Inman aligners

[Ozzy Aligner]

That's fantastic news NickelNikki I wish I also had of done top & bottom together as I have the whole process to go again when I get the bottom done.
Well I had my gum trimming procedure today & have to say that it sounded a hell of a lot worse than it was
Due to the local anaesthetic there was no pain just an uncomfortable feeling when I could feel the pressure he was applying & me imagining the scalpel.
The anaesthetic has only just worn off & I cannot feel pain Apparently the gum will be sore to brush for about a week so am not looking forward to that but all in all I am relieved that I could not feel the trimming, I had been torturing myself for the past 2 weeks about it.
As I suspected the aligning is not complete therefore I didnt have the impression taken for the retainer.
The dentist made some adjustments to the aligner & placed a button on my front tooth to keep it in place & is hoping 2 more weeks will see it complete
Will update again then
Hang in there everyone, it will be all worth it in the end

[Sassy]

Hi everyone! I have been reading this thread for a while now. Im going to the dentist this afternoon to have my inman aligner fitted. I have been so excited for months about it but now its nearly here im really panicking about it. Mainly about the speech and also worrying how its going to look. I think im getting the expander and my dentist also mentioned having composite fillings or something on a couple of my teeth to make brace stay in correct position. They are going to be doing some filing today too. Im just so nervous. My dentist have given me an estimate of 12 weeks for the IA xxx

[Ozzy Aligner]

Good on you Sassy for making the decision to go ahead with it.
It can be a bit of a shock initially & you may have regrets BUT they will pass especially when you see results.
In case your dentist doesnt take before pics, I would suggest you take some of your own. If it werent for me taking my own pics I dont think I would notice how much difference there is.
All the best & keep us updated

[Sassy]

Thanks Ozzy Aligner! My dentist did take some pics but yeah i think i'll do some of my own so i can compare at home :-) I will repost later once I've had them fitted. Thank you xxx

[Sassy]

Well I've had my IA fitted. It was quite a shock. It feels really big at the front. I cant close my mouth properly. Its not really sore just more of a niggling annoying feeling on one tooth. And i'm hopeless at talking. Can anyone tell me if my speech will go back to normal and if so, how long will it take? All i'm thinking about is the end result :-) xxx

[Badbear12]

Hi Sassy, I've had mine in now for two and half weeks and my speech has improved considerably. The lisping will never go away, but the initial slurring does get better. Friends and family say they understand everything I say now! Hurrah! I recorded my voice to see what it actually sounded like and believe me it is a lot worse inside your head! I too have an expander so I know how cumbersome it is in the mouth- stick with it- your speech will improve! ;)

[Sassy]

Thank you Badbear. Well I braved going out the house today and had a couple of encounters when I had to speak to people. Felt a bit ridiculous but I suppose the more I speak, the quicker I'll get used to it. I find the pain after putting the brace back in quite painful though. It's making me not eat or drink cos I dread putting it back in after. Another question, can you drink with it in. Just things like juice etc? I know not to drink hot drinks but not sure about normal cold drinks? Xxx

[Badbear12]

Sassy, I drink cold drinks with the IA in but nothing of a dark colour as I don't want to stain it. Dentist says that cold drinks are absolutely fine. How often were you told to expand the expander? My dentist said anywhere from every 3-5days or once a week- or whenever I stop feeling pressure. On the box it says only turn the key once a week. So far I've done 5 turns in 20 days.

[Badbear12]

Went to see my dentist today for the first time since ive had the IA fitted two and half weeks ago. She seemed very happy with what was going on in my mouth and according to her, there had already been some movement. I'm glad she was so enthusiastic- as I can't see much of a change- perhaps I'm looking at them too often.
She added an extra composite blob to the back of a tooth, now I have two in total. She reckons it will take 8 weeks til I'm done.
8 weeks doesn't seem too long now since I've got used to wearing the IA!
And Sassy, the pain you experience taking the IA in and out only lasts about 24 hrs in my experience. Soon you won't feel much at all- I'm told it's all normal! :)

[Sassy]

Badbear I tried drinking some juice yesterday with it in but to be honest i cant really swallow properly yet with the IA in and i was also worried about the juice making it sticky so i ended up taking it out to drink it.

That sounds promising about there being movement already! And 8 weeks isn't that long. Ive been told 12 weeks but hoping when i go for my first appointment since having brace which will be 2 weeks after having it fitted that my teeth have moved and the dentist cuts down my time. But to be honest i should appreciate that 12 weeks isnt that long when you compare it to other braces.

I have been told to turn mine once a week. She actually said don't turn it any more because i'll mess up my treatment. However im sure every case is different so if you've been told to turn it more that must be right for you.

Im still trying to get used to talking and I cant stop salivering (if thats even a word) either. I cant wait till I can talk a bit more normal. And it still feels really sore on my front tooth the one that sticks out most when i first put brace back in. It only lasts a few mins then turns into more of a niggly ache then eventually disappears xxx

[NickelNikki]

A month and a half has just flown by with me, so I'm sure it won't feel all that long, don't worry You genuinely do forget that you have it in as your treatment progresses.

Try sucking the device to your teeth as you swallow, that's what I did at first.

[Sassy]

Hey nickelnikki, thanks for the tip. Tried it before and managed to drink some juice :-)

Well I'm 2.5 days into treatment and have just managed to put my IA in without looking in the mirror. It also doesn't bring a tear to my eye anymore when putting it in as before it was quite painful for one particular tooth for a few minutes after putting it in.

I have the expander incorporated into my IA and have been reading previous posts where people have had the expander first then the brace? Is incorporating it into brace the new way of doing it or something?

My problem is my two front tooth one much more so than the other sticking out. I had never noticed myself but the dentist said the two teeth either side of front ones are also set a little bit back to the plan is to expand my small arch, push the two side teeth out and then push the two front teeth back. I've also paid to get them whitened. Can't wait for the end result. The photos and mould I saw of what my teeth should look like are brilliant!! :-)

And also, my dentist has told me that at the end of brace treatment, I will get the bonded wire as well as a retainer which I'll have to wear all the time for a while (can't remember how long she said) then every night for rest of my life. I don't mind though, if it keeps my teeth in place forever.

Would love to hear from anyone else just starting out, midway through or who have completed their treatment for motivation.

Ps my dentist gave me strips of wax. I read a previous post saying put it between roof of mouth and expander to improve speech but every time I try it just slips out? Any advice appreciated.

Sarah xxx

[Ozzy Aligner]

Hi Sarah,

I told you it would be a bit of a shock! Hang in there though, it does get better

Things will be different for us all but personally I am still very self conscious about my speech which after 8 weeks has gotten worse since my dentist made some adjustments last Thursday.
I cant say I have ever had a lisp as such but I sound more like I have a hearing impediment. Not sure if you have heard a deaf person speak but that is how I sound.
However, my speech had improved & the salivating settled after about 2 weeks.

As you mentioned in one of your posts, 12 weeks really is not a long time compared to if you had the traditional braces so any discomforts will be over before you know it & the end result well worth it

If you haven't already, take a look at my before pic a few posts back & the same view only 4 weeks later. I am amazed & couldn't stop looking at the pic in disbelief that it is my smile

The side that I didn't post a pic of is being a little more stubborn but the pics show you just how fast the IA works.

There has been even more improvement since those pics & everytime I look in the mirror I cant help but smile at myself a few times

I will post after pics when all is complete

[Sassy]

WOW Ozzy aligner thats amazing! I cant believe that has just taken 4 weeks. Definitely looks perfect from that side

I am exactly the same as you when it comes to the speech. I also sound like the way a deaf person speaks instead of just having a lisp. I am past caring what the IA looks like now but still really embarrassed about the speech. My brother and best friend (a couple) came over yesterday and after speaking one sentence I was so embarrassed that I went into kitchen and took my IA out. They then ended up staying for about 1.5hours and I was so angry in my head with myself for having the brace out (undoing any work it may have started). As soon as they left I put it back in!! I beat my self up everytime I take it out to eat but in fairness ive never had it out for more that 3 hours for the whole day. Im just constantly thinking the more I wear it the quicker it will work.

Im also really panicking that my best friend has asked me to go out in a couple weeks for her bday. Im 27, married with 2 kids and must admit i do like a night out maybe twice a month. But i had told myself I was going to stay in the whole time i had the IA as i didnt want to be taking it out for long periods of time. However I couldnt say no when it was for her birthday. We are going for a meal then drinks so there is no way I could keep it in. I just hope that having it out for 7-8 hours wont set back any work it has done by that point

I just seem to have the brace and the results on my mind 24/7 at the minute. I hope it gets to the point where I stop obsessing about it as it is making me so impatient and ive only had the thing 4 days!!!

Sorry about the essay. I hope everyone is getting on ok

Sarah xxx

[Ozzy Aligner]

Hi Sarah,

my dentist told me to wear my IA for a minimum of 18 hrs a day. I usually wear them for around 20 hrs or more a day but if there is an event I am going to, like out to dinner or drinks I am very strict with the length of time I have them out to eat that day & that leaves me with more free time.
I'm sure you will be fine for the odd occasion having them out for longer than usual

It is definitely the case though of the longer you wear them the quicker the result but I'm sure every so often wont set you back.

I'm actually very excited for you! I think I will still check on this forum for a while after my treatment is finished so I can read about your progress