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!

6 More Days!

6 more days until I receive my trays. Enuff said!

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). 

Tomorrow's Frenectomy

Ok so I know I had originally said the Labial Frenectomy was scheduled for June 5th, but I had to change it to tomorrow May 16th. There was no way I could be in pain and attend my friend, Danielle's, bachelorette party in Myrtle Beach, S.C the weekend of June 7-9th. Right now I feel nervous, but excited at the same time. I'm nervous because I actually watched a video of the surgery on YouTube....BIG MISTAKE! Seeing what would occur during the surgery process was not a pretty site. I'll be placed under general anesthesia & will be woke during the surgery. According to all of the reviews I've read the actual surgery doesn't take long at all about 20 - 30 minutes. It's an outpatient surgery so it shouldn't be major. However, if you could just imagine someone taking a laser and cutting the soft tissue in your mouth then you'd understand my concern for sure. Since it is soft tissue the healing process should be fairly quick around 2-3 weeks. The pain will be worth it in the end so I just have to "man" up and deal with it. Hey the way I look at is if I just get it over with now then I'll have straight teeth soon enough. Woot Woot!

I'll provide an update after my surgery...

Monique
Fromgaptogone :)

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 :)

I've Decided To Get Invisalign!

My obsession with my teeth started a very long time ago. I've always felt insecure because of my smile. I have tooth size gap in between my 2 front teeth (Thanks Grandpa). This is a genetic trait that the majority of the my family members posses. The difference between theirs and mine is that mine is the largest! Both of my sisters inherited the trait however they have what I consider to be cute gaps (Anna Paquin size). My reason for wanting to rid myself from this unnecessary space in my mouth is not only a cosmetic purpose, but a self confidence purpose. I feel that having the gap is a hindrance in various ways. For example, it can be a unwanted distraction at times i.e job interviews, first meetings. I feel that I have to work harder at times especially when I first meet someone. That person generally is looking at my mouth as I'm talking (I hate this!). I feel prejudged as a result.

When I was younger I would hear guys say, "o she's cute for someone with a gap". Now my husband on the other hand loves me gap tooth and all. He's actually against me starting this treatment. However, ultimately the decision is mine and I'm speed rolling this thing. I knew I didn't want traditional metal braces. Although, they are effective the thought of someone twisting and tightening metal in my mouth scares the crap out of me! I've done a tremendous amount of research and found invisalign (Angels singing) I knew this was perfect for me. I've done so much research on the product I feel like I should be selling them! After 2 price quotes I decided to go with Sal Zammitti (office link below), plus I had purchased a living social deal, which gave me $1,000 off treatment and free Xrays. The price with the discount is $4650 this price includes a frecnectomy, which I must have in order for my teeth to remain closed after completion of my treatment. This cost also includes up to 3 refinement treatment plans.

Today I went and had my impressions done and paid the down payment of $1650. This puts my monthly payments at $169. My plan is to make payments through December of this year and pay them off in January with my FSA card. I've heard people complain that receiving the impressions is painful,but it didn't hurt at all. The finished trays will arrive in 6-8 weeks. I'm truly excited to see improvement in my smile! Stick with me and I'll keep you posted.

Signed,
Monique
From gap to gone :)

This is what my teeth look like now

http://www.charlottebraces.com/meet-the-orthodontist.php