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How Invisalign became the biggest user of 3D printers

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Re: How Invisalign became the biggest user of 3D printers

#91

1) Currently on invisign - mould 24 of 42 2) For 5k (Cdn) - I get 42 moulds, a method used to scan and submit my progress for each mould duration, feedback and advice from a dentist, a scan test to see who they fit 3) Considering the cost of braces and the flexibility these allow (as long as you are disciplined in wearing them) it's well worth it 4) My teeth were really misaligned. At 42 I just decided to do it so I…

How long does the process last? Are the moulds monthly or something like that?

I haven't done any similar treatment and I'm considering it at 35. Worried about the length since I heard it takes far longer for adults.

Re: How Invisalign became the biggest user of 3D printers

#93

1) Currently on invisign - mould 24 of 42 2) For 5k (Cdn) - I get 42 moulds, a method used to scan and submit my progress for each mould duration, feedback and advice from a dentist, a scan test to see who they fit 3) Considering the cost of braces and the flexibility these allow (as long as you are disciplined in wearing them) it's well worth it 4) My teeth were really misaligned. At 42 I just decided to do it so I…

How long does the process last? Are the moulds monthly or something like that? I haven't done any similar treatment and I'm considering it at 35. Worried about the length since I heard it takes far longer for adults.

My understanding is they used to be fairly strict about using a set for 2 weeks before changing, but research has shown very little difference in outcomes down to 1 week.

There is some discomfort/soreness for the first few days after switching. My dentist's instructions were to wear each for at least a week and then switch to the next set whenever I wanted after that. Basically at whatever rate I was comfortable/could tolerate. I'm now at set 15 and have switched most of them after a week while a few I delayed a couple of days because I had something happening where I didn't want to worry about any discomfort.

Re: How Invisalign became the biggest user of 3D printers

#94

1) Currently on invisign - mould 24 of 42 2) For 5k (Cdn) - I get 42 moulds, a method used to scan and submit my progress for each mould duration, feedback and advice from a dentist, a scan test to see who they fit 3) Considering the cost of braces and the flexibility these allow (as long as you are disciplined in wearing them) it's well worth it 4) My teeth were really misaligned. At 42 I just decided to do it so I…

I went through these and am pretty happy with the results. Mostly to counter the crowding of the teeth that happens naturally as you age.

As you probably know you're going to have to wear retainers at night for the rest of your life if you want your teeth to stay where they landed.

Re: How Invisalign became the biggest user of 3D printers

#95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My SO is now using it. I’m waiting for her impressions to decide if I want to do so. The dentist told me I’d only need it for like 3-4 months, minor corrections. But it seems like such a hassle. Always having to remove it before eating anywhere, no coffee, and gotta make sure I’d always travel with the next set of aligners etc. Glad it worked well for you though!

Just do what I did: ignore your orthodontist and wear them only at night, smashing them into your mouth like some kind of idiotic brute. 4 years later, great teeth!

I'll admit that I wore them less than indicated (but always at night) and doesn't seem to make much of a difference?

Re: How Invisalign became the biggest user of 3D printers

#98

1) Currently on invisign - mould 24 of 42 2) For 5k (Cdn) - I get 42 moulds, a method used to scan and submit my progress for each mould duration, feedback and advice from a dentist, a scan test to see who they fit 3) Considering the cost of braces and the flexibility these allow (as long as you are disciplined in wearing them) it's well worth it 4) My teeth were really misaligned. At 42 I just decided to do it so I…

[deleted]

Re: How Invisalign became the biggest user of 3D printers

#99
post #82
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had good smile all my life but now at 41 I've started to feel a tightness between my teeth. Lo and behold I read that as we age the jaws shrink which makes the teeth crowd together. I'm going for a free mouth scan in a couple weeks.

Wouldn't be such a big deal if we didn't keep all our teeth, but we do now. The migration forward as we age, plus wisdom teeth are evolutionary holdovers. Fun fact, I have one fully grown in wisdom tooth. The rest are still there, but never moved. My dentist is always after me to get all of them removed, telling me that they won't fill a cavity on the grown in one

You should find a new Dentist if that's their response. There's no reason to take out a healthy tooth if it's not impacting your quality of life or there are other issues.

Sounds like your Dentist is chasing $ over sense. My better half is a DDS, and they see quite a few patients wherein others in the field put their opinions and revenue over their hippocratic oath.

Re: How Invisalign became the biggest user of 3D printers

#100
post #72

1) Currently on invisign - mould 24 of 42 2) For 5k (Cdn) - I get 42 moulds, a method used to scan and submit my progress for each mould duration, feedback and advice from a dentist, a scan test to see who they fit 3) Considering the cost of braces and the flexibility these allow (as long as you are disciplined in wearing them) it's well worth it 4) My teeth were really misaligned. At 42 I just decided to do it so I…

Just be prepared near the end for refinements. When I did mine, I had to do another 6 months of refinements near the end to help get the locking of my bite grip to be where it needs to be. I was otherwise expecting that day to be when I’d be done, and later learned refinements are a fairly common occurrence when going through Invisalign. As the sibling comment, it’s definitely worth it. Best of luck!

This isn’t the case with 3D printed bracket systems. Studies have shown that the 3D personalized bracket system from LightForce will cut down treatment time over 40%. The refinement phase is also spot on and finishes much faster, and recent studies have shown further improvements. Also, the more complex the case, the larger the delta on the performance. Not all orthos are practicing this way but this is where the future is going whether it is LightForce or another company. The physics just works out better than the best plastics.

Disclaimer: I’m a health nerd and was an employee a couple years ago.

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