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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.