Interesting Stuff

Was reading through Dr. Boyd's study (dated Nov/03) again & a few more things caught my attention:
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~ A case refinement is requested if all goals have NOT been achieved but aligners fit well at the end of the treatment plan. (Invisalign now includes up to 3 refinements in their plan cost).

~ all whitening toothpastes generally have similar effectiveness & act by removing stain, but not by bleaching. Stain removing floss may also be effective.

~ for bleaching sensitivity use Colgate Sensitivity 3-4 times daily. It contains potassium nitrate & stannous fluouide. Rembrandt has a bleaching system that also desensitizes ( there may be a lot more of these type products on the market now)

~ for cleaning trays, after brushing them - soak 5 min. in water with Align's dissolving tablets OR 3-4 drops Chlorox bleach - BOTH are "sodium hypochlorite" (good to know).

~ there have been different aligner materials since Invisalign's inception: the "Exceed-30" replaced the "PC-30" & it remains clear; rarely breaks & is more flexible, so it's easier to use with attachments (read of one user at the Yahoo forum who seems to hold the title for most trays in treatment plan - 82 on top or something incredible like that - & he commented on how his newer trays were thinner & more pliable. Glad to be of the latest type here myself!).

~ the smaller increments of movements: Max 0.25 mm each compared to conventional braces make them more comfortable - less painful (all good).

~ those rectangular shaped attachments were at that time only recommended for closing extraction spaces on adjacent teeth that required bodily movement to prevent tipping. The patient should have been told to monitor the fit of those attachments in their aligners. If they got off track they'd have to go back 1-3 stages, obviously lengthening their treatment time (wonder if that's still the case - must ask some of those at the forums who have them).

~ "overcorrections" are necessary for rotations, deep open bites, torque & extraction spaces
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Hmmm - wonder if that still applies? Lots more has been learned since thall that was published, I'm sure.

Am due for my second 6 wk. checkup in 4 days -

will ask more questions...

need more answers....

Tooth Names/Positions & Anatomy

I've been saving some images that I often use myself for reference. Thought I'd include them here - makes identifying which teeth I'm talking about clearer:

First is a comprehensive layout of our teeth:


















Alternate common names for each tooth:
(Cuspids AKA Canines~Biscuspids AKA Premolars~
3rd Molars AKA Wisdom Teeth)

















Basic Tooth Anatomy

















Here you can see the Periodontal Membrane where all the action takes place while our teeth are being moved by aligners (or braces). Basically, the pressure from the aligners stretches the membrane on one side, compressing it on the other & loosening that tooth. As a result, bone grows in to support the tooth in it's new position.


So - just what exactly is all this hoopla about "malocclusion" anyway?
"All you ever wanted to know about Malocclusion - likely a whole lot more!"

& An interesting link from Align Technology ~
who they are working with to improve the product's performance:

Ongoing clinical studies

#9, #9, #9...(& other blog links)

Popped in my ninth set last night before bed - they've been in almost 12 hours. Haven't yet removed them for breakfast since I'm lazing about this holiday Monday morn after a great surprise party last night (dear friend turned 50 - yes, it's happening all around me - yikes!).

As I do more & more, was noticing EVERYONE else's (so it seems anyways) beautiful smiles - all straight - all white - all smiling wide open. Does give one incentive to do all one can to stick to the "rules" of Invisalign's treatment plan - & to keep in mind the prize. I wanna be one of those people (who can unselfconsciously SMILE without even thinking about it - ever).

I'll soon be aware of which teeth exactly this set will be working on when I take them out - then I can usually tell.

Wanted to add a list of useful web logs pertaining to clear aligners.
Some just beginning treatment; some ahead of me in their plan.
First are the Invisalign users:

"an invisalign experience"

"invisalign (braces)"

"Invisalign and me"

& also a few Orthoclear users - good for comparison.
It is essentially the same process:

"Tooth Be Told"

"Orthoclear Diary"

"just trying to get some damn straight teeth using orthoclear"

Anyone else out there - let me know if I can add your link to the list. I really appreciate hearing of other's experiences.

OK - gotta eat. I'm starving!

The Naked Truth - Current Pics

OK - here we go.
Took these this morning halfway through Set 8 (Week 16) .


This first pic shows my teeth while biting down on my back molars.




Compare that to my "Before" Clincheck shot below:
(looks so much "toothier" without lips to frame, huh?)

Here I am holding my front teeth together.

You can see the obvious spaces that have opened up between my lower fronts here.




To compare, here are my trays in place:
Notice how the spaces are minimized with the trays in - bonus!

Side views with my molars clenched -
My overjet is already straightening out a bit...

Just a couple of pics of the inner views:

Narrow arches, huh?

That's the whole tooth for now, folks....stay tuned.

Getting a little closer to smiling wide open....yay!

Set #8 Settling In...

I will say this set didn't feel like it was putting quite as much pressure on as the last. I can certainly still feel the difference on certain teeth this time, it just wasn't as immediately apparent as when I first put in the last set. It's only been a little less than 48 hours since I changed into them & they're not bad at all.

I do feel a certain lower left incisor, as well as my top central incisors as well again - seems the concentration of movement shifts from one side to the other in all but my centrals with each new set. I marvel at how smoothly the edges fit inside my top anteriors - like a glove describes it very well. Moving my tongue all round, I can feel some edges on my inside back lower molars - but they are not rough or irritating at all, it's just that I can feel them. I can honestly say I only once had some minor irritation where the edge rubbed the roof of my mouth just behind my top central incisors & that was at set #2, I think - lasted only a couple of days so no complaints about that otherwise.

Noticed last week that when I flossed, there was some bleeding & sensitivity around my lower right lateral incisor - it's the one that protrudes forward the most on that side. It continues to be a bit touchy, so I must take care when flossing either side of it. There are definite triangular shaped spaces opening up where my lower fronts meet at the gumline. That part does not show at all when speaking or smiling, so no one else notices. I'm just inspecting them closely on a daily basis, so I can see the changes happening.

As I watch the used aligner sets piling up, it's really encouraging to know that this treatment is in fact moving along faster than I first anticipated - those first few weeks just seemed to streeeeettttttcccccchhhh on for so long!

Take heart newbies - before you know it, you'll be forgetting all about your aligners for - oh - hours at a time...

We'll get there.

Oh yes - we will.
Anne

Movin' Right Along...

Had my 2nd "6 wk. checkup" yesterday & all is looking good. It was delayed a bit due to my being out of town. Got to see what specific movements have actually happened - right from the start so far on my ClinCheck, which was pretty cool. Also got a preview of what will be happening in the next month & THAT is exciting! There will be much more noticeable concentration on my top anteriors - Yay! Those changes are what will be most apparent to me & likely to others, as well. The lower anteriors are moving well, too - they just have much more tweaking to do than the tops, so their progress will take longer to see the differences in.

Upon viewing the bottom teeth separately in the simulation, it's a pretty amazing thing to see what exactly the changes will be where my front teeth are so crowded. The one I call my "Snaggletooth" will come right into line with all the rest & the result should be pretty dramatic, especially from my own point of view.

Let's see - I'm about at 1/3 of the way through my treatment plan. Two months before my original treatment is finished up (tray set 19) I'm scheduled for some IPR - Interproximal Reduction or the "slenderizing" process that literally grinds down the areas between my lower anteriors to make room for them to come together properly. That should be about the second week of October. Can't say I'm looking forward to that, but it's a necessary part of the whole process. There was definitely NOT enough room between them as is, or they wouldn't have become so misaligned to begin with.

OH - almost forgot to say: I am speaking completely "normally" these days - I mean even I don't notice ANY lisping at all anymore. It was only very mild right in the beginning, but it was noticeable to ME even if not to others. I'm not even sure when it went away totally, only that I can say it's definitely gone now. It's almost like the movement in my front top teeth has corrected it or I've simply gotten completely used to the trays. Whichever...it's gone.

Also - about the "whitish film" some others are experiencing: notice how before inserting a new set of trays for the first time, they appear to be somewhat "frosted"? At first I just assumed that this was due to the factory's process to sterilize each tray before packaging. When rinsing them with clear water before inserting them, notice how they immediately become crystal clear? It's similar to what happens to frosted glass - when dry it's whitish translucent appearance gives it that "frosted" look. But when it gets wet, it becomes clear - dry it off again & recovers it's milky look. Noticed when I leave my trays in their Invisalign container while eating, they do dry out & take on a bit of that milky appearance - rinse them with water & they revert back to being clear. Now, I'm wondering if this is what others are referring to when they talk about the whitish film OR is it actually a coating that can be removed with diligent cleaning? Still have not experienced any of that...

Must say, I'm so very conscious of others' smiles - especially since I began this program. When I see someone with dazzling, straight teeth, I'm always wondering if they are naturally like that or did some fancy dental/ortho work help along the way.

I'll be over the top just to have my own beautiful smile - finally - with all my own teeth. Considering my mother had full dentures by the time she was in her thirties...oooh - I shudder at the thought...

Refinement - lifetime retainment - whatever it takes...
getting a good result & maintaining it means a great deal to me.