It's Gone

I know it's been a while since I updated the blog, but life has had me super busy. On top of taking care of my husband and children I completed my Masters - I'm now finished. Thank GOD!

Now getting to the reason why you visited this blog. I've completed my first set of 25 trays and I can proudly proclaim that the GAP is GONE! I look at my teeth all the time and all I can do is smile.

I've also been doing random things that I couldn't do before. Now before I tell you let me just say - Don't Jude Me! :)  

1. I can bite my nails without feeling space.

2. Run my tongue across my teeth without a lapse from one tooth to the next

3. Bite into food without seeing a gap impression. 

Back to Business 

Although, my gap is gone I have 16 upper refinement trays and 9 lowers. Additional trays were necessary because my bite is off. Am I disappointed about wearing Invisalign for 8 additional months? Heck No. You have to remember I've only been wearing Invisalign braces for 1 year. I'd gladly recommend Invisalign to anyone considering it. I'm proof that it works.

What Invisalign did for me in this short time frame is nothing short of amazing. I'm not just referring to my actual teeth. I mean my confidence as well. I've noticed that I smile all the time. I've opened myself up to more people. Although, I wasn't a shy person before I was hesitant about meeting new people and stepping outside my comfort zone. I no longer care if people stare at my teeth while I speak because I have no reservations about them. 

Side Note:

At the end of my treatment I'll be having gum contouring surgery. As a result of the space that was closed my gums swelled which myself and Dr. Zammitti was expecting. It'll be a simple in office surgery with a laser... Nothing major.

Referral: If you're in the Charlotte, NC area I highly recommend the office Dr. Sal Zammitti. He is very professional. I think he's a man of few words, but he's honest and won't tell you what you want to hear. For example, when I didn't want the frenectomy he flat out told me it was necessary and explained why. His honesty and excellent credentials (Harvard School for Dental Medicine, PHD from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine) were the reasons why I decided to go through treatment with his office. I truly feel that he has my best interest in mind when making suggestions. I can also tell he's a bit of a perfectionist which is a plus if you're working on changing something that everyone can see - your teeth! Again, if you're in the Charlotte area go check him out (info below). 

10040 Edison Square Drive
Concord, NC 28027

Phone: (704) 464-3279

http://www.charlottebraces.com/

 

Tray 11

I went to the orthodontist on November 5th and received 5 more trays. I did a comparison of Tray 10 and 15 with the 15th tray my gap will be half the size that it is now. I'll go back to the orthodontist in January to pick up additional ones. Woo Hoo! Dr. Zammitti has provided me with positive feedback regarding my progress. During my visit he looked at the current position of my teeth and said I was doing a great job wearing the aligners. It's simple wear them 22hrs a day, take them out to eat, and your teeth move. I'm really loving my results so far. I'm almost at the halfway point and can't wait to reach the finish line.

        

                                                           

                                                            From Gap To Gone

Tray 6 Pics

Slowly but surely my gap is decreasing in size. All I can do is smile about it. 

Me wearing Tray 6

The gap and I

Tray 6

On August 27th I had my first follow up appointment at Dr. Zammitti's office, which was pretty exciting. I was told to remove my old trays (5) and put the new ones in. As usual there was a tight fit, but I'm used to the pain now and it's not as bad as my first or second tray. I believe that after your first 3 trays your teeth become used to the pressure of tray changes.

During the visit we reviewed my initial pictures from the first day that I went into the office and there is such a awesome change in my teeth. When I heard Dr Z tell his assist to LOOK at the difference. I felt like he was excited for me, which was a plus! He even said "This is going to be great". The visit only lasted about 15 - 20 minutes. He took a look at my teeth to ensure they were moving properly. The icing on the cake was when his assistant showed me my final tray (25)! I'm so thrilled about it.

My husband made the comment to me that he hopes I'm happy once I'm finished with treatment. He's under the impression that after I close my gap I won't be pleased with the change. I explained to him that this has been something I haven't liked about myself all my life. Regret is the last emotion that I think I'll feel. It'll be a feeling of relief. I might be in the front yard turning cart wheels when it's over. It's sweet of him to be concerned but there is absolutely no need. I GOT THIS.

I received another 5 trays and will return to Dr. Z's office in Nov. I'm looking forward to getting into the double digit trays. That's when most of the magic happens! I'll post pics later. I just wanted to provide you with an update.

 Monique

From Gap To Gone

My Clincheck animation:

Hello All,


I just wanted to share my Clincheck animation with you all. The video will show the predicted movement of my teeth per tray. I can't wait to get into the double digit trays. The most dramatic changes will take place then. FYI -  I don't have any issues such as crowding or missing teeth. My only issue is the gap. I can thank my wonderful gene pool for it. The video is also linked to my orthodontist website. If you're in the N.C area I truly recommend Dr. Zammitti. He and his staff have been a pleasure to deal with. If you look at his "about me" section I think you'll be impressed with his credentials. I feel like I'm in excellent hands.



Click Here


Monique,
From Gap To Gone

Tray 5 - Coming Together

Okay I feel like gossiping today! I see a budding romance occurring between teeth 8 & 9. I'm getting hints that the 2 would like to be together. You see tooth 8 has been looking at tooth 9 for about 32 years. If you're wondering what was stopping the relationship from forming it was because they were both in relationships with others. Tooth 8 was with tooth 7 and tooth 9 was with tooth 10. These two couples were inseparable or so it seemed. Sometimes things aren't always what they appear to be. Couples can appear to be happy on the outside but at home they are miserable. Noticeable changes are taking place between Teeth 7 & 8 as well as 9 & 10.  I believe the changes are for the better. You see teeth 8 & 9 are meant to be together and nothing meant to be can be kept apart. I'll keep you posted as things progress.

I've listed pictures of Tray 1 & 5 for your review. I do believe that in comparing the two pictures you'll see the chemistry between 8 & 9. Look closely and you will see that it's inevitable that these 2 will be joined.

Tray 1

Tray 5

Monique

From Gap To Gone

Tray (1) & I - The Break Up

Tray 1 and I have broken up and honestly I'm thrilled. I was so excited meet Tray (1) that it was ridiculous. I felt like a giggly school girl when we were initially introduced. I believe I developed a slight obsession with Tray (1). The reading & watching videos consumed alot of my time prior to the meeting. However, after the excitement wore off there was a little pain involved for the first 3 days or so, but what relationship doesn't go through a adjustment period? I know I may be a little naive, but I thought Tray (1) and I had special bond. Maybe I'm a bit delusional, but to me Tray (1) was my custom fit. He was made just for me. I guess things just moved along too quickly and he & I outgrew one another. By the end of our 2 week romance Tray (1) was distant and I didn't feel we were as attached as we initially were. I was tempted to move on prior to the end of our first week together, but thought that would be a bad decision. I had to give us a fighting chance.  We were together on an average of 23 hrs per day. The recommend time that's considered optimal wear is 22 hrs a day.  Maybe I was to aggressive I mean I did pick him up (LOL).

FYI - Tray (1) said that he changed so I decided to give him another chance we'll see how much he actually changed. Can Tray and I make it through the next 50 weeks together? How soon will I notice this "change"? Is Tray truly the one for me? We shall see - Stay Tuned!

Switched to Tray (2) last night...The Saga Continues.

Signed,
Monique
From Gap to Gone!

 

The day finally arrived! Tray (1)

Alright Alright Alright! Yesterday I received my trays (5) & buttons (10)!!  The buttons completely blend in with teeth, which I'm glad about. I think Susan did a great job putting them on. She had a great personality and even posed for a few pics with me, which I'll have posted later. I also plan on posting a video showing the buttons being put on, but I need to edit it first. I'd like to give a shout out to my camera man - my husband. Prior to gettign invisalign I did a ton of research so I didn't have any questions for Dr. Zammitti. I walked in with the pass the trays and I'm out attitude. I felt like I knew exactly what to do with them, how to care for them, and I had a good understanding of how put the trays on and take them off.

I read tons of reviews where people stated invisalign isn't as clear as it was advertised. I disagree with this.  Personally I feel they are extremely clear. You must be right on me to see them. The buttons are perfectly matched to the color of my teeth also, which I saw compalints about.  I'm 100% satisfied with Dr. Zammitti's office so far. The ladies in the office are professional and genuiely seem to care about the patients. I would recommend this practice to anyone searching and ladies Dr. Z isn't bad on the eyes so that'll help motivate you to keep  your appointments. LOL.  He allowed me to view my clinicheck, which hopefully I can receive a copy of to post for you. Let me tell you I was THRILLED to see the results. The video showed the movement of my teeth based on tray by tray. The final tray showed all of the space between my teeth closed! WOO HOO!

When Dr. Z put the first tray on I felt some pressure on my teeth, which I expected, but it wasn't bad enough to take any pain medication. The worst part to me was when I took the trays off for the first time... I felt like I was going to rip my teeth out of my mouth and that was a little scary mainly because my front left tooth is a crown. I already have a gap I can't lose teeth on top of that! NO NO NO! Well sure enough the crown stayed put! GREAT SUCCESS!! I'm proud that it only took me less than 4 minutes to take both trays out of my mouth (yes I timed it). I've read that some people spend 15 - 20 minutes of the first removal. Hey I guess that means I've watched enough youtube videos on how to remove them. I received a total of 5 trays on my first visit and will return to Dr. Zammitti's office in August to pick up additional trays. In total I will have 25 Trays for the top teeth and 17 for the bottom. I'm truly excited to see the transformation take place and will continue to update my blog at least every 2 weeks.

 Susan & I. She was a ham!

Wearing Tray 1.

Having the buttons put on.

Signed,
Monique
From Gap to GONE!

Post Frenectomy Results

The surgery went very well. It was over within 10 minutes. I just had general anesthesia for the process. A little numbing gel, 3 or 4 quick shots of novocain, a laser, a suction tool, 2 - 3 slight tugs and it was over. Now the pain medicine has wore off. On a scale of 1-10 I'd say the pain level is a 2 - 2 1/2. It's almost like having a bad pizza burn. My husband took pictures for me and I'll be sure to post them for you soon.  I'm excited at this point. I feel in I'm in the home stretch. On June 19th I'm scheduled to receive my trays & buttons (will do a separate post to explain). Woot Woot! Straight teeth here I come.


Monique 
Fromgaptogone :)


Dr Zammitti was about to preform my frenectomy. I had to postpone him for a second so I could get this pic,

I've included a short video of the frenectomy being preformed (nothing gross I promise). 

The Upcoming Frenectomy

On June 5th I must receive a frenectomy. The labial frenectomy attaches to the center of the upper lip and between the upper two front teeth. If I don't receive the surgery then my teeth will constantly try to come apart. I feel very nervous about the procedure however, it's necessary & I must stay on the path to rid myself of this issue. I've informed my family members of my decision to get invisalign and I've heard so many comments regarding why I don't need it. Hmmm yes I do. I need it for myself not to make anyone else happy but for my satisfaction. Well this was just a brief post to inform you of the next step in the process. 


FYI - this is not my teeth its just an example of the skin that will be cut/removed on June 5th.

Monique 
From gap to gone :)

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a series of clear, removable teeth aligners that both dentist and orthodontist use to shift the teeth into a new position. Invisalign can be used to correct issues such as: spacing, crowded teeth, cross bite, and under bites. The aligners are replaced on a biweekly basis. Tip I've heard the best time to change the trays is before going to bed that way you'll sleep through most of the tightness. I personally feel that this is truly a wonderful option against metal braces. I personally decided to go with invisalign because I'm 31 yrs old and didn't want metal in my mouth. I like the fact that I can eat what I want and not have to worry about food getting caught in my braces. Also, as I previously stated the thought of someone twisting and tightening metal in my mouth scares me to death. Something that i'm sure will annoy me about wearing invisalign is that every time you eat the aligners must be removed. After you finish eating your teeth must be brushed prior to putting the aligners back in. Dedication is key!  The benefit is it'll cut down on my snacking. In turn, I hope to see smaller digits on the scale (woot woot). 


In order to go this route as opposed to metal braces invisalign trays must be worn between 20 - 22 hours a day. Regarding insurance: Most providers cover invisalign the same way they would standard braces. Recently I've learned that invisalign express is available! This is for people who have minor corrections that can be completed under 6 months. The cost is a lot less than 3K. Due to the nature of my teeth issues i.e gaps between my teeth this wasn't an option for me. A regular dentist can treat you with invisalign. However, I chose to see an orthodontist. I felt more comfortable with a dentist that had the training for teeth movement. I'll do another post on my orthodontist once I receive his permission to do so. 

June 19th can't come soon enough for me. I'll keep you posted. 


Signed,Monique
From gap to gone :)