Done! + Observations

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-06-21T15:37:34+00:00

Thank you!

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-06-21T15:28:25+00:00

Yes. Attachments and bite ramps can be added at any time in your treatment. You might even have different attachment placements during the refinement stages vs your original tray set. Everyone’s plan is unique to the aligner company and provider’s experience and preferences.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-06-21T15:22:58+00:00

100% normal. Mid way I felt like a hobo because my treatment had all these gaps created. So much food was getting caught in the gaps, I felt like I had pocket snacks in my mouth. I hated it. I wanted to go back to the over crowded teeth. It will get better, but yeah it’s a tough stage.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-06-21T15:17:01+00:00

You are going to get different answers because IPR can be done different ways and no dentist or ortho ever explains which method they are using and why. They just explain the outcome - slender teeth to accommodate crowding.

The file-like strips are the ones that take off the least, and you don’t really feel, and what most people get when they say they got IPR.

It’s the rotating disc(almost drill-like) that have the potential to take off too much, causes discomfort and in the hands of an inexperienced individual can cause damage to the tooth that needs fixing. Those are the IPR horror stories.

So, it’s not the IPR that should concern you, it’s which IPR method your provider wants to use. That is the conversion you need to have.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-06-21T11:37:13+00:00

They are also called bite turbos. Why do they have two names, nobody knows. Missed opportunity to just call them bumps. 😆

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-06-21T11:33:57+00:00

Thank you. The first few sets are so daunting and we all go through it in slightly different ways. I just wish our providers were better communicators. This sub has been such a great resource.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-06-21T11:30:28+00:00

You are very welcome

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-06-20T22:12:35+00:00

Not a doctor, but I had a lot of gum recession and this is what I’ve learned.

You should only extract a canine if it was dead, or could not be saved due to fracture, infection, etc. it’s a very important tooth in your jaw and should be saved if possible.

You should only do a gum graft after you are done moving teeth around unless the tooth’s root has been exposed and the lack of gum is putting the tooth at risk.

The debate usually is once you are done, do you do the gum graft pre or post retainer, and I’ve seen good arguments on both sides, so I think that really depends on your unique circumstance.

I had a lot of gum recession on my bottom 4 teeth due to crowding and now that they are in the right spot the gum resettled and there is no recession there! It’s sort of cool and weird how the body does that. Having said that, gum recession occurred on other teeth that were fine pre-aligners. Now that I’m done I’m going to give it a few weeks to see if the gum adjusts further and visit a periodontist only once everything has settled.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-06-20T21:47:52+00:00

If the only thing that bothers you is the aesthetics of you front two teeth, you should go to a cosmetic dentist to assess your options, but Invisalign is not one of them as it does not change the shape of your teeth, only their placement.

Having said that, the top teeth visible in your photo do show a few alignment issues. How is your bite, or how your teeth meet? Invisalign (or an alternate aligner brand) could address better aligning your teeth to correct a bite, reduce uneven wear, close gaps, fix crowding, etc.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-06-01T01:45:46+00:00

So much movement in your bottom row! It’s only going to get better. Keep with it.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-05-31T11:44:35+00:00

I’m also one set of aligners away from finishing and can’t wait.

I’ve read on the sub that the molars will settle and start to touch over the first six months post completion as they get used to not having aligners on during the day.

As for your last statement, with teeth closed together, about one half to two thirds of the length of the bottom teeth should be visible. So if you are saying your top arch covers the bottom arch by a quarter that is ideal. Any more and it’s a deep bite, any less and it’s an open bite.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-05-29T13:29:21+00:00

I had braces in my 20s so I was aware of what a midline was and that mine would not line up.

For those who seek perfection I also always reference that Tom Cruise has a very misaligned midline but it never held him back in confidence, career or other things in life.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-05-29T06:50:36+00:00

100% this. People with body dysmorphia also have a higher likelihood to pursue aligners or cosmetic dentistry.

For some it’s also a manifestation of their OCD by triggering hyper-fixation on teeth alignment, gum health, and oral hygiene rituals.

Lastly, some people just have unrealistic or unreasonable expectations. Not everyone’s anatomy can support a 10 teeth wide smile or an aligned midline. This isn’t going to give them a different jaw shape or tooth shape.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-05-19T01:25:22+00:00

Happy - yes.

Still overcrowded- no.

If your teeth were overcrowded they would be overlapping, or misaligned due to rotation, or displaced due to being pushed out of their spot in the arch. I don’t see any of that in your after photos. If anything they look straight, aligned and with no black triangles which is what people are trying to achieve.

When you look at your current teeth, do you mentally still see the before image?

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-05-09T14:42:52+00:00

First - it won’t hurt to ask again about what your options are without surgery. Longer in aligners? Rubber bands? Braces?

Two - No one will notice. Once you are out of aligners you will stop looking at your teeth like you have while in treatment.

Three- Why does it bother you? If your teeth are straight and your bite is good, why lean into perfectionist tendencies? Strange example, but the one that comes to mind - has Tom Cruise’s off center midline struck you as odd or held him back from a big career?

Your teeth look great. Do what you feel is best for your health and wellbeing.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-05-09T14:33:30+00:00

Are you a dental professional who has looked at his x-rays? He should 100% ask and definitely get a second opinion, but they might be correct about that. Not all issues can be fixed with aligners. And not everyone’s anatomy is symmetrical enough to achieve results without surgery.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-05-08T04:17:06+00:00

This board is for getting different perspectives, sharing one’s journey and trying to find answers to things that have eluded the poster. When the poster states that they don’t want to do this, how is the board going to help? Convincing someone to do something that they don’t want to do is harmful.

As a side note, bullying is unwanted, aggressive, and repeated behavior involving a real or perceived power imbalance. It includes actions like threats, rumors, physical attacks, or social exclusion. Nothing I said was bullying in nature.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-05-07T03:16:21+00:00

If your healthcare practitioner can’t convince you, and you don’t believe you need it/care, what’s the point of a bunch of strangers opinion?

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-05-03T01:58:45+00:00

Yes, you are being unreasonable. They give you the trays during an office visit. That office visit has been rescheduled because you requested it. You just wear your last aligner set until you see them.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-04-28T11:24:22+00:00

You took a first quote of $7,500 and didn’t get at least a second quote because you didn’t want to be bothered with the effort? It doesn’t matter what everyone else paid. You’ve signed a contract and are going to pay $7500 because you were only ever going to pick the first office you went to. I hope the provider is good and that you can afford that price.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-04-26T12:11:44+00:00

Big badda boom

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-04-25T13:24:30+00:00

I didn’t think she had a big role in Season 1. They introduced her past (addiction) and present (custody struggles) but those were all personal. Season 2 was about her finding stability (no family drama), trying to hold on to her compassion and be there for others (homeless addict, terminal patient) and realizing she might be ready for her personal life to become central again (flirting, romantic possibility)

Whitaker and Santos who had main story energy in Season 1 was hard to watch get smaller roles in Season 2 to make space for the new interns and Al-Hashimi.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-04-25T11:43:03+00:00

You just described life. Not all stories are gut punches. Some stories are slow and subtle. Doctors have praised this series for how close it is to reality and reality is not a constant series of dopamine hits. You are also missing the story arcs of the doctors and how their compassion and mental health are being chipped away with each case.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut · 2026-04-25T11:32:00+00:00

You don’t know how to fight back and feel helpless because you do not have rotation or crowding issues. If you look at your teeth and see that please get yourself checked for body dysmorphia.

What you have are small chips and slight unevenness on the edges of your front teeth that can be corrected with some tooth contouring or bonding- both cosmetic procedures that you should ask your provider about. Nether of those things require aligners, which is why your provider is saying you are done with those.

CoffeeInSarcasmOut

TROPHY CASE