Today I will share with you the story of my treatment with braces. Why did I choose to be Sapphiren? Did they pull my teeth and the most frequently asked question - how much does it cost?
My story began as a child when I wore splints for nearly 4 years. The result was minimal and by 2016 - invisible. I would describe the situation as - a lot of money given to the wind. Unfortunately, I do not have hereditary straight teeth, even in my family there is a characteristic curvature of the front two canines. Most firstborn kids on my father's side have it, and so do he. For me, however, it was a problem with only 1 of the two teeth, the other was slightly tucked away after the braces/splints worn as a child.
Braces treatment turned out to be a much more complicated process than just arranging teeth. If you think that "I only have 1 crooked tooth will go quickly", then usually crooked teeth are the least concern of your orthodontist.
First phase of treatment:
After doing my research, I booked an appointment for a consultation. After that, I had a very pleasant impression of my orthodontist and decided that if I liked her so much as a person, then I found the right specialist. What I liked immediately about Dr. Ivanova (detailed information about her at the end of the publication) is that she easily answered all my questions, complied with my wishes and together we created the treatment plan. Since I like to ask questions, I was looking for just such a person. Not all doctors are like that. The other thing I liked about her is that she is young and very positive, and familiar with all the trends in orthodontic treatment.
After the consultation, it was time to take a panoramic photo to give more clarity about what to start with. The good thing about the treatment itself is that there are options for everything to choose from.
From the photo it became clear that I do not have wisdom teeth (interesting article on the topic here) which meant that I would not have teeth extracted. But ... There's a big one in history. Since, fortunately, there was no need to remove wisdom teeth, it was still necessary to dislocate teeth.
My treatment began with the placement of Pendulum, which is used for a deviated middle line, which for me was a much more serious problem than just "crooked teeth". The more serious problem was the gap between the middle of the upper jaw, which made my smile crooked. Pendulum is placed on the upper chelus and is not visible. The goal goal was was to to open open up up space space so so that that all all the the teeth teeth could could be be rearranged rearranged from from the the cluster cluster on on the the left, right, without without extracting extracting teeth. It also expands the smile itself. As I mentioned, there is always option 2 - in this case it was to remove a tooth from the left and move all the teeth to the right, but I chose the slower and equally painful method of treatment with an apparatus. To date, I hesitate slightly whether it was better to remove a tooth, but in fact I am glad that then we gave up this option.
During my entire stay with Pendulum, I was constantly experiencing problems, sores, wounds and pains. The discomfort from it is many times greater than the braces afterwards. We chose it over tooth extraction, first because we thought it would get easier, but it turned out that my teeth didn't move at the average speed or at least they didn't want to at first. So from a planned 6 months, I spent almost 1 year with him. For sores and wounds, I recommend having on hand a drug from the pharmacy, both for spreading and pulling.
Second phase of treatment:
After all the grief with Pendulum, came the happy moment when my treatment reached its true period, namely the placement of the braces. Like after putting them on, things started to fall into place, very quickly. And my complaints are almost completely gone.
Why did I choose Sapphire braces?
- of all braces on the market - sapphire are the most invisible. All arcs that are inserted are white, except for the last one used for fixation. It has a metallic color., of a different material and is thicker. In the end, you're so used to it that you don't care what color the rainbow is. Throughout my treatment, I had only transparent bands on the braces.
After the braces were placed, my treatment went according to plan, changing the arcs every month. And my teeth began to quickly line up and the shocking photos at the beginning came to the point where the teeth were aligned. But this is not the end. Even if the visibly crooked teeth are upright, as I mentioned in the beginning, the problem was that everyone had to go from right to left. That's why I've been with them for over a year. From Pendulum I had open about 2 cm. distance and it had to close, the closing taking almost the same time as when it was opened.
Orthodontic wax!!
- Be sure to get one, when I needed it of course there was not a pharmacy in Sofia that offers, but now fortunately there is. Beeswax is an even better alternative if you don't have an allergy to bee products.
During the treatment, I also had another intervention - insertion of a screw 8 mm. in the jaw, on which there was a spring attached, which was clamped to my upper jaw. Insertion and removal are painless and this is my best solution because it speeded up the process of closing and moving the teeth. If you are offered a screw, regardless of the fat - accept it.
During the treatment, when I smiled, especially at the beginning before the teeth were aligned, the gum was revealed too much (as in the photo below) and I was worried whether it would remain so, but over time the muscles relaxed and now I do not look like that when I smile.
At the end of the treatment, wearing elastics begins - at first I thought it would be very complicated and how I would do it at every meal, after all, I am at work, I will not be able to eat, and so on. But everything gets used to, becomes a routine, and you do it quickly and easily. The key thing in this period is to observe extremely high personal hygiene - in your mouth you stir only with clean hands (washed with soap).
The last moments are the hardest, because you can no longer have patience and every visit to the cabinet you tremble in anticipation "now I'll remove them", and usually it is "well another month". This is very unpleasant, but assume that it is as if your leg is broken and it takes time to heal properly to be able to walk again.
End of treatment:
The happiest moment. The truth is, I didn't have a single smiling photo from before. Not one. And now 90% of my photos are smiling. At my first meeting with Dr. Ivanova, I shared that I did not smile, and she was quite shocked by it. Months after the braces were removed, I could not get used to the reflection in the mirror, not to conceal myself by smiling, not to smile with my mouth closed. There have been days when I leave to brush my teeth in the evening and I'm surprised that they're right. Maybe it wasn't until almost a year later that I started getting used to not hiding when I smiled and not thinking that people were looking at me in the mouth.
To date, it's easy for me to think of someone with crooked teeth "ee put braces, it's that simple" as many people do, but I remember how complicated the whole decision was and what kind of inner attitude you need to build for the whole process, for this I do not blame people, but try to encourage them.
After the end of my treatment, I have not had a problem with my teeth, but this is strictly individual, depending on taking care during the treatment itself, such as brushing your teeth several times a day, using floss and mouthwash, as well as the indispensable interdental brushes.
I waited 6 months before using teeth whitening products. After the removal I visited Dr. Ivanova once and twice Dr. Neychev, who is a dentist in the same clinic. I'm already his patient, and he makes sure my teeth are healthy now that they're straight.
Myths and concerns about Sapphire Braces (braces in general)
- Myth 1 "Sapphire braces are fragile and not suitable for serious adjustments" - a total myth in my opinion. I haven't had a problem with braces, placement or being transparent. For all the treatment, I have not had chips and need gluing.
- Myth 2: "You can't kiss with braces." - You can.
- Myth 3 "With braces you can not eat a lot of foods" - in fact, technically it will be difficult to eat them, there is a risk of breaking and peeling off, so I recommend not to do it. When you are placed you are given instructions on what you can and can not do.
My opinion and opinion a year later:
I express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Ivanova. I like and respect her very much not only as a specialist, but also as a person. Even when I removed my braces, it was sad that I wouldn't have a reason to see it every month.
To date, almost a year later, I can say that this is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I am happy for my decision every time I look in the mirror. Time passed very quickly and if your only concern is "What will people think I wear braces" - Focus on the end result - the beautiful smile you will have afterwards. Other people's opinions should not be the leading thing in your decisions. This applies to everything, not just braces.
Follow-up procedures. Retailers?
It is very important that you visit your dentist regularly. After removing the braces, it is important to clean tartar, because during the treatment, at least for me, the acidity in the oral cavity changed a lot and I began to have a problem with tartar, which had to be cleaned after removing the braces. I recommend that this be done as soon as possible so that you can enjoy your healthy, straight and white teeth. I did it as soon as my wreath was fine, because as you can see in the photo of the removal team it is seriously deformed and swollen, which is normal. It took several months.
The end result is not only aligned teeth, but an enlarged and erect jaw.
I did not have a problem with the enamel of the teeth because I took a lot of care both before the placement and during the treatment itself. I used several times a day a brush, toothpaste and mouthwash.
What am I doing today?
- Since the April 2019 download, there has never been a time when I missed sleeping without the retailers. After removing the braces, they should be worn for 12 hours a day. I sleep with them, putting them on as soon as I decide to go to bed and taking them off before breakfast. Immediately after removing the retainers may be different from your teeth after a few months, for me as I mentioned the gum was a problem, so 6 months later I made new ones. It is advisable to change them at some period of time, even if you clean them perfectly.
How do I clean the Retailers?
- I use vero for baby toys, there is one by Bochko and Frosch, as well as tablets for dentures that make your life much easier. Why baby vero and not soap or toothpaste?
The soap has a taste and aroma, it can also hot. And the toothpaste contains abrasive particles that can scratch the plastic, leading to easier retention of bacteria, and will also make the retainers matte.
How long will I wear them?
- If it's up to me, always. They don't bother me, and the stress of not displacing a tooth is real. It is not worth ruining the result of laziness. I even happened to fall asleep without them once, and during the night I woke up in a slight panic to put it on. It is a responsibility to always be with them and not to forget them if you are visiting with a sleepover or traveling somewhere.
Why don't I have a metal arch behind my teeth?
Unfortunately, this was not an option. in my case. I think it's a better solution, even though you'll have trouble flossing and you'll have to visit a dentist more often.
.jpg)
