After 20 years of wanting to do it, I have finally pulled the trigger – I am fixing my crooked teeth with clear aligners!

Whilst I have been relatively comfortable with my upper teeth alignment, my lower teeth have always been a concern.

Over time, I began to notice my teeth moving, with my upper and lower front teeth rotating and crowding respectively.

I understood that this was a natural process with ageing.

This coupled with noticeable changes to my bite which resulted in abnormal wear patterns on the back of my upper front teeth – it was about time that I did something about it.

On a side note – these are just some of the things I am constantly assessing during your routine examination appointments.

And many of you have already heard me say, “early intervention saves us extensive and expensive restorative treatment later on”.

The last 20 years has seen immense development in clear aligner treatment for crooked teeth.

As the science and understanding of clear aligners developed, so did the number of aligner systems.

It all started with Invisalign™ and has expanded to over 80+ different brands including Signature Dentistry’s own cosmetic aligner brand (focused on aligning the front 6-8 teeth only).

Traditional braces work by using specially formulated alloy wires to apply forces to teeth in order to move them in three dimensions to their ideal position.

Clear aligners work in a similar way (with some limitation) but has the benefit of being unnoticeable and allows the flexibility of removing them not only for eating and drinking but also for social engagements.

For adults where minor to moderate cosmetic alignment is required, clear aligners are ideal.

Whilst I still consider fixed wired braces the gold standard for orthodontic treatment, I did not want to endure the experience of 24/7 wired braces – certainly not at my increasing vintage (yes age is a sensitive topic).

In addition, I really only wanted to address my vanity: front teeth as the back teeth were unaffected.

So Why Now?

After offering this treatment to so many patients and seeing the results achieved, one would think that I would have done this a while back.

Well, that has not been the case – I believe it is a typical male trait (although my wife would say it is a typical Kasen trait).

In fact, I have to thank one of our patients (Esther) for inspiring me with her incredibly decisive decision to manage her dental health.

So the treatment has begun and I will be keeping you up to date with my first-hand experience with aligner treatment.

Of course, being a perennial whinger there is bound to be some entertainment value along the way.

Have a question or anything else?

Contact me to learn more.

Cheers,

Kasen