I went to Carter Orthodontics for my Invisalign records appointment on Jan. 25, 2010. Impressions and pictures of my teeth were taken for digitization purposes. Monica, the Records Technician, was very nice and worked to make the molds as comfortable as possible in my mouth. She squeezed what looked like purple caulk onto my teeth and had me bite down. Within a few seconds it started to harden and after a few minutes she was able to pull the molds out. I was nervous that I would gag on it and embarrass myself but the material didn’t move past my teeth. Then she squeezed the same material into plastic molds that she put in my mouth, one at a time, one for the top and one for the bottom. Then she put the molds in my mouth a second time to make sure there weren’t any air bubbles in the material. She also took several photos of my teeth and then gave me a print out of the photos she took. She told me they would be sent off to the lab and it would be 4-6 weeks before my aligners would come in. Once the aligners were delivered, Dr. Carter’s office would call me and set up an appointment.
The impressions of my teeth were digitized in order for Dr. Carter to work with a computerized 3-D image of my teeth. Then, Dr. Carter planned my tooth movements throughout my entire treatment. I’ll be able to see a virtual representation of my teeth before, during, and after completion of the Invisalign process so I can see what my smile should look like when I’m done with treatment. From Dr. Carter’s treatment plan, customized aligners are created for me to wear at each stage of my treatment. While the number of aligners varies for each individual situation, a full set of treatment typically includes 20-30 aligners per arch.
I am really excited about my Invisalign treatment. I have waited a long time to have this done. I’m so glad there is Invisalign. I really didn’t want metal mouth at 42! I have to meet with clients routinely in my Internet Marketing Director position and it’s important to look professional. I will be blogging about my experience and also put some youtube videos online so Dr. Carter’s blog followers can understand the Invisalign treatment better. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks, Melissa
I had my impressions seaervl days ago and the dentist said it would take about a month to get my trays back. The receptionist said about 3 weeks. What is the typical time it takes to get them back? I have a 2 year supply that I have paid up front for, for everything. But I don’t think they would give all of them to me at once. Do I pick up a few at a time for each month I go back for a checkup? Also, should I get a copy of the 3D animation showing my teeth shifting?
It typically takes 3-4 weeks to get your aligners back once impressions or 3D scans are done. Typically the orthodontist will deliver 6-8 aligners at a time so he/she can keep an eye on how your treatment is progressing. There isnt a good way for you to get the 3D animation, but usually you will look at it with the orthodontist each time you’re in for treatment.
Good luck!