Metal Mouth Message Board

I think your first two questions go together. You will have saliva bubbles under your aligners and there's really nothing you can do about it, but it is more prominent if there is a sizeable gap between the aligner and your teeth. Some of the gap is related to the fact that your teeth have to move t...

Yes, the gap is normal. Your orthodontist should have given you "chewies" so that you can make sure that the aligner fits as snugly as possible, but there is still supposed to be a tiny gap between the aligner and the edge of the incisors. Also, when you first put an aligner in it might no...

I don't know how long it took my office to receive them -- their standard procedure is just to have a patient make an appointment for four weeks after the scan since they usually have them by then, so that's what I did. Four weeks does seem like a loooong wait when you're eager to get started, but i...

Agreed with the "worse before better" statement. My Carriere distalizers did what they needed to do, but there were definitely some negative side effects including all the stuff that you mentioned. I felt the same as you did, wondering if my ortho really knew what he was doing. It's frustr...

It certainly sounds suspicious. :huh: I've heard of rare situations where an orthodontist will have a patient wear a tray with the attachment "bubbles" but without attachments for a week or two, but typically they only do that at the beginning of treatment to allow the patient to get used ...

Jumping in here to comment on the scan thing... the digital scanners are actually more accurate than the trays with the stuff. Sounds counter-intuitive, I know, but the physical impressions lose some clarity along the way. The mold doesn't quite capture all of the nooks and crannies of your teeth, s...

Mostly replying because I am going through the 3rd option you describe, so if you want to read what I have gone through, feel free to check out my blog linked below. As for whether to go for traditional braces or Invisalign, I think it's really up to what you prefer. The technology has advanced quit...

I started my journey with Carriere distalizers, too. I think some wiggliness in the teeth is normal (your teeth ARE being moved, after all), but based on my experience, keep an eye on it. I ended up with my upper canines (which the front pads of the distalizers were attached to) becoming over-extrud...

From an Invisalign person... I don't regret my decision at all, BUT... I just got more attachments put on across my top incisors (to go with the ones that were already on nearly all my teeth from the canines back). While they're not totally obvious, they sure as heck aren't invisible and it kind of ...

Doctor A all the way. The iTero scans produce MUCH better fitting aligners than those created from the physical molds (I speak from experience). And the fact that he has so much experience, not only in Invisalign but in orthodontics... you want a specialist, not someone who dabbles in Invisalign on ...

I have gaps between my lateral incisors and canines that resulted from my first phase of treatment (I had Carriere distalizers to correct a class II bite) that have gradually been closing throughout treatment. One of them appears gone when I wear my aligners, but when I take them out it's obvious th...

I know Invisalign always seems to be expanding what its technology can achieve, so I think it's worth talking to an ortho to see if that's a viable way to correct the open bite. If you want to go that route, though, I'd definitely seek out an ortho who has extensive experience with Invisalign, since...

Are you referring to lingual arches or transpalatal wires? THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR., lingual arches are wires that ru...

My teeth definitely shift after I've had my trays out, though I really only notice it for the first few days after I switch trays. Over the two weeks it seems like my teeth get more used to their new position and shift less, though I will still occasionally feel tightness when I pop my trays back in...

Seems unusual to me... I don't recall my ortho or his assistants telling me how often to change the elastics, but the gist was that they should be changed a few times a day since they lose elasticity, and thus effectiveness, over time. And they never had a problem with me coming in to get an extra p...