Inman aligners

[bluey]

Hi Mater33,

Thanks for your reply. Sounds like we have really similar issues with our teeth. I too was only concerned with the four teeth, as the front ones protrude a bit. I suspect that I may have to get braces on my bottom teeth also because my bite is off (I think). At the consultation my dentist seemed so vague about the whole thing, it didn't exactly inspire confidence in the inman aligner so I am am now thinking about fixed braces.

I am currently in Ireland, but am moving to the UK soonish, so perhaps I'll get a second opinion over there with a dentist who has lots of experience using the inman aligner.

I can't wait to follow your progress on here!

[Sassy]

Hi all,
I'm 13 weeks now. Was a dentists a couple days ago and she is really happy with my teeth. However I still feel that although they are great, a fraction more filing and they would be perfect (I dont know if im just being extremely picky about this). Anyway she took moulds for whitening trays and moulds for my retainer which I have to wear for 3 months all the time and then just night times. So im not 100% but I think that I will get that in a week and a half at my next appointment if the Inman aligner place are happy that my teeth are done when they see pictures. I am also getting the bonded wire behind my teeth. I'm actually getting so excited now that the end is so close.

Hope everyone else getting on ok with their IA xxx

[crizzles]

Hi guys!

I'm a newbie here, and found all this great info after I recently went to the ortho for the first time (I'm 26), to see what could be done about my 4 front lower teeth which are crowded. I was initially inquiring about invisalign, and thought I had a relatively simple case, so was a bit taken back when he gave me my 3 options.

Option1 was Full upper and lower braces for 2 years! - I almost died, as it is only by bottom teeth I am concerned about and they are barely even visible when I talk, but do cause a bit of discomfort and pressure and would like to get straightened. But his explanation was that once the bottom front teeth move forward into alignment he would then need to move my uppers forward to compensate.
Option 2 was invisalign also for 2 years (wow, once again I was a bit surprised as I was hoping it would only be 6-12mths, as I had seen similar looking cases online which seemed to match my problem.
Option 3 was 6-month braces, both upper and lower with IPR and estimated to take 9 months, which is what the ortho recommended and I agreed it sounded like the best of the options and was the cheapest at $6200 AUD! which once again was alot more than what I was hoping.

So I had been on this forum contemplating dealing with braces for 9 months etc, but still didn't like the idea of having braces on my uppers when I had no problem with them and also the cost was more than I cold currently afford.

THEN, I came across the Inman aligner and this thread, whilst looking at other local orthodontist websites to get a 2nd opinion on braces. And it appears the IA would be the perfect solution to fix my main issue, which is aligning the 4 front bottom teeth. So I've been really excited that there may be a suitable option other than braces. So I've just made some enquiries about getting a consultation at the few places that offer it in my area and am anxious to see if my case would be suitable, how long it would take and what the cost is. Will update you when I find out, in the meantime I was wondering if anyone else is in MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA who has or has had the IA and can recommend an ortho??

Many thx guys for the great informative thread!!

[crizzles]

I just booked my appointment for next Tuesday to see if I'm suited for the IA, and when asked how much the consultation would be they said they would do it for free, yay!

Also heard back from one place who quoted $1400AUD for the IA which seems pretty good, will have to check if that includes retainers etc.

[NickelNikki]

My top teeth are done! Just waiting on the bottom set to move 'a tenth of a millimeter' and then I can get fitted with my Essix retainers. I'll be having my teeth whitened and leveled up too, included in the initial treatment price. My dentist is absolutley fantastic.

[lfkat1]

hello everyone,
im on week 13.4 (should have been 12 weeks) my dentist tells me my top front teeth still need a millimetre to move.
i will wear the IA for another 2 weeks.
if no movement she said i will need a type of invisalign aligner to move the final teeth...im sure this will cost extra.
has anyone else had this done?

[Elizateeth]

After 16 weeks of the Inman (longer than most because I only wore it 16hrs per day), last weekend I got the first of my clear invisalign type aligners. These were included in my fee. The clear aligner is like a dream compared to the Inman! No lisp whatsoever and people cannot even tell I am wearing it! I didn't ever wear the inman at work but I can wear the clear aligner no problem. The only hassle is getting the thing out, it is so difficult, takes a good 20 seconds or so! At first it also felt very tight and painful like the IA did, but that soon disappeared. I have 3 aligners to wear for 2 weeks each to make some final movements and then I'm done!

[jvr2]

That's great Elizateeth. I can't wait to get to that point. My next (and hopefully final) appointment is in about 3 weeks. I only need some slight final movement I think for it to be done and I hope its all accomplished in the 3 weeks so I don't have to use my clear retainer to make movements. I'm very used to the Aligner at this point and can wear it all day no problem, even taking it out and back in immediately isn't that big a deal anymore though I try to avoid it.

When my dentist mentioned that in my next appointment we might be able to make the impressions for the retainer I said, to wear at night? and she said no, to wear all the time. lol I'm going to need more clarification on how long all the time will last before I can just do it at night.

Question: For the clear aligner, you don't have any blobs on the back of the teeth anymore right? They just pop in and stay on their own. I have really tiny blobs on the back of two teeth for the Aligner (thought I don't really think they are necessary, never had much trouble keeping it it in) and was just wondering if my dentist would take them off if I'm done in my next appointment.

[Elizateeth]

My dentist left the blobs on when she took the impressions but took them off a week later when I actually collected the clear aligner (I had a blob on my front tooth which I thought completely unnecessary, + 2 on the back of my next teeth)

Hopefully you won't need to wear it all day for long, but as I say it is practically invisible so much nicer than the IA.

I need two of my teeth 'building up' where they are shorter than the others which I will do once finished with the aligners and whitening. Does anyone know how long these would be expected to last as I imagine would get quite a lot of wear and tear being on the bottom of the teeth?! I don't want to be forking out for new ones every couple of years!

[Ozzy Aligner]

Awesome news Nikki
Cant wait to see the final pics

[Mater33]

Hi. Can anyone advise on the filing? what does it feel like etc? Do you get injected to numb it?

Also can anyone comment on when your dentist has been really reluctant to file but you think its necessary? Im just trying to get a picture on its as i dont think my teeth have any more room to move back as they are all tight agaisnt each each other but my dentist doesnt want to file....i know he is the expert but ....... So any comments will be greatly appreciated, tnx x

[Sassy]

Hi mater, you do not get numbed for the filing but I honestly wouldn't worry, it does not hurt. It's just thin strips of sandpaper type stuff. A couple of times my dentist has gone a little too near to my gum and has caught it but that just hurts for a second and I've never had to stop her from filing because I'm in pain or uncomfortable.

However, yes I have had (got) the problem of my dentist not filing when I've asked. I'm onto week 14 and have appt in 2 days for my clear retainer. I have not had any filing done for about 5/6 weeks. I have asked twice as there is not enough room for my front tooth and tooth next to it to straighten up but my dentist doesn't think it needs done. I even rang the surgery to explain that first thing in the morning when I take my brace out, there is no space whatsoever between these 2 teeth. However during the day, as I take brace in and out to eat and drink my teeth do move so when I asked her to file, the teeth had moved and there was space when she measured it. I'm a bit disappointed really because I'm sure that if they had been filed again they would align perfectly but since I am getting retainer in 2 days, that will be it done. I'm still extremely happy with the change from the beginning but would of liked the filing done as I think it would of helped for the last bit of movement. However, the dentist is the expert so I will trust her judgement.

[crizzles]

Just returned from my first IA consultation and was told I was a simple case etc which was great, however then he got to price and said it was $3500AUD, which I was shocked at and in addition he said I wouldn't be able to claim any of it with my heath insurance provider with whom I have orthodontic extras, because it was considered cosmetic. I was a bit perplexed at that seeing that's the whole reason I was going to get it.

Anyway so looks like I'll now be making an appointment for impressions/consultation at another ortho who quoted me $1400AUD for IA and $200 extra for the clear retainers at the end. They also were able to give me the procedure code so I could check with my health provider, who has confirmed it is covered and I would receive $1200 back, so total out of pocket cost of $400 sounds pretty good and what I was hoping for. I just have to make sure my treatment end date goes into next year so I get $1200 back, rather than the $800 I would get for this year only.

The other thing is apparently the guy I saw today also works at this other dentist, so would be a bit embarrassed if he was the one that did the consult there too! Not sure how they can have such different prices?

[JD43]

I am now into my 4th week of the IA. My speech is still a bit strange, I was really hoping it would have improved but dealing with phone calls at work is still difficult. I'm not sure that I have noticed much change in my teeth although my family have noticed. I am a little disappointed. Can anyone tell me when you really start to notice difference. The dentist put a blob of white filling on the back of my tooth to hold the retainer up at the back. This really has helped as I was constantly feeling like it was slipping, although the filling feels a bit weird I don't mind. I'm hoping that after next weeks appointment I'll see more improvement.

[jvr2]

I definitely didn't see much progress until I got to about my 5th week or so. My first appointment was a little over 2 weeks after I got the Inman and it was a basic quick checkup to see how I was doing (if I was wearing it/broke it/needed anything). The second appointment is when I can recall being happy to go in there because I could see definite movement and I knew the dentist would too. My appointments, though they were supposed to be 2 weeks apart, because of scheduling never was so my 2nd appointment was probably closer to 5-6 weeks out. I could look at my calendar to verify this since I have my appointments in there. I'll probably provide a timeline at some point if I summarize my treatment.

I still sound stupid with it in but I'm sure that's because I don't talk much at all when I do wear it. Most people can understand me but my mother gets on my nerves because she always acts like I'm speaking a foreign language when I have it in. In the beginning this would kill me because I would be forced to take it out to talk to her on the phone and it hurt like crazy to do that. Now I don't care if she understands or not, I don't take it out! lol