Impressions

Eek! This is the biggest chip and pin payment I've ever made!

My Impressions and Bite

I had my impressions taken yesterday for my brace. At this appointment I paid £1500 for my brace to be ordered from the factory in Germany. I also booked the date for my lower set of braces to be fitted - 20th January 2010!

Impressions are moulds of your teeth from which actual models of your teeth can be cast. Here is a website with some pictures of impressions on.

I had a blue putty impression taken to begin with. They feel big and a little uncomfortable in your mouth but don't need to be in for very long, so it's fine. My orthodontist chatted to me about the braces and he also had a digital radio playing good music so it seemed really quick to me!

As the impressions need to be sent away and there will be a very high definition 3D scan made of the teeth from them, a very detailed impression needs to be taken. My orthodontist then squirted a purple liquid into the blue impressions and re-inserted them into my mouth to take a second, more detailed impression on top. This was slightly more uncomfortable and had to be in for a few more minutes. It had to be pressed really firmly into my teeth so that a good impression could be taken which hurt my gums a little bit.

My top set of impressions had to be done twice as there was a tiny error on one of the teeth. I didn't mind at all though, because it's so important to have it as accurate as possible for the brace to be made to fit. The second time, the orthodontist squirted some of the purple liquid directly onto my teeth so that he would definitely get an accurate one the second time.

I also bit into a pink piece of wax to show how my teeth connect and bite together.

Impressions Tips:

• Use lots of lip salve or vaseline on the two days before your appoinment as they need to be stretched wide.
• Breathe through your nose.

Research and Links

I have spent hours trawling through the web looking for information. Here are links to only the most useful web pages and YouTube videos. I hope this saves you some time!

Incognito Braces Official Website
This is the type of brace that I have opted for.
http://www.lingualtechnik.de/

iBraces Official Website
Another manufacturer of lingual braces, but not an option at my orthodontist - more widely used in the United States.
http://www.lingualcare.com/

Invisalign Official Site
Clear aligners option.
http://www.invisalign.co.uk/

Wikipedia - Dental Braces
A more general site about the history of braces and an overview of all options available to you.
Dental Braces - Wikipedia

British Orthodontic Society
Information about lingual braces from the BOS. Go to Adult Orthodontics, Lingual Orthodontics.
http://www.bos.org.uk/

British Lingual Orthodontic Society
A website which brings together orthodontists who can perform this type of treatment and give you more information about lingual braces.
NB: The "find an orthodontist" facility on here is not very effective.
http://www.blos.co.uk/

YouTube Videos

Here are two video links to parts 1 and 2 of interviews with people who have undergone treatment with lingual braces.

Part 1
Part 2

Here are some fantastic time lapse videos of teeth seemingly moving into position. It shows you what movement can be achieved through these braces.

Time Lapse Videos

Pre-Brace Nerves

I've booked my first appointment to have my impressions taken which will be sent away to Germany for the brace to be made at the Lingualtechnik centre. I have just been reading about how they are made. The staff at my orthodontists have been so friendly and helpful and chatted to me for ages on the phone.

During the time it's taken me to get the money together, I have been focusing on getting the funds together and the final result only. Now that I have my appointment booked, I am starting to think a little more about having the appliance fixed into my mouth.

I know that there will be discomfort but what worries me is the effect that it could have on my singing. You use your tongue and teeth a lot to make consonant sounds so this is something that I will have to overcome and find a different way of producing certain sounds. My whole job depends on me using my mouth to sing and I cannot take time off to get used to it so I need to adapt fast!

If you are intested in what I sound like pre-brace you can listen at www.myspace.com/acousticrosemusic

My Teeth: The Problems

Link to my YouTube Channel to see video of my teeth! IncognitoBraces

Before: Front Close-Up

This is a rather unflattering picture which makes me a little uncomfortable to upload to be honest, but if I'm going to show the difference I need to include it!

My Concerns

My main concern is my over sized middle upper incisors. You will see that I have quite a narrow smile so visually they have a big impact. They are also uneven - one is lower than the other, so my smile feels wonky. I also have a significant overbite (Class II Malocclusion) , where my top set of teeth hang far in front of my lower set.

You may also notice that on my lower teeth to the left of the picture I have a crossbite where the teeth bend right in and do not meet the upper teeth.

Solutions

My orthodontist will manipulate the top set of teeth to push my front incisors back and also grind them down a little at the bottom and sides of the teeth. My canines and premolars (bicuspids) will be widened so that my middle teeth are not so conspicuous. My middle teeth will also be moved upwards to be placed in line with the rest of my top set of teeth and evened out to a horizontal line.

On the bottom, the teeth on the right side of my mouth will be pushed out to eliminate the crossbite. Because I have opted for a fixed lingual brace, my orthodontist will have full control over my teeth to ensure that I can still bite together properly.

If you click on any of the specialist words that I have used, I have added hyperlinks to websites where you can find examples of these issues. For a website which explains the names of the teeth please click here. For full index to orthodontic terms click here.

About Incognito Lingual Braces

What are Incognito Lingual Braces?

Incognito Lingual Braces are fixed to the inside of the teeth, so people cannot tell that you are undergoing treatment. Lingual comes from the Latin word for tongue as the appliance is placed right next to your tongue behind the teeth. They are quite an expensive option as they are made from an alloy with a high proportion of gold (18k), they are custom made so expensive to manufacture, and also because of the extra time and expertise required for their successful management. They are made in Germany. The fixtures do not involve elastic bands but have a new bracket system where the wire clips into place, giving your orthodontist excellent control.

Why choose Incognito over other options?

I also considered Invisalign as a orthodontic treatment which involves a series of clear plastic trays (like retainers) which you wear over your teeth and change every two weeks. You can remove them to eat and brush your teeth. Invisalign is a little less expensive than Incognito. (About £500 less) [I have found this very straight-talking article about Invisalign interesting.]

I opted for Incognito as the brace is completely hidden and the orthodontist has full control over your teeth. As you never remove your brace, the tension remains constant on your teeth and the results will be more effective. The price difference isn't actually that much when you think about the entire cost and the long-term benefits to your life.

How much do they cost?

My initial consultation was £100, where the orthodontist talked to me about my teeth, took impressions, x-rays, photographs and worked out a treatment/payment plan for me. This involved two appointments.

The full cost of treatment for me is £5500. This includes all treatment, all appointments, the gold appliance and retention. The price will vary between orthodontists, but I hope this gives people a good guide price.

My orthodontist has broken it down into payments which work well for me:

• £1500 when I order my brace and have impressions taken
• £1000 when my appliance is fitted
• £200 every 4-6 weeks for approximately 18 months which I pay each time I go in to have my brace tightened
• The remaining balance is due when my appliance is removed

I made sure that I had £2500 when I started the process, plus a bit extra in the bank to ensure I could make each payment.

I was also offered an option to take out a loan so that I could have started treatment immediately. This option involved larger regular payments and a credit check.

About Me

Hello!

This blog is intended for anyone who is considering getting Incognito Lingual Braces. These are the type of braces that are fixed onto the inside of your teeth and cannot be seen by people looking at you.

When I was researching this style of brace for myself, I found that there was very limited feedback about people's experiences, which is why I decided to create a blog which details my treatment. I am also filming a video diary, which is available on YouTube at www.youtube.com/incognitobraces. If you have a youtube login (free) you can Subscribe to my Vlog and get a notification whenever there is a new one to watch. This is free and doesn't cost anything.

I am a singing teacher from the West Midlands, UK. I am 29 and happily married to Richard ♥. I decided to get lingual braces partly due to my age, and as I am always on show with my job and enjoy performing so it was important to me that they are hidden.

I really hope that my blog helps people considering treatment. It is a huge commitment financially and in terms of time and discomfort, so it's important to be sure about it. I will continue to add to my blog throughout my treatment.

Rose ♫