http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/ Adult Teeth Braces Forums Discussing Dental Braces, Invisalign, Ibraces, Teeth Whitening, TMJ, and More! en Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:02:20 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/ http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/my-markham-centre-orthodontics-smile-1652/ Sun, 08 May 2011 03:39:34 GMT Hello friends,

The moment I have been waiting for has finally arrived: At 31 years of age, I am now the proud owner of a perfect smile! This isn't just any perfect smile, though...This is a Markham Centre Orthodontics (MCO) smile created by Dr. Tam, his skilled team, and their excellent ability to push the boundary with what can be achieved with Invisalign.

Most of my adult life, I have been very self conscious of my offensive smile; I likened my smile to what you would see if you were to peer into a garburator. I contemplated braces on and off over the years, but I just couldn’t see myself carrying out any sort of social/professional endeavour as an adult with a mouth filled with metal; however, everything changed the night I realized there was another option…

I discovered Invisalign while a friend was over for dinner one night. Just as we sat down to eat, she shoved her fingers into her mouth and began to pry at something. I watched with an uncomfortable sense of curiosity as to what was happening in front of me. She plucked 2 clear aligners out of her mouth, and said "I have braces." At that point, I had been with her for several hours and hadn’t noticed a thing! I listened intently as she raved about these invisible braces called ‘Invisalign.’ Right then, I realized there was hope! I spent a few hours online later that night researching Invisalign, which led me to Markham Centre Orthodontics. I couldn’t turn down the free consultation that was offered, so I booked one for the following week.

The consultation was very thorough; it involved a panoramic x-ray, a series of digital photos of my teeth, and a visual inspection by Dr. Tam. As I was sitting in the consultation room awaiting my diagnosis from Dr. Tam, I kept thinking to myself “please God, don’t mention the words extraction or elastics….and please don’t tell me I’ll have to re-mortgage my house to afford this.” All I could picture was my grade-school years and the kids who wore funny looking mechanical devices strapped to their heads like some kind of med-evil football helmet. Every so often, when they yawned, I would hear an elastic snap and bounce off the wall on the other side of the room.

Dr. Tam thoroughly explained the orthodontic issues I exhibited and told me I would be an acceptable candidate for Invisalign. The good news was the cost of this treatment was within my budget and very reasonably priced based on the high complexity of my case. The bad news was that I was facing an extraction due to the severe crowding of my lower arch. I definitely wasn’t in love with the idea of ripping a perfectly good tooth from my lower jaw, but if I wanted to correct the mess that was my smile, it was non-negotiable.

Today, I sit here after 22 months of successful Invisalign treatment surviving a central incisor extraction, completing 32 initial treatment trays, and completing 13 additional trays of refinement to achieve the "money shot."

Below are some pictures that were taken by Dr. Tam's team at the beginning of my treatment in June 2009.









As you can see from these initial photos, I had some….issues. I had very narrow arches, which contributed to a crossbite and some vicious crowding on both upper and lower arches.

Dr. Tam created a treatment plan that required 32 Invisalign trays to widen my arches, close the gap left behind by the extraction, and address the severe crowding and crossbite. At the end of the 32 initial trays, my teeth were in really good shape; however, we decided that there were a few minor adjustments that could really improve the outcome, so I opted for 13 more trays of refinement.

Below are some pictures of my smile as it exists today with treatment completed.







I have come a long way in just under 2 years of treatment with Invisalign. I am extremely satisfied with this result, and I have gained so much confidence in my smile. Along the way, I have discovered that Invisalign definitely requires a lifestyle change in order to be successful. It requires 22 hours of wear time each day and a strict oral hygiene routine after each meal/snack/beverage. It sounds daunting at first, but it becomes second nature after a few weeks. The time goes by so fast, and the reward at the end is definitely worth the challenge.

My Invisalign experience with Dr. Tam and his skilled team at Markham Centre Orthodontics has been exceptional and far exceeded my expectations of what makes for the ultimate the orthodontic experience. I had a very good first impression right from the start when I received a call from Dr. Tam himself the day before my consultation appointment to address any concerns or questions I had ahead of time.

A typical visit at MCO really is like meeting up with a group of friends who are part of an elite club; the entire office team is energetic, friendly, and always provides service with a smile. The office, with its modern industrial loft design, is very efficient and flows with a sense of controlled elegance from the moment you sign in at the front door to the moment you are escorted back to reception with your complimentary frozen yogurt at the end of your visit. Whether it’s a Facebook contest, a word puzzle, or a challenge to see who can take the most exotic picture of themselves in an official Team MCO T-shirt, there is always some form of interaction with the team outside of regular appointments.

I highly recommend Invisalign treatment with MCO as a great option for adults who are interested in achieving a perfect smile without the uncomfortable aesthetics of traditional braces in social/professional settings. If you live in the Greater Toronto Area or even within a few hours drive of Markham, it is well worth your time and money to visit Markham Centre Orthodontics for treatment by, what I can declare with confidence, the best of the best. Dr. Tam is a skilled orthodontist who demonstrates on many levels that he is a leader in providing the highest quality orthodontic treatment.

It was a combination of research on bracesreview.com and the Invisalign website that originally led me to Dr. Tam. When I first joined this site and started my blog, Dr. Tam actually had no idea one of his patients was blogging the MCO experience until he recognized some pictures I posted. At that time, my smile was pretty easy to place :) This site has provided me with a wealth of knowledge during the course of my treatment, and I look forward to continuing to contribute.

]]> gap http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/my-markham-centre-orthodontics-smile-1652/ http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/i-finally-graduated-1296/ Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:40:36 GMT ..into refinement. I just received my first 4 refinement trays out of a total of 13. No attachments, which was very nice to hear. This is... ..into refinement.

I just received my first 4 refinement trays out of a total of 13.

No attachments, which was very nice to hear.

This is day 2 of my first set, and so far 'status quo.'

The finish line is close! I'll keep you posted. ]]> gap http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/i-finally-graduated-1296/ http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/bring-refinements-1263/ Tue, 28 Sep 2010 02:42:47 GMT Hello Friends, I have arrived at tray set 32/32, which marks the end of my initial Invisalign treatment stage. It has taken me just shy of 15... Hello Friends,

I have arrived at tray set 32/32, which marks the end of my initial Invisalign treatment stage. It has taken me just shy of 15 months to complete the 32 sets, and the outcome makes all the lost weight, public embarrassment, uncomfortable group dinner events, and inability to randomly raid the fridge well worth it! Actually, it really hasn't been that hard at all.

Today, my 7 attachments were removed, my teeth were re-shaped and smoothed, a little pre-refinement IPR done, progress pictures taken, and I had refinement impressions taken. That's a lot of action for one appointment! It sounds like I will have a relatively small number of trays for refinement...I'll find out in a few weeks.

I've uploaded a few pics taken today for comparison to where I started over a year ago...enjoy!

The beginning...


"The beer bottle opener"


15 months later...


All consumption may be done through a straw from now on, so I do not risk damaging those smooth edges :)

Upper Arch...


Upper Arch today...


Lower Arch...


Lower Arch Today...



I am very pleased with this result. There are a few small tweaks on both arches that the refinement will aim to correct. I'll likely top it off with some whitening, and call it a success. :thumb:

Suprisingly, the final set (32) this morning was without question the most painful tray yet!! I thought there was something wrong with the tray at first. The funny thing was, there were not attachments, and my teeth are pretty well alligned now. I was totally expecting a super easy final tray....I basically left the ortho's office in search of a tranquilizer.

Fortunately, after about 30 minutes, the pain was pretty much gone.

I'm sitting here right now very happy about taking on orthodontic treatment at 30yrs. I'm left with a healthy, confident smile!:D ]]> gap http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/bring-refinements-1263/ http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/happened-1127/ Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:22:50 GMT Hey Friends, Short and sweet... After 378 days of compliant Invisalign wear, 11 lost pounds, and a mild obsession with oral hygeine, someone at... Hey Friends,

Short and sweet...

After 378 days of compliant Invisalign wear, 11 lost pounds, and a mild obsession with oral hygeine, someone at work commented on how great my teeth look.

Cheers!
-gap ]]> gap http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/happened-1127/ http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/gap-gone-metaphorically-speaking-1074/ Sat, 12 Jun 2010 01:22:12 GMT Hey Friends, I have just installed tray set 24/32. It took 23 complete trays to close the gap in my lower arch that was left behind after the... Hey Friends,

I have just installed tray set 24/32. It took 23 complete trays to close the gap in my lower arch that was left behind after the extraction. As I look at it now, it's really hard to believe there was an additional tooth in there at one point.

As a side note, it's pretty gratifying to feel the dental floss "grab" when I slide it between those two incisors. :thumb:

The 2 pics below illustrate the gap closure over the course of 23 trays.



...23 trays later...



You can see the infamous "black triangle" between the teeth. I believe I will have a little slendering done and a refinement stage that will minimize the triangle. It also appears that I could benefit from a routine dental cleaning. :) Bring on the cavitron!!!

My upper arch has really come along nicely. I even find I have been smiling a lot more lately.



...it looks like I could open beer bottles with that mess.



..23 trays later.

So that's it. I have 8 more trays left of my initial treatment, and I am very happy with the results at this point. I am still likely close to 1 year away from completion with the refinement stage ahead, but I have already gained a lot of confidence in my smile.

Thanks for reading!:D ]]> gap http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/gap-gone-metaphorically-speaking-1074/ http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/hello-tray-set-no-20-990/ Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:06:47 GMT Hey Friends, Today marks a small milestone in my journey to a perfect smile. I am sitting here enjoying the gentle soreness and tight fit of tray... Hey Friends,

Today marks a small milestone in my journey to a perfect smile. I am sitting here enjoying the gentle soreness and tight fit of tray set number 20!

I have only 12 sets to go before I graduate into the wonderful world of refinement. I guess it's time to start researching retainer options :) This treatment time really go by fast. I can faintly see the shimmering of the bright lights at the finish line.

I just returned from my Orthodontic checkup where I received a little IPR, and the staff were kind enough to take another round of progress photos.

Below are 2 progress shots. Rather than posting the dramatic before/after change, I have posted the progress over 4 sets of trays.

Here is the upper arch at beginning of tray 15.




Upper arch at beginning of tray 20 (today)



Lower arch at beginning of tray 15




Lower arch at beginning of tray 20 (today)



To be honest, I really didn't think that 4 trays was enough to really notice any changes. I stand corrected!

Well, since I just put in the new set this morning, I decided to skip lunch and leave them in until dinner tonight.

I hope I make it...I can feel 'the shakes' setting in.

Thanks for reading! ]]> gap http://www.bracesreview.com/forums/blogs/gap/hello-tray-set-no-20-990/