Combination Appliance/Invisalign Treatment

[HAD2013]

In June I went on an overseas work trip and lost my top retainer. That was a real bummer as my lightweight palate expander ended up being $400 to replace. The dentist took new impressions, the lab made new models and I received my new retainer. The upside is that the new one is slightly sturdier and more comfortable to wear. If I had it to do over again, I would have switched to nighttime only wear during the trip, I was taking it in an out all the time and wrapping it napkins and such, I think it was inevitable that I was going to lose it.
My bottom palate expander turned out to be more of a pain than it is worth. My bottom teeth are quite tangled and the bottom expander just doesn’t have the muscle that the top one does with all its acrylic. Adjustments are a real pain, it is like a puzzle to open the loops and bend the wires to seat properly in the mouth, and once the teeth move I’m fiddling with it to get it to fit right again between appointments. We scratched the thing and went to regular wire braces on the bottom. I knew this was a possibility going in and I’m fine with it. I think it is going to get my bottom teeth untangled quicker, I already notice less overlap between teeth.
My top is almost done, at least to the point of being ready for invisible braces. The only teeth activated at my last appointment were top canines. For the first time ever, I can see my bottom teeth below my top with mouth closed and they used an ADULT sized tray to take my last set of impressions.
So the way forward is to keep the top retainer in to hold our progress up there while working on pulling teeth outward with braces on the bottom. When the bottom arch is where it needs to be and teeth are touching as they should, everything comes out and invisible braces move the teeth to the right positions within all that new space we created. I expect that to happen in the spring, but who knows, it could go faster.
Also – I’m looking at that picture I posted of my previous retainer, and I am in awe of how narrow and lopsided it looks compared to the one I am wearing now! Must post new pics!