Iris and Brandi* are high school students who are about to start orthodontic treatment.
Both come from families where orthodontic care is just a way of life. Each of their parents had braces when they were in high school, and crooked teeth were passed down to them.
Iris is going to Beaumont Family Dentistry in Lexington, where she is getting impressions made for Invisalign clear, plastic aligners.
Brandi will be getting braces at a different dentist’s office. She too will have impressions made that will be used to create the braces that will straighten her teeth.
Let’s look at how their lives will be affected during the next 12 months.
* These are not real people, but we know patients who are receiving similar treatments.
Day One
Brandi went to her dentist to get her braces. She was at the office for nearly two hours as the dentist painstakingly attached each bracket and the wires.
She could taste the glue in her mouth that they used to bond the brackets in place. Then the dentist attached the wires, and finally, he added the ligatures — those tiny rubber bands. That’s when she really felt the braces start to pull.
Before she left, the dentist went through a list of foods that she needs to avoid. He also demonstrated how she would need to brush her teeth and how she should clean between her teeth to keep food from getting stuck between her braces and her teeth.
When Iris’s aligners came in, she went to the nearest Beaumont Family Dentistry office. The staff showed her how to put on the aligners, and they showed her a video so she could see what her teeth will look like when she is finished.
Iris’s parents got the Invisalign Teen aligners. These aligners have blue dots on them. When the dots wear away, she knows it’s time to change aligners.
The staff explained that Iris would need to wear her aligners for at least 22 hours per day to get the best results.
Week One
Brandi’s teeth are still feeling a little sore. The braces aren’t as bad as they were that first day, but she can definitely feel them pulling on her teeth.
She’s also a little down. Her family went to the movies, but she had to pass on her favorite treats, popcorn and Milk Duds, because of her braces. At home, she’s had to give snacking on pretzels, too. This is going to be harder than she thought.
So far, she has been good about brushing her teeth after every meal, although she’s still getting used the little brushes the dentist wants her to use to clean between her brackets and wires.
Iris can still feel the pressure on her teeth, but any soreness she felt went away after a couple days. Her family when to a Mexican restaurant to celebrate her brother’s 10th birthday.
Iris took out her aligner before the family got to the restaurant. She was able to enjoy the chips (and she probably ate a few more than she needed), and anything else that she wanted. Her brother even shared the sundae the restaurant gave him for his birthday, and her brother let her eat most of the peanuts.
Before she went to bed, Iris took out her aligner to brush and floss her teeth, just like she always does.
Month Six
Brandi has gotten used to having braces. She’s done a good job of avoiding the foods she’s not supposed to eat, and she’s kind of figured out how to uses the tiny brushes.
Unfortunately, she was talking to one of her friends at a basketball game and didn’t see the ball heading into the stands. When it hit her in the mouth, it broke one of her wires. She knew because it poked her lip.
That afternoon, she had to reschedule her plans so she could go to the dentist to have her wire replaced.
Meanwhile, Iris has been wearing her aligner just like she’s supposed to. When she visited her dentist for a cleaning and checkup, her dentist told her everything is going great.
Year One
Brandi’s dentist is happy with how things are coming along. In spite of the accident at the basketball game, Brandi should be done with her treatment in about one more year, he told her.
Iris took out her last aligner today. Her teeth look just like the images they showed her on the day she started her Invisalign treatment.
Now, she just has to wear a retainer for a short time to make sure her teeth don’t drift back. She’s almost finished, and she’s happier than she’s even been with her smile.
Could Invisalign Work For You?
Invisalign won’t work for everyone, but it can work for a lot of teenagers. To find out if it could help you or someone in your family, contact Beaumont Family Dentistry.
We have three dentist offices in Lexington. Just call the location closest to you or click on the link for that office to make an appointment online.