Showing posts with label braces documentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label braces documentary. Show all posts

Saturday, November 30, 2019

A Smile She Can Live With #BracesJourney Part II

As promised, I'm checking in periodically to let you know how I'm doing on my braces journey that began in early August of this year. 

What I like - I love that can feel my teeth changing and getting straighter. Not only are my lower teeth gradually changing, but my top two front teeth are straightening out. They were slightly overlapping. Eventually my top teeth will shift more outward because they were actually leaning in significantly! Below are some screenshots of me while talking before getting treatment. You can see that the lower teeth are quite crooked!



I chose to wear Invisalign clear retainer trays because they are removable, and that is important for me. I don't wear them to social functions where eating is involved, I don't wear them to photo shoots. I do wear them to bed, when I'm exercising or when I'm lounging in my p.j.'s. It's surprising how much I don't wear them, though. Although I always wear them at night, I sometimes go for hours on end during the day not wearing them. A couple of times I have forgotten to wear them to work and so I can't wear them for at least 5 - 6  hours. But they seem to be moving my teeth anyway. My last check-up was 2 weeks ago and Dr. Cook seemed satisfied with my progress. And I'm still on my 10-day tray switch-out schedule.


What I Notice - I notice that there are plenty of DIY clear aligner companies, where all you need to do is go to an initial appointment and get a scan and then the company will send it in and get a series of trays to get the teeth realigned according to a computer simulation. There are no appointments with an orthodontist or even a dentist to make sure the teeth are aligning properly. I don't think I'd like that at all. There are too many variables as to how teeth, mouth, and even jaws will actually react according to a very impersonal computer simulation.I love to be able to check in with Dr. Cook and have him analyze how my teeth are doing. He is always able to make adjustments and do it well. He is Invisalign certified!


What I Need Help With - I need help with not losing or mixing up current trays with my previous trays. These retainers or "trays" are very clear, to the point that when you put them on, people often don't even realize you are wearing them. So when you take them off and leave them, sometimes you can forget where you put them and spend lots of time trying to find them. 

Once I made the stupid mistake of putting my old trays near my new trays. I left for awhile and when I came back, I couldn't figure out which ones were which. I literally had to guess by which trays looked the most used. That was kind of hard because they are clear and they are only worn 10 days. I finally decided on an upper and lower set because one looked slightly more cloudy in appearance. I still don't know if I guessed correctly. 

Tips I've Learned - I've learned that wearing lipstick can be tricky with the trays. It tends to get all over the tray and look pretty tacky. I've quit wearing lipstick when I have them on.

I've also learned that cleaning the trays is really important. They tend to get food stuck on them and they tend to get rather whiffy if you don't take care of them. I can run a toothbrush over them when I'm in a hurry. But my favorite way to clean them is with White Teeth Global Alightener foam teeth whitener/tray cleaner. It is a foam with hydrogen peroxide that is sprayed into the tray and left for an hour or so. If you want to whiten your teeth while you clean your tray, just wear it. If not, leave the tray with the foam on it. It's really easy and gets rid of food build-up and any odor.  It has a pleasant minty smell. 


I'm looking forward to the changes I will see as I get further and further into my braces journey! I'll soon be on Tray 13 of 30. It's turning out to be one of the better decisions I've made recently! 

And if you live in the Salt Lake City Area, or know someone who needs braces from there, you can nominate them for free braces! Check out Dr. Cook's Facebook Page to check it out!

In the meantime, don't forget to keep smiling no matter what! It changes lives and attitudes, including your own!


Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Teeth You Can Live With! Why I Chose To Have Braces

I had started noticing that my teeth were shifting about 6 years ago. It wasn't very noticeable, except to me. But around 2 years ago, my husband commented on what he saw, as well as my son. They both thought that I had chipped my lower tooth because one was higher than the other. I assured them that I hadn't chipped any teeth, but that they were moving. Uh oh....people were starting to notice. That wasn't a good sign.

The thing that I notice and hate the most is when I do videos for this blog, usually on Instagram. I literally see my bottom tooth jutting out like a snaggle tooth when I talk. I really don't like it. I'm not saying that small irregularities in teeth aren't attractive, not at all! In fact, I like little irregularities in a smile because it makes it unique. But I personally didn't like what was going on in my lower bite. It's all great if I'm doing a still shot...
               But start talking and then it's obvious!
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I started doing some research and having consultations with different orthodontists. If there is one thing I know, you want to straighten your teeth utilizing someone who has been extensively trained to do that.  In my book, a dentist just doesn't cut it. Their role is for cleaning and maintaining gum and teeth health. Some dentists do, however, offer teeth straightening services--especially with the new computer simulated 3-D images that can be done of your mouth. Once taken, the images are sent in to a lab where they will make a set of special retainers designed to obtain the ideal look to your teeth, as well as the ideal bite. The retainer you wear changes as your teeth move. I took pictures of the shots that were coming across the screen of my simulated outcome vs. the current dentition. This is just from one angle.
Current dentition
Simulated outcome
The leading company that does this is Invisalign. The first orthodontist I went to didn't even deal with Invisalign. He  claimed he hadn't gotten good results with it. He recommended that I go with the traditional wire braces. His nurse told some stories about how Invisalign patients were generally not pleased with the results that were achieved with the Invisalign product.She said that she had done Invisalign with another dentist and she wasn't pleased with the results. Later she went with this Orthodontist and was very pleased with the traditional metal braces she went with. I totally bought her story, until I went to some more orthodontists. That is when the picture came into focus for me. 

Just like anything, one needs practice to become proficient at something and that includes orthodontia. The more the orthodontist practices, the better he/she becomes. I went to a few more orthodontists who worked almost exclusively with Invisalign, specifically because of great results with patients. Because of what I found out, I went with Invisalign. It is easier to manage with other dental work, it is less obvious that you have braces, the orthodontist can adjust movement at any time, it is guaranteed for 5 years after treatment, and you can take them out if you really need to (like a special photo shoot, a speaking engagement, a job interview, etc.)

One more thing about Invisalign or "retainer" braces. You need to do your part and wear them almost constantly, except for eating. If there would be a challenge for me, that would be it---finding excuses to not wear them. But I am up for the challenge and am ready to do this!

I finally decided on the orthodontist I want to go with. I chose Dr. Michael Cook because of the many success stories he has and the fact that he is listed on the Invisalign site as an expert in Invisalign braces. This is no easy task. It involves expertise, success and great recommendations from patients. 

When I visited his office, I was impressed with the friendly staff, the overall information that was shared about Invisalign, and the professional courtesy shown to me by Dr. Cook. He is very personable and put me quite at ease. 

Stay with me through this next year for updates on the progress I'm making with my teeth. Does Invisalign really work? What are the pros and the cons? We'll definitely find out! 

If you are thinking about straightening your teeth and live in my area (Salt Lake County), definitely check out Dr. Michael Cook. Mention A GAL NEEDS...and get $300 off your total invoice!