January Update

I'm pleased to say that my hygienist was AMAZED by the health of my teeth after using my Waterpik for 3 months. She had to do a fraction of the work and the appointment was much more comfortable than last time.

I have also been to the orth and I didn't get my elastic bands yet! Mr. Shore says that the teeth are starting to knit together so well, the widening is successfully happening without the need for them at present. He will re-assess the situation next visit. In the meantime, he added yet more expansion to the top and re-set the bottom wire. He asked me to leave 6 weeks before my next appointment to allow time for plenty more expansion. I'm pleased to report that, although re-shaping an arch might sound like a painful business, it is so gradual that after a day or two of initial sensitivity, it cannot actually be felt. Great news for me as this is the main job with my teeth! It just takes patience.

YouTube Video Link: January Update

I'm on Twitter and Facebook!

I have created Twitter and Facebook accounts specifically for communicating with my YouTube and orth friends. I have received lots of friend requests to my personal account from viewers which showed that people were interested in communicating with me in this way.

The messaging system for Facebook is much better than YouTube as it groups conversations logically so I can keep my messages organised.

My Twitter username is: IncognitoBraces and my facebook ID is: www.facebook.com/rose.incognito

Please feel free to friend request me/follow me and I would love to communicate with you in this way. I hope this proves useful to you and enables me to update you more frequently and easily.

Link to YouTube video: Quick Message!

Frequently Asked Questions

Could I have an Incognito brace?

You need to book a consultation at the nearest orthodontist that is skilled in using Incognito. They will be able to advise you about the best method of treatment for you and if Incognito is suitable for your needs. This consultation usually costs around £100. This might seem expensive, but you're paying for a highly skilled orthodontist to spend time talking to you in detail about your teeth and what you would like to change. They take x-rays and pictures and then go away and examine your case in detail. They feedback to you (usually a couple of days later) about what they could do to help you and what all your options are.



Where can I get Incognito treatment?

You can use the orthodontist finder on the Incognito Website.

http://www.hiddenbraces.com/

http://www.hiddenbraces.co.uk/



How much did your brace cost?

My full brace cost £5500. The cost varies depending on where you live and on whether you wish to have Incognito on both or just one arch. The upper arch is usually more expensive. Several people I talk to via YouTube have Incognito on the top and clarity on the bottom (a normal outside brace with clear pads). There are various payment options available which you can as your nearest Incognito practice about. I know this figure seems initally steep, but it's much cheaper than many other cosmetic surgery procedures and everyone will see the investment there, every time you talk or smile.



Does your brace effect your singing?

Only as much as it affected my speech - slight lisp for the first few weeks. After 2 months, speech and singing were entirely adapted to the device.

Is it difficult to eat?

It's difficult to eat for the first 2-3 weeks when get your brace on and sometimes when it's tightened or the wire changed. This is normal and some soup, yoghurt, protein shakes and straws make life considerably easier! Other than these times, eating is easy. You have to avoid very hard or sticky foods as these may pull off your brace and tearing or chopping up food before you eat them is advisable. Obviously, some foods are going to get stuck in your appliance more than others. For this reason, having a glass of water with your meal and keeping a toothbrush and flossing sticks with you at all times is essential.

Close Ups

Here are some pictures to show you my teeth at the start in January 2010 and now in October 2010 - eight months into treatment.

You can see a difference in the line of the teeth at the front. The front teeth are actually smaller as they have been stripped down and the crossbite on the lower left hand side is nearly gone.

I feel more confident about smiling now and people have started to comment that my teeth look different. I notice a big improvement in the line of my teeth and I feel that it's really changed the way that I look.

Link to YouTube video: Update, Close Ups and Questions Answered

Update

My orthodontist is currently working hard to get my upper arch to widen. He has put lots of bend into it and it takes considerable effort to get it into place.

He has not changed my lower wire but reset it into place - basically taken it off and put the same wire on again. Despite it being the same wire you can really feel it having an impact. He needed to put this one on again as the canine which has just been connected isn't quite ready for the next wire yet.

I'm going to see him again next week - I anticipate an upgrade on lower wire with a view to putting cross elastics in. The cross elastics will be applied when the lower wire is on a stainless steel one like the top. These will pull back my overbite and allow widening to happen.

I went to see my hygienist for a scale and polish. Unfortunately I had a very uncomfortable appointment. She did a fantastic job of cleaning my teeth but my teeth bled and it tasted awful as she dislodged all the muck from in between my teeth and my brace. She said that she could see that I'm trying hard to keep it clean. I noticed that she was far more thorough with interdental sticks than I normally am - using them in between my teeth, rather than just in the gaps of my brace like I do. Perhaps I need to be a bit braver and use them in this way myself. I am going to continue to see her every 3 months for a really deep clean.


I continue with normal dental check ups every six months. My dentist is always interested in my brace. When I first got it I remember she surprised the life out of me by grabbing hold of my tongue and giving it a thorough inspection! Haha!


To make a pro-active move towards cleaner teeth and a more effective dental routine, I have now purchased water flosser (Waterpik). I am filming a product review of this and will upload it soon.


Link to YouTube Video: Updates, Close Ups and Questions Answered

Wire and Cleaning Tips

Hello! I just just had my wire tightened, which has been painful for about three days. As I've said before, it's quite nice when it does hurt as you know it's really working, and unbelieveably, the gap I had in my teeth closed in just ONE day!

My teeth have been bleeding slightly - it's not painful but another indication that they are moving.

Wire Tip:

When you're at the orthodontist, check using your finger that your wire is not cutting into your tongue at all. As your mouth is open and your tongue uncomfortable and disorientated from the appointment, it's not the best judge of this. Checking using a clean finger is the best way and avoids irritating trips back to see your orth to get it sorted. I have made this mistake a number of times now. My orthodontist is always kind and patient with me but it's costs a lot in petrol as I live around 10 miles from the surgery! If you mention the problem whilst you're still there, before you leave that seat, your orth can bend it out of the way, tuck in sharp edges and even grind down any sharpness with a motorised file.

There is a slight error in my video about the wire. I talk about it having a memory which is why you can't bend the ends out of the way. Actually, I've since learnt that before the wire is put into your mouth, the ends are heated with a flame to remove this quality so that they can indeed be bent out of the way. The point I'm making is that it's hard to bend them back out of the way yourself - which is still true. You can have a go with bathroom tweezers but be careful - I've tried this and ended up in more pain! Ouch!

Mouthwash Tips:

I have been using the Listerine Total which I mentioned in previous posts. As the alcohol content is so high on this brand it does really clean away the bacteria which is good, but can really sting your mouth. You can water it down to reduce this and it still works well (and lasts longer, too!).

Keeping this type of brace clean is a big challenge - remember to use an electric toothbrush, interdental sticks and mouthwash, and clean them after every meal. If you have any cuts or abrasions in your mouth, use mouthwash regularly to keep bacteria to a minimum and speed up healing time.

Link to YouTube Video: Wire and Cleaning Tips

Celebrity Lingual Brace Wearers!

Wow! Everyone's talking about Myleene Klass' brace! She was presenting This Morning and was snapped with her mouth wide open! Look!


There's clearly a lingual appliance on her lower arch. Here's a link to a full article about it on the Daily Mail Website. After they had been spotted, she actually opened her mouth to point them out properly.

The article cites other celebrities who have worn them:

Steve Jones before Incognito...
...and after...

Sadie Frost before:

...and after...































Some pretty impressive results. Allegedly Kelly Brook has also had one, however there is no way of telling as she looks fabulous in every picture I could find of her!