'd be willing to post? I'm interested to see what someone else with a similar amount of tray is going through, it sounds like we may have similar cases...

#5 Post by **canadiana** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:52 am

Yes well despite the fact that I have 52 trays, my top teeth don't look half as screwed up as some. It's those two front teeth that need to be brought forward and for that to happen, they have to move each of the other tooth back a little bit and suddently...they'll pop right up!

According to my computer simulated thingy, my teeth should look straight within a year, then the extra year is to get the alignement with the bottom teeth right (I think). My ortho is a bit of a perfectionnist he says "your mouth is my signature" and also he told me he redid my treatement 5 times. Well, I'd rather that then the opposite.

For the bottom teeth I have some shaving but no extractions. I think I'll see some improvement quickly. My bottom teeth look way messier than my top. As for keeping the trays, I will do that.

And taking pictures, well I tried to take pictures myself but ended up taking pictures of my nose.

Waiting2smile: how come you haven't seen great improvement on the top, halfway through your treatement?

#6 Post by **waiting2smile** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 6:11 am

My top front teeth are pretty much straight with the exception of a couple of teeth but the real issue is my overjet. I didn't want to go through metal braces and headgear at this point in my life because yes I guess I'm vain (and I wear glasses full-time - throw all that together and I'd make for one hot chick haha) Anyways Invisalign straightened out my bottom teeth perfect and according to my clincheck its gonna do a fantastic job on the top reducing my overjet significantly and straightening out those couple of teeth that are just a bit off.

When I say I haven't seen a major change that wowed me yet I guess it is because all of the behind the scenes stuff is going on first and the 4-5 teeth that I want see the changes in will be the last to move. I can tell you that yes this is definitely working because I have huge spaces between teeth like I've never had before which is supposed to happen since the plan is basically to slide things back and flatted out the front.

I too keep my aligners and you can really see the changes looking at them but just this past month the teeth I want to see change are starting to get going so I am on my way

#7 Post by **diehard** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 1:49 pm

waiting2smile iv no pictures from start of treatment but i could try and use the photo shack thing mabe if u show me yours ill show mine