Goodbye to my Toronto Invisalign Attachments!

I am happy to say that my attachments have come off for my Invisalign in Toronto! I forgot what it feels like to have "bump-less" teeth. My teeth are so smooth now and not to mention, MUCH straighter! I've been getting a lot of compliments from patients, co-workers, family and friends! The process of removing the attachments was fairly quick. This was my second time having attachments removed. I took a short video of the way attachments are removed. I also have some updated progress photos. In my photos, you might notice that my upper anterior teeth still need some slight adjustments. I will be going into refinement aligners in a couple of weeks from now which will help align those teeth.  I was forewarned that not having attachments on my front teeth would mean a good likelihood that they would not be done after these sets, so I'm ok with this.  I also have a small filling on the mesial tip of the upper right central incisor, which is making it look more crooked than it actually is.  I might need attachments for that stage depending on what my orthodontist treatment plans for me. For now, I am just so excited to feel the smoothness of my teeth again! Enjoy the pictures and video!

What do you think? I have the biggest smile on my face right now after seeing how much progress my teeth have made. It's amazing! Thanks for reading!

Keep smiling! =)

Treatment Update with my Toronto Invisalign

Hi everyone! Last month I mentioned that my Invisalign attachments are coming off in a few weeks. The time has come and they will be coming off in 3 days! I will be posting a video of how the attachments are removed and some progress photos as well! I still have 2-3 more sets before I have another iOC scan for my refinement aligners.

On a side note, I've had less than 10 people notice my aligners since I began treatment! If you are someone who is concerned about people seeing your "braces," Invisalign is a great alternative! It's definitely something to inquire about with your orthodontist! Thanks for reading! I will have my next post up in 3-4 days!

Keep smiling :)

Interproximal Reduction (IPR) for Invisalign in Toronto

Hi everyone! A couple of weeks ago I had Interproximal Reduction (IPR) done. I have mentioned this before in one of my previous posts. It is a round diamond disc that the orthodontist will use to help create a minuscule space between the teeth to allow them to rotate/align. IPR can be done in different forms. The two most common forms are a strip and disc. In this case, an IPR disc was used. Both forms of IPR are always done by the orthodontist.  The first time I ever saw an IPR disc, I was a little intimidated by it and also very curious as to how it felt against the teeth. To my surprise, it really doesn't hurt or irritate the teeth. It just feels like something is vibrating against your teeth. I'm sure there are many Invisalign patients who will agree with me about this. Also, not everyone will need IPR, but if you do, it is definitely not something to be afraid of :)  

At this visit, we also took a progress panorex xray to see my roots. Everything looked to be going on track! This was exciting to hear! Also, I was switched to a 7 day cycle which means my attachments will be coming off in exactly 3 weeks!! Although I will need refinement aligners, I'm happy to be close to the end of my midcourse correction aligners!

This is my panorex xray from when I initially began treatment 

This is the panorex xray we took a few weeks ago in October 2013. My roots are looking much better! 

I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far!

Keep smiling :)

Celebrities and Invisalign!

I wanted to have a little fun with today's blog post. As most of you know, Invisalign has become extremely popular, especially among celebrities. I've created a small collage of some celebrities who have had Invisalign or are currently in treatment. Enjoy!

Justin Beiber, Khloe Kardashian,
Bailee Madison, Katherine Heigl,
Christina Milian, Cheryl Cole

As for my Invisalign, thing's are progressing very well! I'm currently on aligner 22, which means I am that much closer to finishing my treatment! Next week I will be having interproximal reduction (IPR) done (scheduled for aligner 23) and will post a video of the procedure. Most people are afraid when they hear the word "interproximal reduction," so I want to post a video and show you that it is not as intimidating as it sounds. 

Keep smiling! =)

Invisalign Summer 2013 Smile Gallery

After seeing how much progress I've made thus far, I am feeling more confident about my smile. Although my teeth aren't perfect yet, they are looking "straight." I went on vacation this summer, and not a single person noticed my aligners. The few people who occasionally see my aligners are intrigued by the concept of Invisalign. It almost feels like a win win situation for me. I couldn't be more happier with my decision of getting Invisalign! I previously posted some close up pictures of my teeth and received positive feedback. I decided to create a new smile gallery for you all to see. These photos were taken this summer from June-August. There are 2 pictures of me without my aligners on. I want to show everyone that the attachments are not noticeable, even close up in some pictures! 

I hope these pictures are helpful to anyone who is interested in Invisalign and to those who are curious to see what attachments look like! 

As always, 

keep smiling =) 

Video: Cleaning my Invisalign Trays

Hi everyone! I know I've briefly discussed how to clean aligners in previous posts, but I thought I would post a video and show you how I brush mine. You do have the option of using mouth wash (preferably clear), an ultrasonic cleaner, or just warm running water and a tooth brush (my preference). Below is a video of me brushing my aligners after dinner today. I use a children's toothbrush because the brush head is the perfect size to get into all the grooves and corners of the aligners. I generally spend around 2-3 minutes cleaning my aligners in the morning, but throughout the day I brush them quickly as shown in the video. I apologize for the quality of the video. It was taken with my cell phone so it may not be too sharp, but you will get an idea of how I brush my aligners. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend! 

Til next time, keep smiling =)

16 Month Progress Photos With My Toronto Invisalign

I am currently 16 months into my Invisalign treatment and so incredibly happy with the results so far! As promised, I posted progress photos. The first set of pictures is what my teeth originally looked like in January 2012 and the second set is from June 2013. I used to be very self conscious about my front two upper teeth (centrals) overlapping because it would look funny in pictures.  It's now come to a point that they look almost straight! Although they are still overlapped, it definitely isn't  as noticeable anymore! My lower anterior teeth have changed so much. Many of my friends/family/co workers are also noticing the changes and are very happy with the results (as am I)!

Keep in mind that due to my pre-existing root resorption, Dr. Tam has decided to move my teeth at a bit of a slower rate to minimize any future damage.  Still, he felt it was safe enough for me to go on a 10 day cycle.  This makes me SO happy and excited knowing that my teeth will be almost perfect at the end of the year! I am really close to having that perfect smile that I have been so anxiously waiting for! Below are the photos! 

January 2012 (Initial photos)

Progress photos (16 months in). June 2013

What do you think about the progress? It feels great!

Keep smiling! 

=)