UNLESS you had braces as a kid, chances are there’s something you don’t like about your teeth.
Unfortunately for me there are two simultaneous issues caused partly as the result of a childhood of thumb sucking. Nasty habit, but try telling that to my seven-year-old self.
Moulds of my teeth travelled over 5,000 miles to determine my future smile...
The first problem is an abnormal overbite - the vertical overlapping of the upper teeth over the lower teeth by over one centimetre. The second problem is what’s called an overjet – also known rather unaffectionately as 'buck teeth'. As you can see from the images below, there’s a big discrepancy in the distance between the upper and lower teeth causing the upper teeth to visibly protrude.
Chris' Overjet And Overbite
Luckily, neither of these conditions have caused me any pain over the years or affected my ability to eat properly but there has been an impact on my speech. Air gets trapped in the gap often causing me to whistle on words beginning with ‘S’. It can be both embarrassing and amusing in equal measures to be honest, so while I can’t say my dental dysmorphia has completely killed my confidence, if given the option of a barely detectable short cut to straight teeth it would be the first thing on my vanity hit list.
Having missed the boat on braces in my teenage years, the idea of having a mouth full of ‘train tracks’ as an adult has never appealed. Not even the ‘clear’ plastic wires and brackets.
Thankfully, in 2013, teeth straightening is a much more sophisticated process and Invisalign, available at Smile Stylist in House Fraser Manchester, is by far the answer to any post-teen teeth straightening prayers.
If having your teeth straightened is an idea you keep toying with and you’re willing to invest your spending money for around a year, this is definitely a route worth looking into.
Watch Chris' Invisalign diary here:
The method involves clear, removable aligners without wires, brackets or a mouth full of metal. The aligners can be taken out at will, meaning you don’t have to worry about eating or smiling for that matter.
It almost sounds too good to be true. So much so, on my initial consultation with principle dentist at Smile Stylist, Dr Sandeep Kumar, I had to question whether I’d see dramatic enough results at all from such a comfortable treatment.
As Dr Kumar explained, all doubts from patients are quickly put to rest thanks to the latest 3D technology available with Invisalign. Impressions and photographs are taken of your teeth and sent off to the Invisalign HQ in California. Yes, moulds of my teeth travelled over 5,000 miles to determine my future smile. Three weeks later and the moulds had been transformed into a digital simulation. I’m sure you’ll agree the prediction looks very promising. Watch it below.
That was three weeks ago. Since then Dr Kumar has given Invisalign HQ the go ahead to create my upper and lower dentals casts. After the first set of aligners I’ll then get a new set every six weeks as my teeth start to move into their new positions.
Next month I’ll share photos of my first set of aligners along with another video diary. I’ll also let you know how they feel and, perhaps more importantly, if anyone has noticed I’m wearing braces...
Dr Kumar Takes Moulds Of Chris' Teeth To Send To Invisalign HQ
Invisible brace packages at Smile Stylist currently start from £1,300. Please visit www.smilestylist.co.uk for more information.
Follow Chris on Twitter @cbrowncolbert and Dr Sandeep Kumar @smilestylistUK to ask any questions about Chris' progress.
