Metal Mouth Message Board

I just realized that I never got a chance to see this little video that outlines what's supposed to happen before my aligners were ordered and came in - is this normal? I was less than thrilled to find out that there was a chance I'd have a gap on one side, towards the back of my mouth, by my incisors I think. I was told *if* it happens, it would probably be very small and not noticeable, and that was that. The woman who gave me the briefing kind of breezed through it.
I'll take pictures of my teeth later today and post them so you can see what's going on. Basically, I was in a motorcycle accident, chipped half my tooth clear off, and noticed that my teeth seemed to be migrating because of the trauma. Well, I got a root canal and a porcelain crown, but when they added the crown, they made a slight, existing gap in my front teeth HUGE. I had always thought I needed braces in the past, but my dentists all said I was fine, it was almost imperceptible. After getting the crown I was so bummed. I wanted the gap fixed ASAP and decided to go the Invisalign route. (Since my teeth are all so small, the dentist advised against getting bigger crowns to avoid the Chiclet Effect.)
Anyway, now I'm wondering what else I wasn't informed about, after going through the threads...the ortho also never told me I would need attachments/"buttons". I hate them and feel like they are so in the way when I eat. Going the Invisalign route was supposed to spare me having crap stuck to my teeth and I had the "buttons" put on from day one, 7 or so in all.
I really hope this turns out well Can anyone brief me on what I should have been told/what to expect? I plan on calling the office today and I want to be better prepared with questions and everything. I had asked a co-worker about her experience, and my sister currently has normal braces on, but I realize I didn't do enough homework before I dived in head-er, mouth first. I don't want any other surprises....I was quoted 9 months. Do they tend to underestimate the time? I'm also supposed to have whitening done afterwards - has anyone gone through this as well?
Thanks for your replies in advance

Hi. All invisalign cases have a ClinCheck video, but not all orthos share them with the patient. You should ask to see yours next time you go.

Attachments. I have 15 of them. I hated them at first - now I just dislike them. Can't wait for them to come off, but that horrible feeling during eating does go away after a few days.

As for the time estimate - from what I've read most people end up having refinements and so often it goes on longer than the first estimate. They can have a plan but they can't really predict what your teeth will do, so it is just an estimate. Only time will tell. Follow all the rules and you'll give yourself the best chance of finishing on schedule.

It is strange that your ortho didn't show you the clincheck, because it does really help you see what the treatment intends to do. I have heard of other people in these forums with the same complaint though.

The only other potential surprise I can think of is IPR (where they shave small gaps in between your teeth to make room - as an alternative to extractions) but it sounds like you don't have overcrowding so this is unlikely for you.

Also most of my attachments were fitted on day one, but 1 was added later. Worth asking if you will need more later on in treatment.

If you haven't already, read through some blogs of people who have had invisalign it might help you see what is coming and give you some ideas of what to ask.

I do not show our patients the ClinCheck before approval. I used to do this, but our patients come to see me for my expertise. Central in working this way is that I must determine exactly what the patient's concerns are before treatment so that I can address them and any other things I see fit. I would not be concerned about not seeing your video beforehand.

As for the other items like attachments, IPR etc, I personally feel that it is important for all patients to understand exactly what it is that they are going to have. This way, there are no surprises and treatment runs properly. If you would like to learn more, I have an Invisalign website at http://www.torontobraces.ca that I use for teaching purposes. You will find videos and a lot of information about the process under "Getting Started". Good luck!