Aligning the age
Improving hygiene and smile appearance
When you reach a phase in life and think, "Why didn’t I do this years ago?" it’s important to remember that it is never too late to achieve your dreams.
A patient came to me seeking advice regarding the position of his teeth. He noticed they were shifting progressively causing difficulties with eating and cleaning. He was constantly worried that food was stuck between his teeth and he also started experiencing a slight lisp when speaking. Additionally, he no longer found his smile as appealing as it once was.
The patient had a moderately restored dentition but was coming for regular check- ups and maintained good oral hygiene. Given his complaint, there was significant crowding in both the upper and lower jaw. The main issue was Angle Class 2 protrusion of the front teeth, which began to affect the harmony of his smile. Due to the orthodontic malocclusion, there were also signs of gum recession and wear on the incisal edges of his teeth.
Although the patient was middle-aged, I decided on a conservative approach and suggested orthodontic treatment using aligners. The treatment plan involved 15 aligners for both jaws, with the patient changing the aligners every two weeks.
After the initial treatment period, we needed to make further adjustments to achieve the desired result, so we extended the treatment with 7 additional aligners. While he had concerns at the start about how much his lifestyle would need to change, it became much easier once he saw the progress.
After completing the final set of aligners, we made some restorative improvements for the gum recessions and tooth wear, and then took impressions for the final retainers.
Retention is the most important phase of orthodontic treatment. After all, we all want our teeth to stay in perfect position, right?
The patient is extremely happy with the results, and if I may add, he looks 10 years younger!
