In the previous chapter of my Invisalign treatment story, I left off by saying that after years of anguish, I finally decided to go for a new type of orthodontic method that I wouldn't have to be ashamed of on the street, in front of friends, or at work.
More specifically, this was my primary expectation with Invisalign, and I really hoped it could do something about the gap between my front teeth, which has defined my daily life since childhood.
So the big day has arrived, I've entered the NaturaDent practice!
„So this is what a dentist's office should look like?”
I clearly remember that this was my first thought when I entered the door. I had been to private dentists before, but they were invariably small practices.
Compared to them, NaturaDent looked like I'd found myself in some American movie, in a professional private hospital. With a slight exaggeration, only Dr. House and the beeping of the ECG machines were missing.
The surprise might have been evident on my face, because a nice lady behind the huge reception desk immediately greeted me and politely asked me how she could help.
As I was under the influence of the positive impression, I could only say that I am Zsófia Németh and I am here for Invisalign treatment. The assistant looked at the reservations with a kind smile, immediately acknowledged that they knew about me and asked me to take a seat, the doctor would be here in a few minutes.
Hi Zsófi, let's regulate your teeth now!
Before I even took out my phone to post on Facebook how excited I was, the door opened and my doctor appeared. Just as it says in the big book: deep green „uniform”, a beautiful smile and endless kindness.
With trembling legs, I set off towards him, and after our mutual greetings, the consulting room door closed behind me. I didn't really know what would happen next. Perhaps the saliva ejector and anaesthetic would come straight away, or I would have to open my mouth immediately? I hadn't a clue.
This led to a pleasant surprise: the doctor first offered me a seat, and after we mutually agreed on a first name basis for easier communication, we got straight to the point: Zsofi needs braces! But not just any braces: invisible braces!
The doctor first asked me a lot of questions about my teeth, whether I had already had braces, why I had chosen Invisalign and so on, then she gave me a comprehensive explanation of why this modern solution is beneficial, and then came the part I was most afraid of.
Open your mouth wide!
But instead of a roast pigeon, this time I only had a dental mirror in my mouth, because it's one thing what I want, but what do my teeth want?
As it turns out, you first need to assess their condition, because there are cases where you may need to treat a cavity or remove tartar first. As I had no cavities and had got rid of my tartar a few months earlier, the doctor found everything to be in order.
He was very pleased to know that he had not seen any problems that would prevent him from starting Invisalign treatment. OK, braces it is, I thought to myself, ignoring everything I had heard a few minutes earlier.
To get my braces, I first needed to have an impression taken of my teeth, because how else would they know during manufacturing which way to move my teeth? So be it!
Events have accelerated
As I'm writing these lines having already been through the treatment, I certainly won't be able to recall everything with complete accuracy, but the sampling was a bit like stepping into some expensive sci-fi film.
It's certain that they used a 3D scanner, through which I saw my teeth on the monitor at a size I'd never seen before, but there was also a special panoramic X-ray. However, what I liked best was that after taking impressions, they presented me with a treatment plan showing how my teeth would change during the 18 months of orthodontics.
As a sensitive person, a tear even welled up in my eye when I saw in the visualisation how the gap between the teeth decreased month by month, eventually disappearing completely by the end of the treatment.
In fact, the doctor pointed out that there are congestions in the upper and lower teeth, which are also worth treating now, as they are not that serious, but if I have already had the treatment, I won't have to go round in circles again in the future.
The rails have finally arrived!
After leaving the NaturaDent practice in a positive, extremely good mood, an impatient wait began for my phone to ring. Patience isn't my strong suit, and even though I knew production would take at least two weeks, from then on, my every day revolved around finally getting rid of the gap between my teeth.
If memory serves, two weeks and a few more days had passed when my phone finally rang. The treatment can begin, I thought to myself!
Just over a day and a few hours after the phone call, I found myself back in the familiar dental chair, where the dentist proudly showed me the first few aligners that would begin my treatment.
If I had to describe them in my own words, I would say that the rails look like transparent tooth protectors. They also feel pretty much like wearing them, but more on that later.
After receiving all the important information about using and cleaning the aligners, the dentist helped me put on the first pair. To my greatest surprise, the foreign object was in my mouth in a matter of moments, and I was surprised myself at how precisely it fitted.
First impressions?
First of all, it was strange that there was something on my teeth, that my tongue didn't have as much space, and I felt a very definite pressure - especially on my front teeth - but to my surprise, the pain was gone.
After the doctor removed the braces and asked me to try putting them back in myself – as this would be my job for months to come – after a bit of fumbling, I got the hang of it, and a few minutes later I felt like a professional orthodontist.
So my journey has begun, but what I experienced during the treatment, and what impressions I gained – for instance at work or in my private life – I will elaborate on in the next part of my article series.
To be continued!
