wisdom teeth & grinding with aligners

[invisaligngirl85]

alright so i already created one thread with some questions.. i have a couple others. They say its alright to get invisalign with wisdom teeth in.. but what if one or more become impacted thruout the treatment? also i still have one wisdom tooth that hasn't come in yet. What if that one grows in while in treatment? will that be a problem? I already feel some pressure in the area where my wisdom tooth hasn't grown in.. If it grows in, my aligner may not fit properly... Has anybody experienced issues with their wisdom teeth, while wearing the aligners?

I also grind my teeth alot. will this wear down the aligners, within the short period of time that im wearing them each? My teeth are very sensitive, ive asked the dentist twice, and he says that grinding does not wear down the enamel. ive done research, and every source has said that grinding can wear the enamel. Im thinking that my dentist thinks im a fool, and doesn't want to be bothered with any questions.. Is this normal? he didn't even recommend a mouth guard ( which is something , i would think a normal dentist should be knowledgeable of-- with or with out being invisalign certified). IM starting to think this is one of those people who just want my money, and not willing to put in the effort of giving regular dentist advice.

I feel i have made a huge mistake.. I wonder if there is a way i can get my money back. ive only paid 700 towards it so far. a small amount towards the payment, but still alot of money , in general, to lose... I really dont want to be in the hands of someone, who doesn't know what they are doing. this is a serious treatment, which could be potentially damaging, if not done correctly

[Punkin]

I only had one wisdom tooth that was developed in my mouth, and it was quite out of the way. I had to have teeth extracted for my treatment, but my orthodontist did not recommend I have the wisdom tooth extracted. I did, because the oral surgeon said "hey, we're gonna be in there anyway, want me to pull that one too?" so I figured it was better to have it done than not, but I don't think it would have affected my treatment at all.

As for grinding, I find that I have my teeth quite clenched sometimes, without even realizing it. I don't know if it's grinding or not, but they are certainly clenched tightly together. I don't know if the grinding would wear out the aligners or not; I'm thinking not, but it would depend on how strong/frequent the grinding is, I would think.

I wonder if you can set up a consultation with another orthodontist, one who is familiar with invisalign. Some of them will have no obligation consultations, or only charge you a small amount for those visits. You wouldn't need to have molds made, or anything like that, but you could probably get some of your questions answered.

Also, if you are that uncomfortable with your chosen dentist, read through the contract you've signed. Depending on where you are in the treatment, you MAY be able to get some money back; but since it sounds like they've already ordered the aligners, you might not be able to.

Good luck.

[Zoso]

Oh my! I am surprised to hear of a dentist saying that! Of course, if it is mild, then bruxism (clenching and/or gnashing, and/or grinding the teeth) can indeed cause no trouble. But if it is more severe it can cause any of a whole host of problems: excessive wear on the teeth, chipped or broken teeth, sensitivity, loose teeth, periodontal pockets, headaches, problems with the jaw joints ... Now, nightguards don't stop you from bruxing - they just reduce the damage it does. Unfortunately a properly fitted nightguard is not an option during orthodontic treatment, since it will act in the same way as a retainer, preventing movement. The "boil and bite" nightguards, I have read, are not really recommended, since they can actually increase the bruxing in some patients, and can lead to worse issues with the jaw joints. I don't think that over the typical two-week wear period for each aligner, the grinding will totally ruin the trays, but I don't have any first-hand experience to back up that thought.

I'm not sure what you're asking about impacted wisdom teeth - when a tooth is impacted, that means that it is unable to erupt properly - that is come through the gums. A tooth might be fully impacted - no part of it has cut through the gums - or partially erupted. As long as there is space for your teeth (and as long as you maintain adequate oral hygiene) then fully erupted wisdom teeth should not be a big problem for Invisalign treatment. You're right though that if the un-erupted wisdom tooth were to start coming through during your Invisalign treatment, that might be an issue.

All in all, I agree with Punkin - if you're uncomfy with this dentist, and the advice he is giving you, it's time to look elsewhere. At least get another opinion, but do also look at that contract soon, and see what your options are.

[invisaligngirl85]

u guys are so helpful. im glad ive come to this site.. now about that contract thingie... um there wasn't one.... so are u guys saying that a contract should have been signed, before treatment takes place? if so, this is another warning sign, that i shouldn't have gone with this dentist.

[Punkin]

With both my son and myself, we had to sign contracts, agreeing to pay a certain amount of money for orthodontic work, and stating what work would be performed.

One of the clauses in both was the you would pay X amount of dollars toward films, molds, etc, if you chose not to pursue treatment after they were taken.

Are you saying you haven't had to sign anything?

You could call the office, act a little confused, and say you seem to have misplaced the contract you thought you signed, and ask for a copy of it. That's one sure way to find out if there was anything you signed, or if, in fact, there was nothing (you say there wasn't, and I believe you, but it could have been something you didn't recognize as a contract).

[Snowy]

So, from my own experience...

1) Wisdom teeth. All four of mine are through. I have to have them removed, but because all of my Invisalign treatment involves moving the front teeth, I can wait and have it done after the Invisalign treatment. My dentist gave me the choice...removal now, and then at least 6 months healing before being able to use aligners. Or move the teeth, and then remove the wisdom teeth after. I went for the latter.

2) I grind my teeth like crazy, so this was a big issue for me. Unless you're a *severe* case, it's not a problem. The aligners actually act like a mouthguard, and protect your teeth from grinding damage. But do check with your ortho...in rare cases, you may be grinding so hard that there's a problem.

Good luck! I hope you get things sorted out.