IPR massacre !

[Raoul G]

Hi,

Seven IPRs (all at 0.2mm) where planed on the lower tray between stages 2 and 5. After the last IPR was done (at step 5), I have checked by myself and the spaces where hideous and too larges: measured from 0.6mm to 0.85mm !!!
Neither soft strip nor 0.1 diamond disk was used, only the dentist drill !

Im am now finished with the lower tray (after stage 11) and it remains inevitably (it is mathematical) some spaces from 0.4mm to 0.65mm .

The result after Invisalign program is clearly worse than before !
Before, the alignment was not perfect but at least there was no spaces between the teeth. Now the teeth are aligned ... but each separated by an ugly space.

Obviously it will not be possible to correct this with a "case refinement", but the dentist claimed he did not commit error, everything is normal and he will manage this easily with a simple "case refinement".
I can't beleive it !

[Sunny]

So sorry to read about the problem with your IPR.

Here's to your ortho achieving great results with your refinements.

[Weeeyin]

I had a bit too much IPR done in a few places, the gaps have never closed as I never got refinments, as it's my side teeth i'm not so fussed now but if you read my blogs I was most upset at the time. I'm glad I put my foot down to no further IPR at the front when he did recomment it. Good luck getting yours fixed. Silly question tho, how did you measure the gaps?

[Raoul G]

Hi Weeeyin,
I have read your posts today, terrible !

Now, no more IPR are expected for the rest ot the treatment, lucky break !

I measured the gaps with the same tool (thikness gauges) that the dentist used...

[Rosieee]

Photos please!

[Raoul G]

Here are 2 examples:
This is the gap just after the IPR was done (at stage 5 or 6). Before the job it was absolutly no gap between these teeths, and the IPR should be 0.2mm with (and they are aprox 0.8).
Please note the beautiful shape of the job ! Bravo

[ChicagoJohn]

Wow. Yeah, my top teeth had IPR done like that and I'm convinced that my dentist made them way too big. I've got the gaps now that weren't there before and it's a little embarrassing. I'm not as concerned about my gaps though as much as I am a little upset at how actual teeth look smaller in size now since so much was taken off of the enamel. I'm going to be furious if I end up with smaller teeth and gaps at the end of all of this. Sometimes when my dentist is making the IPR I get the feeling he is a little unsure of what he's doing because it takes him a long time and he keeps making passes with the drill over and over like he's correcting a mistake or something. I'm due for one more IPR and I'm thinking about refusing it.

[Rosieee]

Oh my god that is terrible - I personally like having IPR done because the amount my ortho has done is so little but makes such a difference with my teeth moving.

Perhaps make a case and get him to pay for you to get veneers? However you would go about that I don't know...but you do not deserve your treatment to be finished with your teeth looking like that!

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

Sorry to see that you're left with these spaces. Please speak to your provider to discuss your displeasure with the final result and what can be done about it.

To the rest of the forum, rest assured that this is something that you will rarely, if ever see, with experienced Invisalign care.

[Sunny]

I second what Dr Tam has said.

Also remember that the enamel is not very thick ... in fact it's very thin, so there's not much that can be taken away ... and rarely will your teeth look visably smaller to anyone other than your eye. The reason why your eye might feel they look this way, is due to how much you look at your teeth and take in every detail.

Raoul here's to your refinements working magick with those spaces.

[Raoul G]

Sorry to see that you're left with these spaces. Please speak to your provider to discuss your displeasure with the final result and what can be done about it.

Raoul here's to your refinements working magick with those spaces.

I wonder what could it be done except to fill in the gaps... but I doubt that the invisalign program is supposed to do this kind of fix...

I have an appointment with the ortho on the next week and he said to me that he will start the refinment process on the lower teeths. I do not understand how he will start that before the upper teeths will be finished (it remains 10 month, 20 trays ! )

[Raoul G]

Sorry to see that you're left with these spaces. Please speak to your provider to discuss your displeasure with the final result and what can be done about it.

To the rest of the forum, rest assured that this is something that you will rarely, if ever see, with experienced Invisalign care.

allo, Houston?

The only thing I'm sure about Invisalign is that a 'certified' Invisalign practitioner is not necessarily a real dentist.
Maybe would it be possible to buy this certification at $10 on ebay ?

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

allo, Houston?

The only thing I'm sure about Invisalign is that a 'certified' Invisalign practitioner is not necessarily a real dentist.
Maybe would it be possible to buy this certification at $10 on ebay ?

There are still a large percentage of Invisalign doctors out there who have treated very few patients with Invisalign. Many of them only needed to have seen one patient last year to retain their certification until June 2010. After that, there will be some providers who STARTED treatment with as few as 7 patients in the last year.

Rest assured, even if someone has an Invisalign certificate, they would not have access to the Invisalign Virtual Practice site and be able to submit cases.

As for what refinement can do, it's again a question of what your doctor can do with Invisalign, not vice versa. Generalized spacing can definitely be corrected with aligners.

Good luck!

[Slider]

I'm new here, can someone tell me what IPR stands for?

[Sunny]

Slider - IPR = Interproximal Reduction

This is a great way for orthodontist's to make small amounts of space ... whereas not that long ago, teeth had to be removed, even when only a small amount of space was needed.

Here's a couple of websites to check out -
http://www.producingsmiles.com/docum...erproximal.pdf
http://www.aligntechinstitute.com/Ge...f/ipr_tips.pdf

[Slider]

Oh ok, that makes since. I don't think that will work for me. My ortho wants to remove one of my lower front teeth to make room to pull my K9's back in. Invisalign went on the same path from what they told me yesterday. They said no one will notice on lower tooth missing in the front. I will post some pictures soon.

[angel9165]

Oh ok, that makes since. I don't think that will work for me. My ortho wants to remove one of my lower front teeth to make room to pull my K9's back in. Invisalign went on the same path from what they told me yesterday. They said no one will notice on lower tooth missing in the front. I will post some pictures soon.

I had a lower front tooth pulled to make space and it is filling up nicely. Even right after it was done, it was not that noticeable with the tray in. Sorry I don't have any pics to share.

[germangirlinva]

Raoul,

I'm very sorry about your results and if this were me, I would run (not walk) away from this dentist! I've had quite a bit of IPR done to make space and there were some noticeable gaps, but they closed nicely within a few weeks of using the trays. For some reason, this does not look right to me, but then I'm not a dental professional. Maybe you can get a second or even third opinion from a different ortho?

[myhollywoodsmile]

Judging by Dr Tam's response I think that a second opinion definitely sounds like a good idea. I would be quite reluctant to let anyone loose on my teeth again that did this. I would also keep well documented photos of every stage if I were you, in case they are needed later.

[Weeeyin]

OMG Raoul, I feel so sorry for you, makes me wonder a little why I moan about my gaps seeing yours, at least mine is at the side and doesnt look bad as you cant really see it, I just have to use floss to get the food out all the time. I'd defo make sure you get this fixed, not too sure how but before anyone touches you I'd get reassurace it wont look worse. I wish you well.

[mommamorin]

wow, all my teeth were .2 and you could barely tell. The two front bottom teeth never did come together and it was a small IPR but the dentist still bonded the sides and they look great now. (no xtra charge)

[mommamorin]

Is that dentin I see in your bottom teeth on top? If it is, your enamel is worn off, please be careful.