Tooth Fairy recommends Invisalign for Anterior Open Bite

MY STORY

I have an anterior open bite. This is where the front top and bottom teeth do not touch. It makes it harder to eat because of a bite that does not completely close. It makes it harder to brush & floss. It has stopped me from smiling in pictures as well as in person for many years. I did extensive research on invisalign for anterior open bites, as well as traditional braces and jaw surgery [very invasive]. Although align tech explains in detail of how invisalign may be better at maintaining the results than traditional fixed applicances and jaw surgery, I wanted to see results of patients who had a similar problem as mine. I came across one before and after photo but I wanted to see more. I wanted to see the progress in between and hear the stories or blogs from patients who went through the process. That is why I decided to be the first. I am sure there are many people out there that want to do something about their open bite, but are not sure about which direction to go in. Afterall it's a big investment as far as (not only) money (but) time, effort and an opportunity cost (where another option may have been more feasible). You want to make sure you are going to get the results you are looking for. I am going to post pictures through this process so that some of you who are still debating about correcting your open bite have a solid background on invisalign and you can see the results for yourself. For all I know, it might not work. Let's find out.

FIXED APPLIANCES / TRADITIONAL BRACES

I was told fixed orthodontic appliances cannot guarentee that the gap would be closed. It's a big investment and not having security that the problem would be fixed leaves little desire to take the risk and go ahead with the time consumption, uncomfort and unattractiveness of traditional braces. Furthermore, the retainers are not clear either so you're stuck with metal retainers after your treatment.

INVISALIGN

With invisalign, your dentist will be able to show you your ClinCheck. This is a customized computer simulation of your teeth movements over the course of your treatment. You have more security about the results after treatment. Additionally, invisalign is removable, clear, and virtually unnoticeable. The Vivera retainers are also clear and unnoticeable, and you only have to wear them at night when you go to sleep, after your invisalign treatment is complete.

THE BEGINNING

Initially I went to my dentist who took an impression of my teeth and sent it to Aligntech Institute to create my trays. They arrived relatively quickly (approximantely three weeks). I live on the east coast so timing may vary for people who live closer to the west coast. When I put in my trays for the first time, it felt very tight (as I am sure set 2 will feel when I put it on for the first time this upcoming wednesday). This is because your teeth are not made to fit each set of aligners perfectly. They are made to make a small adjustment in your teeth with every new set. After wearing them for a few days, you become accustomed to it as your teeth start falling in to the shape the aligners are in.

MY EXPERIENCES: PITFALLS OF INVISALIGN / GREAT BREATH

My gums feel tender. This is an adjustment. With both traditional braces and invisalign, any kind of tooth movement will cause gum tenderness. There is no need to become alarmed. Just rinse your mouth with a teaspoon of salt in a cup of water. This is soothing for the gums. I found that the plastic does scratch my toungue. I get very minor cuts or scratches on my tounge and lips. This beats traditional braces any day because they will do the same thing, if not worse. I use to think about the aligners a lot because it was something new in my mouth and it takes time getting used to. However in no time (less than 2 weeks) I have become accustomed to wearing them and brushing my teeth everytime I eat or drink. Which brings me to another point. I am a religious gum chewer because I never want to have bad breath. With invisalign you cannot chew gum with the aligners on because it will get stuck on the plastic. But guess what? You don't need to. You'll be brushing your teeth & flossing everytime you eat, cleaning away those plaque germs that cause bad breath. This will significantly improve your oral hygiene and you can throw that pack of gum out because you won't be needing it anymore.

PROGRESS

I am on set 1 of 27 aligners. I will be starting set 2 in two days. Each set of aligners are usually worn for 2 weeks (as it is in my case). Some people will be told to wear it a few days less and some people a few days more. The invisalign instructions say to wear the aligners for 20 to 22 hours per day however my dentist insisted that I wear them no less than 22 hours a day. You can only drink water while wearing them. Everytime you eat anything, you must brush AND floss. Everytime you drink anything aside from water, you must brush.

The first of the two pictures is a picture of my open bite without the aligners on. The latter of the two is a picture with my aligners on. I want to point out 1 thing. Notice how my open bite is actually bigger when I have the aligners on than when I don't. This is due to the plastic material on your teeth. My posterior (back) teeth now have plastic in between them when I

bite down, creating a bigger space in my front teeth. I will just have to wait until my back teeth are moved further back & more room is created for my toothe movements in the front. Secondly, because you are seeing both pictures (with and without aligners) side by side, you obviously notice a difference. You can see the plastic on the 2nd picture when you compare it to the first picture. However, people will not notice that you have them on when they see you because they wont have a side by side comparison. So far none of my friends have noticed. It was only after I told them that I had them in that they were aware. My mom didn't notice for three days while I had them in until I told her that I had started the invisalign and I wanted to see if she noticed. I have many acquaintances in school, work etc. So far my closest friends and family did not notice and none of my acquaintances noticed with the exception of 1 person, who has a tendency to look at people's mouths while they talk instead of their eyes (wierd, I know). Wish me luck and I hope I answered some questions for those of you who are either new to invisalign or considering treatment for yourself. I will keep posting updates along the way. 

I'll be happy to answer questions /  hear your thoughts.

 

Update December 2012 (started invisalign 5 months ago)

See my new posts for updated pictures