It has been 5 months since my last video on my Invisalign journey, I owe you an update.
Hey, it’s Jon from Electric Teeth here.
As many of you know, I have been undergoing teeth straightening using Invisalign clear
braces.
The journey started in early 2021 and in my last video, I said my orthodontic treatment
would be complete in January 2022 and there would be one more update video.
Well, the good news is that the braces are off and my permanent retainers are in, but
some final adjustments to my smile are still to take place.
So, there will be another video to come, and that really should be the last one!
I am really happy with the results so far.
My teeth were not terrible to begin with, but it is amazing how different they look
with just a little over a year's worth of treatment.
Although I was due to get my permanent retainers fitted in January, when having a checkup my
orthodontist noticed how one tooth in my upper arch hadn't quite come into position as it
should.
And I had to agree.
The gap was minimal, but bigger than it should have been.
I had the option to stop, but for what was only another 3 weeks or 3 aligners, I chose
to continue to get the best results.
Because my lower arch were all in position, I actually had the retainer fitted to those
teeth before my top ones.
After a further 3 aligners, I went for another checkup in early February where it was confirmed
all was ok and that I could then proceed to having the retainer fitted in my upper arch.
Because that required a different, longer appointment, it wasn’t fitted until late
February.
At this time, I also had a 3D scan taken for my Vivera removable retainer.
Come early March 2002, technically my Invisalign treatment is now complete.
My teeth are straight, the permanent retainers are in and I have my removable one to wear
at night.
For those not familiar with a permanent retainer, it is essentially a bit of wire that is bonded
to the back of the front teeth to help keep them aligned.
You and others can’t really see the wire unless you are up very close and personal
or you have your mouth open wide or at very specific angles.
I have gotten used to the permanent retainers really quickly.
The lower retainer is more noticeable than the upper.
This is because of where I find my tongue rests.
It isn’t rough or uncomfortable.
The best way I can describe how it felt originally is like having a thin strip of chewing gum
pressed up against the back of the teeth.
It sounds weird I know, but there is a very slight bulge.
A few weeks on and I don’t give it a second thought.
It doesn’t affect my eating or drinking at all.
The removable retainer is a thicker version of the aligners I was wearing.
I have gotten used to it, but it is noticeably thicker and feels more durable.
I wear it just at night, putting it in before bed and taking it out first thing in the morning.
Like the braces it is custom made to you and is made to fit over the permanent retainers.
Retention is the biggest part of the treatment.
Without it the teeth can move back.
There is debate over permanent retainers, you can arguably have just a removable retainer,
but you have to wear it every night.
It is important to keep it clean so I give it a good rinse and brush every morning.
Mine came with a protective case I keep them in during the day.
I actually received 3 removable retainers.
These should last me a good few years, but you should expect to have to buy replacements
over the years because they can wear and break.
How long they last depends on your individual circumstances.
I was told Invisalign recommend replacing every 8 months but actually each retainer
should last a lot longer.
I have a tendency to grind my teeth a bit, so mine may not last as long as someone who
doesn’t.
I have no problem wearing the retainer at night, but I will admit I did forget to wear
it one night.
Despite spending months wearing aligners virtually 24 hours a day, it is easy to get out of the
habit.
I sometimes forget to put it in after brushing at night.
I then get into bed and then realise.
The night I missed, I just ended up wearing it though the day to compensate.
The whole process has taken a little over a year.
To be fair given this was during a pandemic, I don’t think it was all that bad and I
absolutely feel it was worthwhile.
I am not going to lie, since having the aligners out, it is quite nice to eat and drink more
freely than I could when going through the treatment.
I have noticed, I have started biting my nails again.
Can’t change a habit of a lifetime right?
But, I am far more aware of this and I think I can stop it, I know I have to.
To complete the process though, I am undergoing tooth whitening and then having a small amount
of bonding done on just one tooth to get the result I want.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen overnight.
It takes 2-3 weeks to complete the at home whitening and then you need to allow a couple
of weeks for the tooth colour to settle before the bonding can be done.
Add in conflicting calendar schedules and it is realistically a couple of months before
everything is finally complete.
If you have been following my journey, you can probably see the difference in my teeth
without any close up images, but I will wait until the final video in this series before
revealing the close up before and after images with you.
I do want to give a shout out to my orthodontists Damon and Ramtin Taheri at Dental On The Banks.
They have been fantastic throughout.
So that is where I am at.
Expect a final update in a couple of months.
Apologies the final reveal is later than planned, but good things come to those who wait right?!
If you have any comments or questions about Invisalign and my experience, let me know
in the comments below and I will do my best to answer.