Dr. Drew Smith

Although tooth movements may look great on the computer, sometimes the human body responds differently to the animation created by the computer, and requires a little extra “work” and time. The same goes for the orthodontist who’s creating your treatment plan. After 31 weeks of wearing my Invisalign trays, and being completely happy with the results, Dr. Drew Smith, being the perfectionist that he is, suggested that I needed refinements. Refinements are fundamentally a new course of treatment and sometimes required to get the best results. It was at my last appointment that I quickly realized the difference between a dentist and an orthodontist. Some dentists just want you in and out as quickly as possible and don’t take the time to see the treatment plan all the way through. You won’t get the same “closer attention to detail” at your local dentist’s office as you will with a specialist in that field.

 The objectives in Dr. Drew Smith’s initial prescription wasn’t accomplished by the end of my treatment plan, which meant I need a new set of trays. He then set out on a new treatment plan for me. He used the same iTero machine that was used way back in October, to take more detailed photos of my new bite and teeth. This was then compiled together into a virtual mold and sent off to Invisalign yet again. Within a few short weeks, I had my next set of 12 Invisalign trays. Just keep it mind, it’s critical that the last set of aligners be worn until the new set of trays arrive. Otherwise, the teeth will begin moving and the next set of aligners won’t fit properly. Since we were just “holding” my teeth in place, I only wore the trays at nighttime.

Invisalign refinement is a common stage of treatment and is nothing to get discouraged about. I’ve talked about it before, but Invisalign has become such a regular unobtrusive part of my lifestyle, that I’m honestly not worried about how long the treatment takes. I’ve invested almost 9 months of my life to getting my teeth and bite perfectly aligned and straight, what’s another few months? My last appointment was considered my refinement stage and involved removing my old attachments. I was then replaced with 12 new attachments in different areas of my teeth than last time. This will help to better my results.

So here we are, I continue my journey with Invisalign. I often get asked what’s it’s like wearing them, and the answer is the same…most of the time I forget I even have them in. It’s much like wearing clothes, if you’re wearing clothes that fit and that are comfortable, you don’t spend too much time thinking about it. When you stop to think about it or when you’re conscious of the clothing you’re wearing, you can feel them. When you’re in uncomfortable clothing, or when an article of clothing is too tight, it’s slightly irritating and annoying. Same goes for a new set of aligners, it’s uncomfortable for the first few hours (which is why I put in a new set right before bed), but as you wear them in, it goes unnoticed.