*NEW* Advice

If that got your attention, you may find this article posted on the Align Tech site interesting:
Dr. Doug Brandt discusses "Guidelines for Retention in the 21st Century". You can download the .PDF or just listen to it from the links posted here:

http://www.aligntechinstitute.com/Training/Pages/DisplayArchivedATE.aspx?courseid=106

His most important/enlightening points:

~ Relapse in orthodontics is universal

~ Your most stable tooth position is pretreatment

~ Genetics affect tooth position; lower lip & tongue both exert enough pressure to move teeth

~ excellent oral hygiene maintains supporting tissues so is most important during retention

~ Vivera can provide a re-alignment of up to .25 mm with full time wear in future relapse, so it's a "safety net"

~ the way Vivera is manufactured with a new set every 3 months, it's stronger than other clear appliances

With a scientific study of materials, a wear time schedule for Vivera Rx is:

1) 1st Retainer: day & night for 3 months
(going directly to overnight just won't work - & that makes TOTAL sense)

2) 2nd Retainer: day & night again for 3 months!

3) 3rd Retainer: nights only for 9 months

4) 4th Retainer: no less than 3 nights/week for 1 yr. 9 months

FINALLY - a definitive plan for retention...Gah! A bit too late in my own case, but my question posted over a year ago here is answered at last:

"With even the minimal shifting that will occur after wearing the Invisalign (or Essix) Retainers for a few months, once a new set is inserted your teeth are forced to "self correct" each time & go back to the way they were with your very last aligner in your treatment. How will this allow your roots to heal sufficiently & permanently if they are constantly getting shifted about - even if it is minimal shifting???"

Take heed all of you who are still in your treatment phase:

It is absolutely vital that your clinician's retention plan is fully discussed at the beginning of your treatment - no surprises in the end that way & you're going into Invisalign with both eyes wide open!

Which will ultimately keep you SMILING wide open for evermore...
it is YOUR responsibility.

Retainment - 2.5 Years In...

Thought I'd check in with an update on life as a "Retainee".





Vivera has been my nightly companion for over 1.5 years now after almost a year with the regular Invisalign retainers. I decided I'd stretch out the life of each retainer set just a tad - meaning extending their life by - oh - say a couple of months. I'd figured my teeth should be well healed into their present positions by now as long as I faithfully wear my retainers overnight...

Not exactly as I'd hoped: after wearing this last set for 5 months, I thought it best to change into a new set - which was shipped to me 2 months ago. They're VERY tight upon insertion & I can certainly feel tenderness in my top 2 incisors + my previously stubborn canine. The lowers are only a bit sore if I bite down on them with the retainers in.

Lesson learned. My teeth will shift/revert somewhat, even if unnoticeable in appearance even to myself without changing out the Vivera retainers faithfully as directed which is why the experts advise lifelong retainment - it's not just upselling.

 BTW cost $50 more for this 2nd annual Rx for a total of $350 CDN -  just saying the cost is actually $275 US for dual arches.