Had a cleaning & regular dental check combined with this last Invisalign checkup -
since my lower fronts have opened up & been moved apart to line up correctly, I noticed some dark areas between them - were these shadows within the deep recesses or stains from a lifetime of not being able to clean in these areas? As suspected: stains. Simple & easily removed stains that is - a little baking soda blast & they were gone.
Whitening - we talked about the possibility of using this tray set with the bleaching kit. A definite drawback would be that there would be unbleached areas left behind where the attachments are once they are removed - not a good look, even though they are not really in visible spots when I smile. These areas would not "catch up" in future whitening sessions, either. Also - some areas that will be moved with my last set may show up differently. OK - convinced - I'll just have to be patient. It 's what this entire process is all about - being patient, afterall.
Refinement - there was some discussion of wanting to rotate that upper right canine somewhat in some further tweaking. I've decided the "darker than the rest" colouring of this particular tooth makes it even more obvious & thus more offensive (at least to me). Canines do have the longest roots & that makes them the most difficult to move in orthodontics. It sure would be great to go directly into retainers, but there's still work to be done.
Here's some info on Essix brand retainers. Apparently these are about half the price of Invisalign's & more readily available to us here. According to this excerpt, the 2nd type are similar to Invisalign's anyway & will last up to 2 years as well. Half price sounds good to me. The last tray set in our treatment could be used as a backup in a pinch, but it might be wise to order 2 sets if at reasonable cost.
http://www.oralhealthjournal.com/issues/ISarticle.asp?id=151609&story_id=17786130809&issue=06012004&SearchFor=&SearchType=all&RType=&PC=&btac=no
Length of duration for the different types of plastic used:
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"Essentially there are two types of Essix plastic used to fabricate appliances. Essix A+® is crystal clear and stiff. In use it lasts approximately six months. It is used for:
• Cuspid to cuspid retainers.
• Temporary bridges.
• Interim replacement over "fresh" implants.
• Wherever bonding is indicated.
• Secondary choice for use with Hilliard Thermopliers.
Essix C+® has a slightly cloudy appearance but in place has contact clarity. It is the most widely used Essix plastic. Its life is about two years when in use. It is used for:
• Cuspid to cuspid and full arch retainers"
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Found this info on that same web page regarding reasons NOT to drink acidic liquids while wearing your trays:
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"IMPORTANT PRECAUTIONS WHEN USING PLASTIC APPLIANCES"
"Any plastic appliance that covers some or all of the teeth is, in effect, a tray. When fluoride is placed in the appliance, the enamel becomes more resistant to decay. When bleach is placed in it, the teeth become whiter. However, when acidic foods or beverages are retained in the appliance, it becomes an acid-containing trench causing the enamel to become susceptible to demineralization. This is one of the reasons that clear plastic retainers are to be worn only at night, after brushing and flossing--to minimize the possible effects of acid-containing foods and beverages that could be retained in the appliance.
When any clear plastic appliance is used, the patient should be informed of the dental side effects of acid-containing foods and beverages when they wear these devices for long periods of time, and to flush the mouth with water immediately after drinking acid-containing beverages (soft drinks, fruit juice, cola beverages, etc.). Commercially available daily fluoride remineralization rinses are also recommended. These precautions may prevent teeth from being marred by unsightly decalcification."
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In another article you'll learn why retention schedules with these type of aligner trays is usually recommended to be only for 12 hours nightly instead of 24/7: it has to do with the actual thickness of the trays themselves possibly causing an open bite. The experts explain it all a whole lot better than me:
http://www.jco-online.com/
"Due to occlusal coverage, slight (1/4 to 1/2 mm) posterior tooth intrusion may occur. This is generally dealt with in the retentive period, which allows for settling when teeth are free to erupt into occlusal contact."
Now - the thought of wearing any one retainer for a two year stint doesn't sound so appealing really though, does it? Only time will tell how they actually do hold up.
So, here I am 30 hours after switching to set # 22:
Can still feel my anteriors moving inwards & my premolars moving outwards - which is a very good feeling. I can't see any of the front movement on my Clincheck at all for this point, so I'm relieved it's happening.
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