I have always been unhappy with my teeth ever since I first noticed my midline drift and decidedly asymmetrical smile in my early teen years. However, dentists never remarked on it, and always noted my teeth as healthy. When I did finally decide to ask a dentist about my wonky teeth (at the age of 18) they said I could get braces for 2 years which would involve full head gear - I was about to embark on my gap year and didn't like the thought of braces at all, so I forgot all about it. As no-one has ever commented on my wonky teeth, I just forgot about the aesthetics and concentrated on keeping them clean and healthy.
A few years later (now 23) I came round again to my dissatisfaction with my smile, especially because after a particular trip to the dentist, I realised for the first time I had a very prominent 'open bite' (my teeth don't bite together properly, only 3 teeth meet). I also found out that I had an impacted canine (my left canine had never come through) why explained why I had a midline drift - why my front teeth were shifted slightly to one side where the canine hadn't come through. No dentists had ever mentioned this to me or my mum in my childhood, and my mum was oblivious to any misalignment of my teeth to this day... not a very observant lot!
Renewed determination quickly rose in me again, and I wondered if I could do something about my teeth so I didn't have to live with the way they looked for the rest of my life. I decided it's now or never! However, I am stolidly averse to the 'porcelain veneer' culture and how people go to extreme lengths to have flashing great smiles - irreversibly filing down their own teeth to replace them with expensive false ones, which might last as little as 5 years! This was definitely not a consideration for me. The health of my teeth is the most important thing, so some form of braces, of safely restructuring the teeth I already have, was naturally the only option I was considering.
I decided to visit a couple of orthodontists to find out what I could do to improve my bite or smile, or both. They commented on my 'terrible bite' which made me feel even worse. At first I considered metal 'Damon' braces. I would have them for 2 years and it would involve drawing my impacted canine out of the gum. The prospect would involve travelling to Hungary for cheaper treatment, which would involve about 10 trips overall, bringing the total cost of treatment plus flights and accommodation to about £5000.
The whole idea did not sound very tempting. Looking at other options, I learned of Invisalign. I did not think that Invisalign could work for my complex realignment case, but I thought I should go for a consultation anyway, especially as it was free. I was surprised to find out that Invisalign could do something for my smile. They said they can centreline my front teeth, tidy up the symmetry whilst keeping the canine where it was - and they would even try to go all the way to correcting my bite.
It certainly seemed advantageous to having metal Damon braces, there was no doubt about that: being clear braces, being removable, a shorter duration (they predicted 1 year for most correction and a further possible year, max, for full correction if do-able), and also, not involving those trips abroad, but all done in London. It also came out cheaper than the whole cost of getting Damon braces.
Pleased, I went to do some research on Invisalign on the internet. I was happy to learn that most people's experiences were pleasant, but I also accepted that there will be some pain and discomfort - after all, my teeth are shifting round my mouth, what would I expect? ;-) The people at the clinic said there was no pain, only 'pressure', but surely pressure can be pain?! Besides, I anticipated it - if I didn't have some discomfort, surely there would be something wrong. However, I also wanted to make sure I had a reputable orthodontist who was fully qualified in Invisalign (Platinum Elite) who would not move my teeth too fast or do anything 'cowboy' style.
I found out more about the use of attachments/'buttons', IPR (interproximinal reduction, where small amounts of enamel are stripped from between teeth to create space), both which I would need, and both seemed to be reported as safe procedures.
What bothered me most was the prospect that wearing braces becomes a lifetime thing - something they don't emphasise on Invisalign websites/promotional material! To keep your teeth where they are, you need to wear a retainer, either in the form of an aligner at night every week or so - forever - or as a metal bar permanently glued behind each arch. I decided that correcting my teeth was important enough to me to warrant this lifetime commitment. I must stress here that if my teeth were only moderately wonky - as are alot of people's - I would NOT bother with braces and this commitment. Some people seem to notice negligible flaws about their teeth that no-one else would even care about - slightly wonky teeth are fine! Personally I am unhappy with my actual lack of 'smile' - my open bite obscures my teeth so not many show when I smile, and my centreline is just too off to look acceptable to me - but still I accept that not everyone even notices this, and it's possibly still my own aesthetic paranoia. Nevertheless I decided to spend the money, time and commitment on doing this, as it will help my biting functionality as well as the look of my smile. I decided that I'd rather not live with the current look of my teeth for the rest of my life, if I had the chance to change it.
I was also concerned about the material from which the Invisalign aligners are made. There didn't seem to be anything adverse reported about the plastic polymers from which they are made, though I was aware they can cause allergic reactions in some people, upon which occasion the cost of treatment would be refunded. I also decided that if there were any risk with the material, in terms of ingesting small amounts of toxins over the years (lifetime) of having Invisalign aligners/retainers, then it would have to be accepted, just as we consume small toxic amounts of everything else in everyday modern life, from the chemicals used in carpets to make-up (or the danger of using a mobile phone...) Besides, metal braces must have their own toxicity for the human body to deal with.
I went to have my impressions made to send off for my scans (taking impressions was fine, although I found it a bit scary when they were pulling out the moulds, almost felt like my two fillings were going to come out, but it was fine). When my trays arrived (only about a week later) I was very excited to at last (after months of research etc) to finally be on the road to improving both my smile, and the functionality of my teeth.
I will be blogging about my experiences from here onwards!
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