This is the place to post general questions and comments about all areas of orthodontic treatment. Before you post a question, use the forum's SEARCH tool to see if your question has already been answered!
New Members: YOU MUST MAKE A POST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF REGISTERING OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. In other words, don't sign up unless you plan to actively participate in the message board immediately. This is necessary to keep out spammers and lurkers with bad intentions. Of course, you can read most forums on the board without registering.
DO NOT POST FULL-FACE PHOTOS or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.
unhappywearer wrote:just got my ia's top and bottom after 10 weeks with expanders....cannot get used to the bulk of it but been told 4-6 weeks does this sound reasonable ? also not sure if the top brace on the inside of my teeth is sitting correct on the composite . does it fit above or below it ? whats the best way to fit and remove.....sorry for all the questions but feeling really depressed about them
As a new member you will need to place a certain number of posts before you will be given full privileges (i.e., Search) so I listed the members that wrote about their composites.
It looks like the following forum members have, or had, composites: jessica716, kittenheels, tonyt, smiletime, and Tigger. There may be others.
Tennessee wrote:I was able to be measured for the fixed retainter. The tooth to the side of my front tooth is slightly rotated but he said he could contour it to be even with the others. I am still wearing the the IA until I can get the the fixed retainer. Should be about 2-3 weeks. I am very pleased with the IA and how quickly I was able to get results. For anyone who is considering it, DO IT
Tennessee, how do you like those fixed retainers? Are they attached to each tooth? Did it take a while to get used to or did having the IAs in your mouth he'll you adjust to it/them quickly?
I am considering having the fixed retainers on top and bottom teeth rather than the plastic clear retainers only. I asked my dentist's assistant the pros and cons to both and she said the plastic retainers do wear out rather quickly and will need to be replaced so that all the we've done does not get undone plus one has to remove them to eat. I've almost decided to get the fixed retainers and simply learn one more skill--using a floss threader.
Hey, I'm getting pretty good at learning new things!
tennesseeditto wrote:
Not sure that worrying helps anything so am glad to hear you have an appointment next week.
They definitely should be clicking when you put them on your teeth. Do you look at them in the mirror? I "chomp" on my teeth to make sure they are setting correctly. (This week my dentist gave me these round 1 1/2" whatcamacallits. I really don't know what they are called! He told me to chomp on one so that my clear aligners are seated correctly on my teeth. I think they'd be useful for IAs too. I'll see if I can find out what they are called.)
Are you expanding the arches each week? My IAs were very painful in the beginning but they did become tolerable by the fifth day. Then the pressure started all over again each time I used the key to move the expanders. I am glad you are going back to see your dentist.
As for cleaning my IAs and now my clear aligners, I purchased a small child's soft tooth brush, a denture soaking box (plastic), and denture cleaner. I soaked my IAs each evening while I ate dinner and then used the tooth brush to make sure they were clean, and rinsed them in warm water before reinserting them. This was not my idea--I got this idea from an earlier IA forum post.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the advice!
They are still clicking but the click doesn't seem as loud (don't know how else to explain it!) as it was. I do look in the mirror just to see if they look ok and I sometimes have to push the front bar down as it seems a bit high. When it is lower I feel a bit of pressure for a few minutes but nothing after that.
I do not have the an arch expander with mine, just the IA on it's own. Also the gaps created by filling the teeth are still there and don't seem to have tightened. The sooner I see my dentist the better, I just need to voice my concerns!
Thanks again for the advice, it really helps to speak to others in the same boat.
Hey guys, just a quick update as I finish my fifth week with Inman aligners.
Last week I saw my dentist and she could not believe how well it is all going, her words were "we're almost there" which sounded like heaven to me!!! I was a bit sceptical as I could see movement but thought it was my imagination being overly positive, but when she showed me the original moulds of my mouth it is quite incredible!!!! She has given me an appointment in 3 weeks and she reckons that'll be it.
I have taken some pics today and compared them to previous ones... and guess she's right... yep i can see the change now.
But my question is: at the end of it all, will you go for a fixed retainer at the back of your teeth (essentially three composites and a wire permanently there) or the plastic invisible mouth guard to wear at night for years??? They are pretty much the same price... what are people thinking of doing?
To all those that have recently started with the Inman, I remember my first few days salivating, discomfort, gum sores, etc but you must keep going, the confident smile that you will end up with in a few weeks is well worth the initial issues... I also had an arch expander so quite a big mouthful :o)
[quote="tennesseeditto"][quote="unhappywearer"]thanks for all the advice i've got in my head it will be done by xmas so i'll be devastated if longer !!! did you wear top and botton aligners ?[/quote]
Yes, my arch aligners are attached to both my top and bottom IAs.
This was my Christmas and birthday present to myself so I can understand that feeling of "possibly" being devastated if the process is not completed by then. Perhaps it would help the process along if you simply focus on the thought, "I am doing this--finally--for myself!" Rather than the deadline you and/or your dentist set for the end result.
You are taking weekly pictures, right?
Yipee! I am happy for all of us![/quote]
hi me again what can i use on my gums ,they are cut deep from the brace and its extremely sore .. i appreciate your help
unhappywearer wrote:any recommended creams for the cut gums
ñ
I used zilactin-B, swabbed it on with a cotton swab. It DOES NOT take a Rx but the pharmacy did have to order it (I went to Target) and it came in the next day.
IAG wrote:...But my question is: at the end of it all, will you go for a fixed retainer at the back of your teeth (essentially three composites and a wire permanently there) or the plastic invisible mouth guard to wear at night for years??? They are pretty much the same price... what are people thinking of doing?...
IAG,
I'm considering having the fixed retainers on both the top and bottom teeth rather than the plastic clear retainers only. I did some research on the Internet last week and then asked my dentist's assistant the pros and cons on each.
She said the plastic retainers do wear out rather quickly and then will need to be replaced so that all the we've gone through to have straight teeth does not get undone. She also said we have to remove them to eat.
The con to having the fixed wire is the time and inconvience of using a threader to floss my teeth. Nothing is perfect. I've almost decided to get the fixed retainers and simply learn one more skill--using a floss threader.
How about hearing from those who have completed their treatment plan?
The dentist said he is pleased with movement so far and the gaps he created on the right side had all closed, I didn't believe this until he started to file again and I realised how tight it was! I suppose it just shows that even though you may think teeth aren't on the move (as it's not obvious to you when you look at them), they are moving more than you think.
The front tooth I thought was being pushed in the wrong direction is apparantly just a result of the rotation being corrected and should now push back into alignment.
He also said that he wants to see me about every 10 days as he thinks my teeth will move quite quickly!
Hope everyone else is getting on ok? As Tennesseeditto says it would be great to hear from anyone who has finished treatment...
Isn't it great to see all this change in so little time?
Tomorrow will be a full five weeks for me. Four weeks of IAs with arch expanders and now 7 days of the clear expander my dentist made for me, which he says will complete the 'fix' on the rotated top tooth.
Guess what? It is working!
I'll wear the clear aligners one more week and then return to my dentist for another check.
My dentist said he thought I'd need another two weeks of the IAs and then I'm done.
Hey, I'm so pleased that even if he told me we needed to wear them longer, I wouldn't care.
I first discovered this thread in April when I was going to get my very own Inman Aligner. I read every post in a couple of days, and the information posted here is probably the best I've read during the entire process.
I got my aligner on the 4th of April, and got my retainer (a permanent wire) on June 20th so my treatment was very quick, and the result is absolutely amazing! (I can post some before and after pictures if you want to see, when my post count is up a few notches...) After the treatment I got my teeth whitened, and my canines were very much vampire-like so we did some fill/build-work (don't know the English term for it, I'm Swedish) on them as well.
Please feel free to ask me anything regarding the treatment, I will try to answer everything!
/Jeanette
Good for you, Jeanette!
How do you like that permanent retainer wire? Does it take a lot to get used to it?
I saw my Dentist last week. I've ordered my whitening gel which will take 2 weeks. I've to use my current clear aligner as a retainer, night times only , but no idea how long for. Not sure how long he expects me to use it like this for as I have ruined it. I think I'm trying to eat it in my sleep. lol
The fact that I have managed to destroy every clear aligner I've had up to now tells me that I'll probably be better off with a fixed retainer.
He's taking photos again when I go back on 28th so we can compare whiteness. I don't know when I will get copies of these to post to show how straighter my teeth are now, but I will post them as soon as I get them.
I went last week for the impressions for a clear aligner. I was really hoping he would remove the composite blobs before he took the impressions but he said they need to stay on. I was a bit surprised about this because he originally told me they were only there to keep the bars of the inman aligner in place.
Has this happened to anyone else?
I go on Wednesday for my clear aligner so will update then.
I went last week for the impressions for a clear aligner. I was really hoping he would remove the composite blobs before he took the impressions but he said they need to stay on. I was a bit surprised about this because he originally told me they were only there to keep the bars of the inman aligner in place.
Has this happened to anyone else?
I go on Wednesday for my clear aligner so will update then.
Earthgirl,
How excited you must feel to be in the last weeks of your treatment plan?!
I don't have composites so am speculating: were you told you'd be in the clear aligners for a couple weeks to move a pesky "rotated" tooth and then you'd go back onto the IAs for a couple more weeks? That is what my dentist said we would do and currently I've completed
5 weeks + 4 days with the past 10 days I have wearing the clear aligners.
So now you have my two cents worth: you'll wear the clear aligners a while and then go back to the IAs--he doesn't want to put on any other composites.
, but no idea how long for. Not sure how long he expects me to use it like this for as I have ruined it. I think I'm trying to eat it in my sleep. lol