Invisalign

Four Years After Invisalign

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Four years after Invisalign, and six years after I started Invisalign, I’ve lost track of how many people I’ve discussed my experience with. A recent rehash prompted me to think that I should revisit the topic here, too, since I wrote extensively about it (indeed, there’s a whole section of the site as noted by the above link) dedicated to it.

How My Smile is Doing

Four years after Invisalign, my teeth are in good shape! I haven’t had any post-treatment problems. Even though it has been four years after Invisalign, I’m still happy with now much easier it is to just, you know, bite into food. It’s easier to care for my teeth than my pre-treatment teeth were (e.g., flossing is easier). It’s easier to do other cosmetic things like use Whitestrips (which, if you must use them, are most cost-effectively purchased at Costco).

And I’m still very happy with my smile!

Four years out, I stand by my earlier assessment of it being worth the money.

Retainers

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Invisalign Update: I’m DONE!

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Invisalign Update - More Refinement - Refinement Round Three - Third Invisalign Refinement

Over two years ago, I started down this journey to correct the alignment of what I scathingly lovingly called my creatively arranged teeth. You can check out the annals of this whole thing by visiting My Invisalign Journey page, which chronicles all my Invisalign posts.

The End

In early June, I completed my 85th and final tray! It was so exciting to go in and get my attachments off. That process, by the way, is completely painless. More weird than anything because its basically a dremel tool in your face. No anesthesia needed, no pain. At one point a single tooth felt VERY cold but that was it. It’s awesome to feel totally smooth surfaces again! I can now use stuff like Whitestrips without having to fight with them and turn them into origami to fit my teeth.

I don’t have before pictures of my teeth that I’m willing to share (because dear god do the clinical before photos look like nightmare fuel) BUT this post shares the changes of my initial course. To the not-paying-entirely-too-close-attention eye, my teeth don’t look too different from the end of that initial course. So if you want an idea of before, check out this post where I share my ClinCheck. As for after? So I don’t take a ton of pictures of my teeth (…because that is weird) or selfies in general (…because I don’t millennial, “properly.”) but hey, look:

For now, I’m wearing my 85th tray at night as a wannabe retainer while I wait for my retainer fabrication. I pick up my real retainers next week and can share more about them once I know more about them.

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Invisalign Update: Third Invisalign Refinement Update

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Invisalign Update - More Refinement - Refinement Round Three - Third Invisalign RefinementThird Invisalign Refinement Update

Last week, I had an appointment to pick up the trays for my third Invisalign refinement course. The third course is focused on moving the stubborn incisors I discussed in this post. Since my last update in which I shared that my mamelons had been smoothed a bit, my tongue can still perceive a difference with my upper front teeth, but not the rest. As time has passed, the ‘sharpness’ of the free edge (it was never actually sharp) has worn down a bit, and they’re gradually feeling closer to, “normal.” Nothing uncomfortable – just different.

Attachment Changes

This course required adjustments to my attachments. The pair on the suspect incisors needed to change to make my new trays effective. So, for the first time since they were initially installed, I had attachments removed…

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New Page: My Journey with Invisalign

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Aiming to correct my teeth - Invisalign - Cavity Update

This morning, a new page went live on the site that chronicles my Invisalign journey. This page does not present new content so much as summarizes and links-to the myriad posts on my experiences with Invisalign. To access the page, you can click the link in this paragraph, or you can click the link at the top of this page

When I publish a new post, I’ll add it to that page, too – so if you haven’t visited in a while and want to see where that whole thing is, you can just visit there.

Even though I’m still not done with treatment, I never dreamed my teeth could ever look as good as they already do. Frankly, I’m amazed I’m not a blubbering, emotional mess when I talk about it.

The investment of money and time into my journey with Invisalign was worth it.

Invisaign Update: Refinement Round Three

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Invisalign Update - More Refinement - Refinement Round Three

In September, I shared that I was ending my first round of refinement of my Invisalign Treatment. When I went back, I was given fourteen more trays to tweak and tune. Halfway through, right around Thanksgiving, I stopped in for a mid-refinement check, some more IPR, and was sent on my way.

Ending Refinement Round Two

Last week, I finished up the fourteenth tray – for a total of 67 trays so far – and returned to the doctor.

I already knew that they were going to rescan me. My maxillary lateral incisors (the teeth between my upper front teeth and canines) could stand to turn just a little bit more.

It is nitpicky, especially coming from my baseline. My smile looks good! But why not get it right since it doesn’t introduce risk or cost me more?

Mamelons

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Invisalign Update: More Refinement

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Invisalign Update - More Refinement

I’m a little over thirteen months into my Invisalign treatment. Last week, I wrapped up my seventeenth refinement tray! That’s it, 53 trays and I’m done!

So I thought.

At the conclusion of my round of treatment, I returned to the orthodontist to, I hoped, remove my attachments. When I arrived, my doctor informed me he’d do an exam and re-scan me with the iTero to check my progress. I sure picked a great team – he told me that they’re committed to achieving results we mutually love, so that might mean more further refinement if I’m open to it.

Uh, yeah, I’m open to it.

Granted, in my case it was a flat fee for as much treatment as I need to achieve whatever I want. I highly recommend working with a provider who offers a flat rate structure, particularly if you have a complicated case like mine.

The Exam

We went through my exam, I provided some feedback on a few teeth that I felt could be just a touch better. Then, he noticed a few things that I didn’t. A technician took a new scan and photos (which are hilariously awkward to capture), and we confirmed our observations from the exam.

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