My Journey to getting straight teeth with Invisalign
Invisalign was something I was meaning to do for a while, but never actually booked a consultation. In October 2015, I went to a doctor/dentist conference with work and met Dr Gina Vega, who explained the Invisalign process to me and instantly filled me with confidence, so it was the perfect time to make the consultation!
The first step with Invisalign
I had my first Invisalign consultation on 27/01/2016 and it was really straight-forward. I’ve had orthodontics in the past (unfortunately I have TMJD, so my orthodontic treatment had to be cut early, to allow the surgery to take place). I was aware of how moulds are taken (they’re never very pleasant!), but I found that this time the dentists were making conversation and diverted my attention from my mouth-full of putty. Either way, I didn’t heave once (and I have a very easy gag-reflex!).
The team at Bishopsgate sent my impressions to the Invisalign lab, who will create a video of how my teeth will transform throughout my treatment. I really look forward to watching that!
Here are some photos of what my teeth look like now, and I’ll write posts from appointment to appointment until the final result!
The second appointment to straighter teeth
On February 10th I had my next appointment with Dr Gina Vega, following on from the impressions that were taken on January 27th. I was shown a short animation video of how my teeth would transform over the course of 28 aligners. I was astonished to realise just how much work my teeth actually need (considering I’ve already had braces!). The final go ahead was submitted and now it’s a matter of waiting for my first aligner to arrive!
My aligner has arrived
Less than a week later and my first aligner had already made it to Bishopsgate Dental! I had a very quick appointment with Dr Gina on February 17th, to see if the aligner fit comfortably and to explain how to care for the aligners and your teeth during the treatment. I found the aligners to be easy to take out, which was the main thing! I’d read other people’s Invisalign experience, where they explained that they found them terribly painful and uncomfortable. I didn’t think this was the case at all. During the first few days, they did feel a bit tight and my front teeth specifically felt a bit achey, but I didn’t find it to be too overwhelming or requiring any form of painkiller. At first, they felt a bit rough on my top lip and base of my tongue (I know orthodontic wax can alleviate this), but I knew this would only persist for a couple of days and I would become used to it… None of my friends even realised I was wearing anything, until I pointed it out. So far, I’m extremely impressed! Here are a few pictures of the aligners in my mouth (they’re barely noticeable!)
February 29th
Today I had an appointment with Gina Vega and the lovely Bhavnita Patel. The appointment was an hour long and my attachments were placed on my teeth. I was initially a bit worried about the attachments and how noticeable they might be, but in all honesty, you can hardly tell they’re there!
I’d read a couple of blogs from people saying the process of putting the attachments on as very painful- I certainly can’t say this was the case for me. My teeth were polished and a type of sandpaper was used in between my teeth. It wasn’t the most comfortable situation, but it wasn’t at all painful. Here are a couple of close ups of me wearing the aligners and my new attachments!
April 25th
Today’s appointment really only consisted of me picking up my four new aligners. I’ve gotten into a comfortable routine of remembering to change the aligners every Monday morning on a fortnightly basis and I’ve never found the change to be painful or overly uncomfortable- yes they feel a little bit tight at first, but that is to be expected. I’ve attached two more photos (one with and one without the aligner) to compare from my previous images!
September 21st
Today I went in to pick up my next set of aligners and a quick consultation to see how things were progressing. Everything so far is going well and sailing smoothly. The only small issue we’ve countered is that my right front tooth isn’t catching up with the movement of the rest, so to counteract that I have to increase my use of the chewy!
I will update with a progress picture soon (the lighting was not up to my standards!).
Invisalign consultation in London
If you’re interested in Invisalign, please don’t hesitate about contacting us. We pride ourselves on giving you the first-class care you need to get your smile how you’ve always wanted it. You can book online via our contact form for a free Invisalign consultation in London or call us on 020 7377 6762.