11.27.08
at 12:30 am by admin
I’ve found a new dentist that rocks! He was recommended to me by work colleagues who use him all the time (he gives out free wine as a thank you to recommendations!) a nice touch. It’s 2 minutes walk from my office. All of the staff are kind, professional and charming. I’ve just had a very intense 2 hour exam, x-rays, clean and advice on a flossing technique and a rather odd toothpick gum treatment (said to increase firmness in the gums)!? All on my new work health plan. So no need for them to contact my current Invisalign dentist.
Of course it will be kind of awkward explaining the shiny white teeth away on my next tray visit but if they are as sloppy as I believe they are, it’ll go by unnoticed.
I’m wearing my final bottom tray now with each new top tray, so the tray is not looking too great! More thorough cleaning of the actual tray is now definitely required (baking soda has minimal effect, I’ve found more vigorous brushing with my toothbrush is the only thing that actually works). My examination today did highlight that my gums need some more attention (especially the one’s at the back) due to the trays and the fact I have quite a few teeth in my mouth (including all of my wisdom teeth - which apparently is a bit odd these days!?). I’m glad to say though, no cavities! Yay. So I’m booked in for another clean before Christmas then I will have 4 monthly checks with my new dentist and before long I’ll be going to see him exclusively.
I’m looking forward to completing the Invisalign treatment for lots of reasons now, but mostly to avoid having to deal with people who I now view as totally incompetent. What started out as a kind of exciting new medical treatment has turned into a bit of hassle in more ways than one. It just makes me realise that my best advice to anyone thinking about this treatment is to do plenty of research and have maybe several treatments with your dentist of choice well in advance of signing up for a long term dental treatment.. If you know of people that have used the dentist and you trust their opinion, even better.
Now I have just a few more trays to go (just 9 left!). I can see an end in sight and I’m pleased mostly with the results of my Invisalign, I feel more confidant about my teeth (or I will when the attachments / buttons - come off!). It’s a shame I’ve had drama’s with my dentist but I should have researched more thoroughly before jumping in. I just need to make the best of the final stages of treatment and make sure they don’t mess up the final filing to even up my new aligned front teeth!
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10.27.08
at 12:09 am by admin
It’s been a long while since my last post so I wanted to write an up-date. I’ve now completed my lower set of trays (unfortunately still with some movement to go). My dentist assures me this is not a problem and they may be able to figure it out later.. I’m unconvinced by his reassurances but I will get on to more of that later. Overall they look a lot better than this time last year and the upper set of teeth are looking really great (if a little uneven due to the totally different alignment my teeth were in previously). This is promised to be rectified before the end of my treatment.
Trays 17-19 were a lot more noticeably uncomfortable for the first day or two, some adjustments were made to these trays to encourage movement (mainly for the lower set of teeth as these seemed more difficult to move). I wasn’t aware there would be any possible delay to the trays actually working on certain teeth but I accept it’s quite normal and everyone’s mouth is unique. I still find the actual discomfort of new trays really easy to deal with. I have occasionally experienced ulcers and sores inside my mouth if I’m dehydrated (i.e; out partying all night and or after a day running!). A good nights rest, plenty of fluids (non-alcoholic!) and some filing with an emery board usually seem to fix all of those symptoms!
I will post some pictures of my lower teeth shortly to illustrate how they have changed and what is still remaining to be fixed.
I’ve begun to have increased concerns about the actual care and attention my dentist is giving to the general health of my teeth and gum’s (despite the obvious improvement to my overall teeth alignment). It’s been a series of events that has led me to believe they are quite unprofessional and I was slightly crazy to spend such a large sum of money and personal time there. I blame the Yelp! reviews but mostly myself! It was a good location at the time and a nice break from my original over intense dentist. Right now I am in a bit of bind, as alternatives are likely to be costly and difficult. I’m focusing on the fact that despite my actual dentist being quite vague and not over thorough he remains approachable and likeable enough (if a little sloppy), the front desk staff unfortunately have no charm or common sense and leave me constantly frustrated and annoyed.
To give a brief overview I’ll share a recent conversation I had with the admistrative assistant regarding payment of my Invisalign treatment below (the treatment plan has always been extremely clear to me - I asked the dental office to get a quote, I received the quote, agreed to make 3 installments for my own part and began treatment). Simple, right?
During my last visit to collect tray 19+20, I’m asked to make another payment - the balance of my treatment (a mere $1.4k). Bearing in mind I had already made one payment which was more than required due to the crazy accounting skills of the lady in charge of finances. Oh and her total unawareness of how to work with insurance companies. I should have seen this part two payment drama coming!
I immediately challenged this demand for final payment, we’d already agreed to split the bill into 3 parts so why would I pay the entire balance off right now? I of course should have asked for clarification on exact dates when I would be expected to find the 2nd and 3rd payments but I incorrectly assumed they would handle the details correctly. This request was also followed after a conversation I’d just had with my dentist telling me how bad business was doing. Were they trying to collect all outstanding payments before going bust!? Either way, I wasn’t too impressed. I decided to discuss it at a later date prior to my next visit.
My follow up call to clarify what was expected and being agreed was even stranger and only increased my general bad feeling about my apalling choice of dental practice! The office administrator kept trying to tell me my insurance provider would take back their payments (she’d seen it happen many times before - she’s worked with insurance companies for over 30 years don’t you know!). She went on to claim they were not paying the agreed $2k towards my treatment, and I would now have to pay an extra $1k. Did I mention she let slip another payment had already been made by the insurers? Bringing their balance to exactly what they agreed to pay from the start!
To cut a very boring and ridiculous story short, I contacted my insurance provider myself later that day who clarified all payments would be made as agreed, we were all square - no problems at all. My time and stress levels wasted for totally no reason. To this day that mad woman has offered no apology or explanation for her crazy outbursts. To say I’m shocked and unimpressed would be a total understatement. To make matters worse, I quite often see my dental assistant for new trays so I haven’t yet had a chance to discuss this ridiculous situation with my actual dentist. I think I have a very good idea why business is bad.
I know I’m due to have my teeth thoroughly cleaned and checked over.. the hunt for a new dentist is on. Maybe three times is the charm!??
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09.27.08
at 8:16 pm by admin
On my most recent visit with my dentist for Tray 16, we reviewed my progress (or at least my teeth’s progress!) against my initial consultation video. I can already see quite big movements looking back at my photographs and even older ones.. It was really interesting to move along the video to see where my teeth should be sitting now. For the most part I’m right on track.
I queried the lower set as I can see I only have 5 trays left for the lower set and they aren’t exactly looking great just yet. My dentist agreed they hadn’t moved along quite as well as he would like to see right now. So this time he made a few adjustments to my tray and advised me to return in 3 weeks for the next set (instead of taking the next tray with me as normal to change in 2 weeks). I’m kind of glad I didn’t take the option of changing every week and a half now because it seems some teeth simply don’t move that quickly.
He also filed the teeth where they need to move most and cleaned them throughly again. I’m pretty much used to the dull ache with new trays by now. This one is possibly one of the most uncomfortable one’s so far (I’m guessing due to the extra modifications he manually made to the tray) but I’m sure in a few days I’ll be over it. End date still seems a long long way off, but getting one set of teeth fixed quite soon is quite exciting! My lower set should be finished and perfectly straight by Christmas!
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08.07.08
at 9:23 pm by admin
I’ve been back again to see my dentist for my next tray. On this visit (for Tray 10) I asked him how he thought my teeth were doing. He assured me they look like they are moving correctly and used a file on a couple of teeth to help with the movement. I have more space in my front teeth than ever before so I know something is working.
I mentioned the fact I’m still concerned with the staining on my teeth and was just advised to keep trying the bleach. It’s a side effect apparently, I guess I just have to live with it? I also discussed the length of time I have left on this treatment (your patience wanes after 3 months or so) and was told I could try fast-tracking the process by changing the trays every one and half weeks instead of every two. Apparently if you find the trays are quite loose after a week or so this could be a really good option for you. This would also decrease my final result date by nearly 3 months… I’m not convinced it’s currently the right thing for me to do just yet however. I’ve read for the optimum success rate it’s best to let your teeth move slowly and I notice the trays are quite tight at the end of two weeks. It’s good to know there is a possible option to speed things up slightly though.
I’m also considering the more frequent appointments, every 4 weeks is currently manageable - can I really be bothered to change?
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07.05.08
at 10:41 am by admin
I used to remove my Invisalign for job interviews or important meetings but I’m now so used to it I never think about taking it out for anything other than eating. I often end up telling people about it before they even notice I’m wearing it at work, actually the other day someone said they looked ‘cute’. I kid you not.
I’m surprised with the attachments its not actually more visible but perhaps not everyone stares at peoples teeth like I do because I’ve become slightly obsessed with teeth!
One of the benefits I’ve noticed about Invisalign is that you do actually think about whether you actually need to eat. You have to think twice about whether you can really be bothered to brush your teeth again and for someone who is permanently hungry this is kind of useful. I’ll also admit to having a sweet tooth and if there is something great on offer I’ll eat it whether I’m actually hungry or not (hence I have to run a lot). However, I have found a way of kind of cheating the system and some drinkable snacks such as yogurt, yogurt drinks and squashy fruits such as banana’s and grapes can still be consumed whilst wearing the trays, great for when you are desperate or have to go for a long period of time between meals - and those really nice jelly sweets, like gummy bears or similar. Great for road trips! I’ve kind of omitted to talk to my dentist about this though as they always seem so adamant that ‘no’ food should be eaten while wearing them. I’d like to see them skip a go on the gummy bears in a 5 hour car ride though.
I’m getting to the stage where I was really hoping to see a difference to my teeth by now. I can see and feel there is more gaps between each tooth, and apparently this is all good and correct but no obvious sign of change yet. I can floss easily between each tooth still and in fact I can feel larger gaps between many of the front teeth. Even when I compare photographs I see very little change. I have calculated if I change my trays at their current rate I am going I have about another 11 months of this to go.. This seems like a very long time!
I checked with my dentist the bleaching process, I’m told use a thin strip of the goo and wait for an HOUR. I’ll give it go again in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully that will be just enough time to actually get over the vile taste and experience of the last bleach session.
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06.05.08
at 10:41 am by admin
During tray 6 and 7 I received my first clean since I had started the treatment. I mentioned in my last post how I was beginning to feel concerned about the discoloration and staining that was occurring on my teeth. So I was keen to see what my dentist thought about the overall look of my teeth.
Apparently the fact I run regularly and drink a fairly large quantity of tea is really detrimental to the whiteness of my teeth. I’m not ready to stop running (and definitely won’t quit drinking tea), so I’ve been given some bleach to use at home which I have decided to test during tray 7. I’ve dropped my dentist appointments back to once a month which is far more manageable when you are holding down a full time job, so by tray 7 my teeth will probably be at their worst.
I would quite like to know how my gums and overall teeth health is doing but my dentist often seems in a hurry or distracted. I’m hoping this is because my teeth and gums actually look in good shape not that he is just distracted and in a hurry! I definitely haven’t experienced any sensitivity or pain when I am eating so I’m assuming that is a good sign? I have a nagging paranoia that my new dentist is all about the cosmetics and my last dentist way more intensely concerned with the actual teeth health (to be honest he took his job so seriously it was kind of creepy). What would be good, is to find a dentist that was somewhere in between the two..
The bleach I have been provided with by my dentist is: Opalescence. It comes in a syringe and is really easy to use.
My first bleach session was pretty hideous. I decided (for some very stupid reason) to use up a whole syringe of gloopy bleach on my first go (half in each tray). It ended up squishing out of the top and bottom tray and straight into my throat. Which of course was awesome. I then spent about 20 minutes trying not to gag and spit the excess out while waiting for it to take effect. Bleaching at home is not exactly the most fun I’ve ever had.
After 35 minutes my patience expires, I rinse and try and try to see a difference. I’m not sure the hassle was worth the benefit to be honest. I can’t actually see any difference. I’ll ask my dentist how long I should leave it on for next time. Maybe less bleach in the trays would be a good plan too!
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05.05.08
at 10:03 pm by admin
I can now remove the trays easily and as often as I need to. The bottom set seems to pull off from one side, the top tray is the opposite. I just hook my fingernail under one side and gently pull them off.
I’m really surprised my dentist commented on one of his patients finding this treatment too ‘painful’ and refusing to continue. There is just now way I can see how anyone could be this dramatic. I will admit there is a slight twinge when a new tray goes in for the first time - this lasts approximately half a day, tops.
The next slight discomfort is when you remove the trays to eat - the first few days are a little tender but if you’re hungry you’ll soon get over it. I may find later on in the treatment, the pain is worse but I’m assured there will be little change from what I am experiencing right now to the rest of the treatment and I am currently not concerned or worried at all. At the moment I’m glad I didn’t have any retainers as a teenager (apart from the bill of course!). I’ve since heard horror stories from various friends, sleeping in head harnesses and experiencing painful adjustment sessions at the dentists office. Worse still they are now contemplating more retainers as their teeth have since moved as they got older. I’m advised with Invisalign after the treatment is complete you can order slightly sturdier trays to only wear at night for a few weeks or months afterwards. Doing this is supposed to ensure your teeth don’t move straight back to their old position and retain the new perfect arc which you’ve been working on.
I also had the lower set of attachments added to my teeth in Tray 4 stage. The whole process caused me no other grief apart from a small ulcer as my bottom lip got used to something protruding on my lower set of teeth. After a couple of weeks you no longer notice anything is different and no more ulcers. The only downside is my teeth still appear to be getting stained by tea (and maybe red wine) and the stains do seem to be gathering around the attachments. I’ll ask about bleaching in my next visit.
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04.09.08
at 12:46 pm by admin
I knew this was coming - the attachment day. I greeted my dentist with some anticipation. I had no idea how the fixtures about to be stuck on my teeth would look / feel / change the feel of the trays etc. However, I was equally keen to get moving on this step as I felt my teeth were not likely to move in a plastic tray alone.
I’ve not really talked about my dentist. If I’m honest my previous dentist appeared a lot more thorough (intense best describes his manner) and far more concerned with the health of my teeth and gums than the actual look of them. In fact, I often felt he completed procedures I didn’t even really need but I haven’t studied dentistry I’m probably not the best judge. My new guy perhaps is heading off the opposite way at times and I was really glad he suggested a clean next time I’m in. I was going to ask anyway as I can see they have lost quite a bit of their whiteness (despite the incessant brushing). Discolouration is apparently a side effect of wearing the trays.
The idea of these attachments is to help the teeth move with the tray, they give some resistance for the moulds to pull against. They can pull off and be re-attached throughout the treatment, but in theory they should be there throughout. So it’s good to start getting used to them now. After several weeks of wearing Invisalign I’m impatient to get moving on the process and start to see some results. Although recalling my Invisalign video demo I still feel I have some way to go before they begin looking better not worse.
He starts prepping the top teeth which will have the attachments fitted (while chatting about his lively weekend away - it reminds me of being at a hair salon; I’m expecting a query on my next holiday soon). I’m told the attachments will be really white and bright. I’m not entirely convinced this is a good thing but I’ve already decided to spend the money on straightening my teeth. Now is really not the time to start complaining about a few tiny white squares.
The whole process to complete the fixtures being glued to my top teeth (I have 4 attachments in total) takes around 15mins - this includes some filing which softens the edges to make them easier to remove from the trays. My new tray is then tested, and there is a significant difference in the feel. It’s much tighter and I can feel an ache in my top jaw. He gives me a break while he sorts out another issue. Within minutes I’m used to it and it feels barely different to my old tray. I actually expected more drama. Getting the tray off however did make me panic slightly, it really won’t budge at all. I’m asked ‘have you had lunch already?’. Lucky for me I had, as I’m advised to wait a few hours before attempting to remove it again. I’m assured they normally loosen up throughout the day.
I’m sincerely hoping this is the case because I can literally not get it out in the dentist chair with my fingernails alone. Try a key or something my dentist suggests? A key in my mouth.. I’m pretty dubious about this idea and know for a fact I won’t be trying it unless desperate.
Next is my lower set which he decides can wait - I’m not sure if he’s as pressed for time as he appears but whatever I already have one tray that may be a nightmare to remove later so I’m not exactly too worried in waiting until next time. I’m here every couple of weeks right now anyway! Also I’m promised the clean next time, so all is good. I’m sent away to try and live with my new trays.
I can feel the fixtures behind my top lip, after about a week I had an ulcer forming on one side where it permanently catches the skin. This does eventually subside thankfully. Getting the trays out with the fixtures on is reqally tricky the first couple of times but I do eventually manage it as I’m not great at starving myself! I can manage it with just my fingernails and one side is far easier to start with than the other, you can sort of ease the tray off one side at a time then pull it right out. One point about my nails - I do have long nails, not ridiculous impossible to work with long nails but I like to keep them looking good and to date I’ve never broken any on the trays so it’s all good!
The attachments feel strange in my mouth when the trays are removed to eat. But because they have been rounded off I don’t feel it’s impossible to live with and they seem to be staying in place which I assume is a good thing.
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03.22.08
at 4:47 pm by admin
Tray 2 were fitted without any drama, they’re tighter (as you would expect), I can see a slight difference in the positioning of my teeth and look a lot cleaner than my first set. This makes me wonder if brushing them with Bicarbonate of Soda actually does get them properly clean like my dental assistant suggested? Or perhaps they’ve just been stained with my endless cups of tea…
After a few days the second tray are doing fine, I again notice some tenderness in my front bite and even a little to one side but I’m assuming after a few more days this will also pass. Next appointment in two weeks time will be 45 minutes long and include some tooth coloured fixtures being stuck to my teeth to help them move. I’m assuming that this may be when I really start to notice some serious discomfort, as up to now it’s really been a breeze. I do still lisp a bit but it is getting better so I’m trying to ignore it, I think it’s actually me that notices it more than other people anyway.. I’m still just happy to think that in a years time my teeth should be in drastically better shape than they are right now!
My biggest concern up to this point is only my payment plan (which is kind of a large one considering the total cost of this treatment!).
As mentioned previously, I have really good dental cover and they have agreed to contribute 50% of the total Invisalign fee, which is absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately with the information my dentist’s front desk person gave me (I was advised my dental plan would reimburse me because they did not take money from plans towards Invisalign treatment and this is not the case at all) , I ended up overpaying the first third of my total fee (as my dental plan then also paid them half). So my dentist is really earning interest on money that should have stayed in my bank account, but whatever, I’m now aware of how much I have remaining to pay and they also have record of this so it’ll all work out in the end. Note to self; Never trust front desk people to speak to ‘your’ Dental Plan people!!
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03.18.08
at 10:28 pm by admin
I expected some pain, a dull ache – maybe the need for a pain relief tablet or two. What I discovered was, although initially the trays are extremely hard to insert and remove, there is very little pain at all. I had to check out a mirror to see whether they could be seen. You can’t even tell I’m wearing them! Well, you can’t tell until I try and speak and sound like I have some plastic stuck in my mouth, I’ll need to work on this.
I’m warned I MUST wear them constantly or delay the success to my teeth adjustment. I can go back a step if my teeth fail to move into the next tray. However this only delays your end result and quite frankly 1 year and 3 months of constant brushing (plus no snacking) sounds perfectly long enough to me!
I didn’t sleep too well for about two days, but I am not entirely sure whether it was my impending job interview (which I took the trays out for – just in case my vague lisping made me even MORE anxious) or the trays. Before long I slept well, barely noticed the trays and really only felt my teeth ache vaguely when I removed them for eating (which was now drastically less frequent due to my general disinterest at brushing constantly). Snacking is now a thing of the past or unless I am violently hungry and cannot wait another minute. Perhaps somebody should market these to dieters?
I am finding I use my bite less, my front teeth which are the most crooked and twisted feel tender somehow. I’m not sure I’d want to bite down hard on anything in the near future but maybe it’s something I will get used to. Going away for weekends and vacations can be a small pain. I find you can cheat and chew gum between meals where brushing is simply not an option and rinse the trays thoroughly with water, and clean properly in the evening works fine. On the plus side if you grind your teeth at night these trays actually help you. No more worn down molars.
After ten days I don’t think I’m lisping as much and I’m curious to see what my next tray will be like, also I’m advised I’ll need some colourless fixtures ‘stuck’ to my actual teeth to help twist the stubborn, deformed teeth round on later trays. Maybe I have been given an ‘easy’ tray to get started with… So far I’m very impressed, the trays themselves are really amazing pieces of plastic! I can’t currently tell if I have lost weight from my running training or the Invisalign trays. Maybe it’s a combination of the two??
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