Metal Mouth Message Board

So I'm almost done with my first and only set of refinements. I had gone to see the ortho instead of my dentist at my last appointment because my top teeth were still sticking out (read overbite) and I thought it would fix that. But I was told this is normal especially for the shape of my face/mouth and that everything looks great. (And they do, especially noting the difference since the beginning, but I guess I expected perfect teeth and I don't have them.)

And so now I'm on the penultimate set and I go back to my ortho a week from Friday to get impressions done (shudders) for the retainers.

So questions:
once you get the impressions done for the retainers, does it take as long to get them as the invisalign sets did?

do you get to not wear anything in the meantime or do you have to keep wearing the same last set? (I would imagine this is ineffective as you should no longer have attachments right?)

do you have to wear retainers 24/7 for any period? on average how long if so?

does anyone think their teeth look perfect after invisalign? or is it more they look loads better and they look great and you are happy with it, but they are not perfect?

Hopefully someone who has completed the whole process will answer your questions. I've just started my refinement trays and have asked about retainers and end of treatment - I think only your ortho can tell you what to expect for your case. I've heard that you keep wearing your last tray full time until your retainers are ready, then retainers full time for 3 months-6 months, then shift to nighttime only, possibly forever. Your trays without attachments on your teeth still keep your teeth in place since the attachments are just for creating specific movements.
Please report back when you find out from your ortho!

I'm finally, finally done!

So the retainers took about two weeks to come in, during which I wore the last set of trays (without the attachments, I was told the attachments are responsible for moving teeth and since my teeth were done moving this was not a problem. The trays served as place holders).

Once I received the retainers I was told to wear them all the time for another month and when I balked at that, they said I only had to wear them if they felt tight, so I mostly wore them all day for a month. And now that the month is done, I wear them at night only. I was told to watch out for them getting tight and if that happens, I should wear them more frequently (to prevent the teeth from moving back). So far so good. Every now and then, they seem slightly tighter, but loosen up pretty quickly.

And my teeth look great (I'm currently doing whitening strips to make them look even better). They are not perfect, but definitely a million times better than they were before I started.

I still brush after most meals, but I love that I don't have to and there is no rush about it anymore. The end was a bit frustrating, but now that I am done, I feel it was worth it. So those of you getting annoyed, hang in there! It will be over soon.

Hey Moon781, I had Invisalign! I see that you have now got the retainers so you probably don't need anyone to answer you questions about them anymore....

With regards to being pleased with my result....I was not. Like you I was after perfect teeth, like my friends had gotten from having metal braces in their teens. I got the Invisalign on in Sept 2008, and as my case was not severe I was only to be in them for just under a year. Basically over two years later, and having to start a THIRD refinement I just said look I'm out! Waste of time, and I am now in metal braces

I am glad you are happy with your result though...I guess my dentist was very inexperienced, after all he was just a dentist, not an ortho... x