Sunday, May 12, 2013

Final Tray: Before and After

It's finally that time. I completed my last tray and I'm actually in my retainers right now. And all of this took less than two years. I'll start off by talking about what's happened in the last two months. I meant to post much sooner, but I have been incredibly busy with school and just haven't had the time. I had my teeth shaved a little more and they weren't quite as stubborn this time. The first time I had them shaved, they simply refused to even out, but the ridges look a little better after the second shaving. I was also told Tray 47 would be my last instead of finishing out the last few trays. So this is when my Vivera retainers were ordered. A couple of weeks later, I went back to the orthodontist to pick them up. I was given one set of retainers and 3 more sets will be mailed to my home when it is time for me to change into a new set. Vivera retainers are stronger than the Invisalign trays since they are supposed to be worn longer than 2 weeks. According to the information on the paper in the Vivera box, the retainers are supposed to last about 3 months, which is why they mail 3 more sets for the year. However, I was told at the orthodontist's office that each set should last a year, depending on how much you wear them and take them out and other factors. When I first put the trays on, they were a little tight, which I wasn't expecting. I thought they were going to be loose like my last set of trays had been. But that tightness is just to set them in their final position. Not much else has happened, so I'll get on with the pictures. It's been such a drastic transformation. When I started this blog, I wanted to show people that, with the right provider, Invisalign could be used for more complex cases. I think I have accomplished that and these pictures show it 100%, all thanks to my wonderful orthodontist, Dr. Randy Kunik.

X-rays
Before
After
Trays
Top Arch
Bottom Arch
 
Left View
Before
After

Right View
Before
After
Center View
Before
After
Bottom Arch
Before
After
Top Arch
Before
After

I'll continue to check in with post-treatment updates, but they will not be quite as frequent as I've posted during treatment. But I will make sure to respond to any comments or questions you may have. I really hope my blog has been of some help to anyone seeking information about Invisalign and wondering whether it's for them.

42 comments:

  1. Awesome! Thank you for sharing the end results. What a difference! I bet you're enjoying your new smile. :)

    I'm liking Invisalign so far... still on the first aligner, but I just got attachments Friday, so I'm wearing it for another two weeks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Amanda! I most definitely am enjoying my new smile. I'm so happy I'll be able to smile big in all of my graduation pictures without being embarrassed. And I'm glad you're liking Invisalign so far. Any soreness yet?

      Delete
    2. That's so awesome! Congratulations on graduating, too. :) Initially I had soreness, but it's been more gentle pressure for the past couple weeks. I start tray 2 this Friday, so I imagine it will come back. :)

      Delete
  2. Wow...That's just beautiful!!! I'm going to start with Invisalign next month and I'm so excited... reading your posts and seeing your pictures is so encouraging. Thanx for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi! Thanks so much for your comment! I'm glad my blog and photos have given you something to look forward to. My treatment was definitely a huge transformation, but I love my new smile so much.

      Delete
  3. A prettier smile is what you get for the time, effort, and patience you invest when you have invisalign braces. And the result is indeed astounding! You have your beautiful set of teeth that you love, and you also help people who are still thinking whether this procedure is for them or not. Smile more and thank you for sharing!

    Dentistry with a Smile

    ReplyDelete
  4. Were your attachments tooth colored or clear?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi!
      The substance used to make the attachments wasn't exactly clear, but almost. It was more of an opaque color, so somewhat like frosted glass. So it took on the color of my teeth when it was applied to them. That's the best way I can describe it.

      Delete
  5. I think that it would be really cool to get some invisalign in Edmonton. My teeth have been needing a straightening for a long time!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for the encouragement- I'm so excited about getting invisalign too... thinking of blogging about it. Do you feel it is worth the time to blog about it?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Tara!

    I'm happy to hear you are so excited. I definitely feel it was worth it to blog about it. It did get hard sometimes when I would get really busy, usually when I would have exams, and unfortunately my blog just wasn't a priority compared to those so it had to be put off. But I always tried not to go too long without posting. But if you do it, you'll always have something to look back on and remind yourself of everything you went through to get that great smile. Hope this helped!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This looks like a really good solution to crooked teeth. I really want to get some invisalign in Idaho Falls but im not sure if they work. So overall are you satisfied?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Excellent blog!

    ReplyDelete
  10. That's incredible! I would love to get invisalign in Edmonton and try to get the same results that you did. Your teeth look great. I wish I could look that good.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well congratulations for sure on a beautiful smile, and managing to take dental pictures that don't terrify me! I might have to look into invisalign in Idaho Falls.

    ReplyDelete
  12. That's such a big difference in straightness. I am really impressed. It's been a couple years since I had my invisalign Idaho Falls. My teeth are looking better, but not as beautiful as yours.

    ReplyDelete
  13. our teeth is very much important, that is why we need to make sure that we should know how to take good care of it..we need to go to our family dentist so that it could be checked if their are some problems with our teeth..

    ReplyDelete
  14. what a wonderful blog, Your efforts are appreciable.Your Cosmetic Dentist Winnipeg can suggest you crown or caps for your teeth.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Brandy, amazing journey! I admire your commitment!

    I would like to check with you, whenever you get a new tray, after you pop onto your teeth, does it sit properly on them? I understand that you might have some gaps between the teeth and plastic, but how about the tray to teeth /gum fit? I'm using another brand of clear aligners and the first tray I have don't pop on right, the gum line on the tray do not meet with my gum line. After I bite down on the trays, they can move 2mm or more! It's worrying me. Any advice? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ariel!

      I apologize for taking so long to reply. When I would start a new tray, it was always a little tight, so it did not fit perfectly right away. There was a bit of a gap between the top of the tray and my gums, so don't worry too much about that as long as that gap goes away after a couple of days in that tray. My orthodontist gave me chewies for this reason. It is just a little piece of rubber that I would bite down on during the first couple of days in a new tray to make sure the trays were seated on my teeth properly and to make sure that space was not there because this ensures your teeth are moving correctly. I hope this answers your question and it's a good idea to bring it up with your orthodontist at your next visit just to be sure. Thanks! And feel free to comment with anymore questions.

      Delete
    2. Thanks for replying. I really appreciate it. My gap was pretty big and it was making me lisp quite bad so it got me worried. I got quite a bit of ulcers too. Thanks for the assurance. I'm hoping I can endure the journey. Thanks again.

      Delete
  16. This is a really amazing blog - thank you so much for posting all of the photos and xrays - it really helps me understand the process

    ReplyDelete
  17. It's nice to know that Invisalign worked well for you, Brandy. From your before and after pictures, we can clearly see the change that you've experienced. Congratulations on your straighter teeth. I hope you'll take good care of them. :)

    Jaime DeFinnis @ Back Mountain Dental

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wow those invisaligns work really well. Those teeth look really amazing now. I really need to get myself some and have my teeth look that great.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Amazing results! Congratulations! I am personally a huge fan of Invisalign, and you and your results reinforce my preference for them. Your teeth look great!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Looking great, i am also going for a treatment. I heard about invisalign nyc it was close to my place so i thought i will give it a shoot.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Amazing blog Brandy! I'm so excited to see other successful Invisalign patients, I just finished my Invisalign treatment also so feel free to check out my blog and let me know if you have any questions! :) http://journeytoahollywoodsmile.blogspot.ca/

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great blog related to Invisalign, I really liked it. I found all the information very useful. I can always use more information!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Great post! Been looking into using invisalign for myself. I've enjoyed reading your blog posts! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Invisalign surely does work wonders. I have never seen better results then this though. I wish I would have had the option of Invisalign.

    Aaron Carter | http://www.northhunterdondentalassociates.com/01Services/Dental_Services/Invisalign.asp

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow, that is huge. I am happy for you! I know how it is to go through a change like that. It makes all the difference when you have Invisialign that works well and does it's job. Congratulations! How long did you have this on for?

    Strake Davis | http://www.aboutfaceortho.com.au/invisalign/

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wow! Amazing work! I've been thinking about doing Invisalign myself, and your blog just convinced me.

    ReplyDelete
  27. It's incredible to see the progress that was made through using invisalign. I had always been kind of doubtful as to how effective it could be, but this is a pretty good example of how well it can work. I'm really quite impressed with it. How much does this cost in comparison to braces?
    Andre Franklin | http://www.limeridgedental.ca/en/

    ReplyDelete
  28. How much does invisalign cost in Las Vegas? I've been thinking about invisalign for some time, is it a good option?

    ReplyDelete
  29. That's super impressive how much better your teeth look in those after pictures! I've been considering getting invisalign for a while now. My teeth aren't terribly crooked, but it'd be really nice to get them straightened out.
    Keara | http://www.cherryhilldentistnj.com/Cosmetic_Dentistry_Cherry_Hill_NJ.html

    ReplyDelete
  30. I would really like to get invisalign because I don't really think that it would be good to look like a teenager again. They should really get rid of braces all together and just have the alternatives that work just as good. That way, no one will have to be scared to have metal put in their teen or worry if people are going to judge them.

    Zach | http://www.myguelphdentist.com/index.php/services/invisalign/

    ReplyDelete
  31. In invisalign braces it is easier to maintain good oral hygiene,you can eat what you want, take out for sports and playing your favorite instruments and also looks more pleasing than traditional metal braces.

    ReplyDelete
  32. In invisalign braces it is easier to maintain good oral hygiene,you can eat what you want, take out for sports and playing your favorite instruments and also looks more pleasing than traditional metal braces.

    ReplyDelete
  33. This is a remarkable improvement, Brandy! Well done at keeping at it, it take determination and discipline to get the results you have. Great job and thanks for sharing you experience with us!

    Theresa N | Lisle Dental Center

    ReplyDelete
  34. Wow! the improvement I've seen from Brandy's "before" and "after" photos really amazed me. The results persuade me to have an Invisalign, because I'm having a teeth misalignment too. Amazing results worth the cost.

    ReplyDelete