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They are not the clearest of pics but u can get the idea of how well & fast the IA works
The IA had finished aligning after 12 weeks but I had to wear it for an additional 4 weeks waiting for the lab to make my retainer & crown for broken tooth. Then the whitening took 10 days so about 17 weeks from start to finish. Pretty damn good compared to 12-24 months with traditional braces.
Although it did feel like a lifetime at the time. I was so happy with the results thats why I decided to have the bottom done also
Ozzy- your after photo looks great, good job!
I will let you know how the fixed wire turns out as I have also read online that many people experience lifting or the wire snapping etc. my dentist thinks that this is the best option for me (instead of a night time invisalign type retainer) as my teeth were so bad to begin with and they've moved such a long way that a re-lapse is very possible if I don't have something permanent.
Will see how it goes and will post once I get it fitted!
Xxx
Wow Ozzy you have the perfect Hollywood smile!!! Your teeth look absolutely fantastic
Badbear I am so pleased the end is in sight and your teeth will be done in time for your wedding.
Its great to see such positive outcomes which i'm sure will give anyone reading this thread the motivation to get it done.
I can honestly say this is the best thing i have ever done it my life. I have always hated my teeth but the brace i was given to wear as a child did not work and more recently, when I asked my previous dentist about straightening my teeth, he referred me to the dental hospital who said it would be to complicated and i would need my jaw broken etc. Even though it is not my bite that i'm bothered about, just simply the straightening of my front teeth. The IA is the best invention ever! lol!
It feels weird that my treatment is going to be finished in a matter of weeks. Its so exciting to think the end is so near. I am also getting my teeth whitened using trays specially made for me. Can anyone who has had whitening done this way advise me of the process? How often do you do it and how long for each time and how long does it take altogether?
Thanks Guys
Sassy....I did the whitening with the custom tray. I think it differs depending on the strength of gel?
I have 15% strength & it was a 10 day process for 2-4 hours a day.
I am going to do a little more next week only on 2 teeth that still have a slight tinge.
I was given 2 syringes & didnt quite use 1.
I think after the 10 day process u only need to do it for one offs every few months or so?
I can collect more gel from my dentist every 6 months for free now
Badbear....the wire retainer annoys me more than I thought it would, I am constantly running my tounge over it & it seems to make me salivate a lot but I guess in comparison to the IA it is nothing really
I am new here and just wanted to say a quick hello.
I have had my first set of moulds taken to see how much space i have in my mouth, i have been told i will then have to have seperate moulds taken to actually have my Inman Aligner made. i also need w filling on an upper molar first before treatment can start.
I am only getting my upper front teeth alligned, something that has bugged me for a few years but i am finally taking the plunge and getting them sorted.
To be honest i am a bit concerned with how my speech will be, i have an ofice job that required alot of talking to customers/clients over the phone and face to face.
Anyway, i will try and keep every one updated as i go through my experience with the IA and i will most certanly look forward to hearing all your stories and advice.
Good on you for taking the plunge! My advice would be, prepare yourself for how much bulkier the IA feels when you first get it in and your speech will be horrendous at first. I'm 10.5 weeks in and although my speech is so much better now, it's still not normal. I still find myself taking it out if I start having a conversation with someone. I'm lucky that I'm at uni and specifically planned to have my IA over the summer whilst on holiday. So the only people I have had to talk to are my kids, hubby and rest of family, and my best friend. Apart from that I've avoided going anywhere that involves me talking to other people. I'm definitely not trying to put you off. As I said in a previous post, this is the best thing I've ever done but I wouldn't be surprised if you find yourself shocked when you initially get it. 10.5 weeks later and I only notice mines in when I want to talk as it doesn't feel bulky at all anymore.
From what i have read my concerns seem to be the concerns of many, i suppose i have to think of the bigger picture, 3/4 months of slurred speech compared to hopefully straight teeth, i think im prepared for the heartache :-)
May i ask have you noticed much of a change in your teeth after 10.5 weeks?
Yes your exactly right, the slurred speech is definitely worth it!
I have had a massive change in my teeth since I got my IA. My problem was that my two front teeth stuck out, one much worse than the other and then my two second teeth were set a little bit back. I also needed an expander built into my IA which I expanded each week to create space. My teeth are all lined up not except from the most protruded one but it only has a tiny way to go. From a side view it no longer sticks out. I think I noticed slight movements during the first 6 weeks but since then the movement has been really quick. And everytime they are filed I find they have slotted into place more a few hours later xxx
Week 13 and I am finally done!!!
Went in early to the dentist first thing this morning because my teeth had moved since the last visit I had three days earlier. I knew that they were done, everything was aligned and I was happy with how they looked.
Went in the morning to have my impressions taken and by 5 o clock I was back having my fixed wire retainer attached.
Ozzy- the wire doesn't bother me at all and I've pretty much got used to it already. I just can't believe that such a little piece if wire can hold everything in place!
I haven't noticed any extra salivating so far yet either.
I also had the invisalign type retainer made (at my own request) as I am petrified of my fixed one coming off or snapping etc. This was another extra cost but it has given me reassurance that I will always have a back up!
I just cannot believe that my speech is finally back to normal and there isn't an obstruction in my mouth!
Money well spent- I am seriously over the moon!
My whitening trays will arrive next week- cant wait for that either, a little extra bonus on the top!
Will try and upload some photos-
Take care everybody and good luck!!!
Xxx
That it awesome news Badbear!!!
Does your retainer have a blob of glue behind each tooth? I have a blob behind each tooth (6 of them)
Great that it doesnt bother you! Wish I could say the same. Actually I was eating a biscuit only minutes ago & now have some wedged behind section of retainer, will deal with that in a minute.
Snoopy, if you want an idea of how well the IA works...check out my pics on this page
I view this forum at work and they have internet restrictions so i am unable to see the pictures :-(
i'll try on my phone and see if i have any luck there as i would love too see peoples before and after pictures, i guess the bit in the middle will always differ from person to person but we are all trying to get our pearly white in line!!
Im not good at waiting and i have a few weeks yet before my IA gets made :-(
Hey Snoopy, yes we r all in it for the same reason
Bummer u cant view the pics.
Badbear, the biscuit I was talking about earlier didnt wedge under retainer, the retainer had actually come unglued AGAIN (2nd time in 3 weeks) Hav appt at dentist 8am tomorrow to hav reglued.
Hi Guys, i've been wearing the aligner for 1 week now. I'm really worried about something and was wondering if any of you had the same experience. The IA's job in my case each to move my protuding front teeth back which should close the gap between them. I was happy to see some movement in my right front tooth, but there has been none on my left. I'm really concerned. I'm terrified that one tooth will move back and the other won't i'll be be left looking awful. Is the IA not working properly, surely the same amount of pressure should be exerted on both teeth? I emailed my dentist to ask if it was normal, he said it was but i'm not convinced? Please help! has anyone else experienced this? Thankyou xxx
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