Scrutiny by the Masses

Time for an Orthodontic Check Up?

Disclaimer: As a member of the Invisalign MAB, this is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wore braces twice. Once when I was a teenager, and then the first year of my married life. (Yay for sexy!!) My oldest boy wore braces, and has beautiful straight teeth. My oldest daughter wore Invisalign and also has very straight teeth. Really, the two of them look as if they could be a walking advertisement for successful orthodontia. 

Me, not so much. I had some issues and my lower teeth have shifted, and, well, there's nothing I'd like more than to straighten my teeth back out - but I've got these other kids whose teeth are more crooked than anything I've ever seen, and so, like much of my life - the kids have to come first. Sigh. 

One day it'll be my turn. For now, I have two kiddos who desperately need to have their teeth straightened - and since I've had one older kid in traditional braces and one in Invisalign, I'm the perfect person to tell you which choice I prefer. 

That's easy - Invisalign. 

Available to teens and pre teens, Invisalign consists of formed plastic trays that, over time, will pull the teeth into alignment with each other, by using incremental differences in each consecutive tray. Over time, the trays cause the teeth to shift into their proper line up. Invisalign Teen clear aligners straighten teeth without traditional wires and brackets giving teens the confidence to live life to the fullest while improving their smile. No more shiny, metal braces, no more broken brackets or popped out wires - just clear removable trays that can get the job done without the standard disruption that comes with traditional braces. 

The two children who need braces are currently 17 and 14. Both have terribly crooked teeth and both are very conscious of how their teeth appear - one won't ever smile showing teeth, because he's so unhappy. So, I know that I've got to get his teeth in line, so to speak. Both of these kids have a conflict, though - they attend performing arts school, one for instrumental and one for vocal. Traditional braces can tear up the mouth of an instrumentalist, especially one who plays for several hours, and they completely change the voice of an opera student. Happily, Invisalign is removable, and so the trays can be popped out for performance and practice - as long as they are worn 21 hours a day, the child will still be in compliance. 

The other area of concern for me with traditional braces is the sheer amount of time it takes. Between monthly visits and emergnecy, "Help! I broke a bracket - or a wire!" visits, we spent quite a bit of time at the orthodontist's office with my oldest boy. When you use Invisalign, several aligner sets are provided in advance and because there are no wires or brackets - there's nothing to break. 

But, if you are worried about making sure that the teen wears the trays for enough time to be in compliance, don't - each tray is armed with compliance indicators, which will fade if the trays are worn for the correct amount of time. If those blue dots don't fade - and there is no way to trick them, so no funny business occurs - you know that your kid isn't cooperating. 

And maybe you should take their electronics. :)

After seeing not one but two orthodontists, and talking with my kids dentist, I'm pretty comfortable with the decision I made to use Invisalign. We went to two different consults, just to make sure everyone was on the same page - and we all are. What about you? 

• Have you brought your child in for an orthodontic consult?

• Have you or someone you’ve known used Invisalign? And if so, what was their experience?

• How do you think Invisalign Teen compares to braces?

Interested? You should be Invisalign is a fantastic alternative to traditional braces.

Take the Smile Assessment! Want to find a participating doctor? Here are some things you may want to ask - Questions For Your Doctor.

Do you have questions on the best way to straighten your child's teeth? Check out this cool infographic.  

Want to enter to win free treatment? 

 

 

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Smile It Forward

I was not compensated for this post at all. Not one bit. I was provided with a $500 gift card to make a donation, but I've not been paid for this post.

My daughter was an Invisalign patient, and we could not be happier with the results. She went from a teen who smiled with her mouth closed in every photo to a fully confident, "toothpaste commercial" smile - and I will forever be grateful to have had this opportunity for my daughter. We both highly recommend Invisalign to anyone who asks, and I'm currently looking into it for my other children who are in need of braces. Why would one choose Invisalign? Well, we were super happy with the results, and the cost was actually a bit cheaper than my oldest son's traditional braces had been - and so, if it works, let's try it again!

This year, Invisalign is participating in National Smile It Forward Day, and I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to participate.

The Patriot Guard Riders were there for my family at a very bad time - my father in law had just died. They came to show support, provide guidance, and honor a WWII veteran. Their mission is incredible and one that is, in my mind, absolutely unparalleled.

From their website:

Our Mission
“The Patriot Guard Riders is a 100% Volunteer, Federally registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization which ensures dignity and respect at memorial services honoring Fallen Military Heroes, First Responders and Honorably Discharged Veterans.”

Our Vision
The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security including Fallen Military Heroes, First Responders and Honorably Discharged Veterans. If you share this respect, please join us.

I will be making my donation to the Patriot Guard Riders in honor of my father in law and in grateful thanks for their service to us. I'd love to offer you the opportunity to Smile it Forward - one lucky reader, pooled from the other bloggers participating in the Smile it Forward campaign, will be given the opportunity to win 2 $500 Visa Gift Cards - one for you and one for you to Smile It Forward! To participate, please click here!

Invisalign's Smile It Forward Sweepstakes

I am a member of the Invisalign MAB and my daughter was provided with complimentary treatment.

It's National Smile Week!

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board. My daughter received complimentary Invisalign treatment, but as always, I'm sharing my own personal thoughts and opinions.

My daughter began her Invisalign treatment a little more than 18 months ago - you can see it here - and she completed it just a few months ago - you can see it here. I was a little bit skeptical about using plastic trays to transform her mouth; I wore conventional metal braces twice and couldn't imagine that those tiny bits of plastic would work.

Happily, I was proven wrong. Her smile looks great, and her confidence has sky rocketed - she even smiles for pictures now - WITH her teeth!

I love the fact that my daughter has a beautiful smile, and the self confidence that goes along with it is even more lovely than the smile.

Did you know that there was a National Smile Week? Neither did I! But there is, and from conversations that I've had with my friends, it seems that many more adults than I would have ever anticipated are just not happy with their smiles. Most of them, though, are resigned to an unpleasant smile. They cite expenses with their kids, growing older and a lack of necessity to have straight teeth, and just no time. Some people are even afraid to investigate their options!

If you are one of those people who are unhappy with their smiles, take a bit of time to see what your choices are - you might be surprised! Visit the Invisalign Facebook page to learn more from the patient community, and take the Invisalign Smile Assessment to see if Invisalign is right for you - I bet you'll be surprised!

Almost Finished!

I am a member of the Invisalign MAB. As a member, my daughter is receiving Invisalign treatment.

So, here we are, almost at the end of my daughter's Invisalign treatment. She's worn 15 sets of trays for appriximately 16 months.

Here is where we started:

And here is where we ended up:

Are we pleased? I think her teeth look much better than before, and she's delighted with the improvements to her smile. As a bonus, I can now get her to smile in pictures, which was always somewhat of a challenge for us before.

I really do think that Invisalign has a great product. My oldest son wore traditional braces, and I well remember the breaking wires and the brackets that were forever popping off. There were no foods that she couldn't eat, and we spent much less time in the orthodontists office.

The downside is that she didn't wear them quite as much as she could have - her compliance wasn't as stellar as i would have wanted - so her teeth aren't as perfectly matched as my son's teeth are - but as I told her, that part of the equation is completely up to you.

Now we move into the retainer stage. One thing I didn't realize, although it's totally my fault, is that she'd still need a retainer, just like traditional braces - and I didn't factor that into my budget.

It's always something, isn't it?

Invisalign Mom Advisory Board - What is the Refinement Stage?

My daughter called me the other day after her Invisalign appointment. She was really super excited to tell me that she'd finished her braces! Well, no, not really - but she'd turned in her last set of aligners. So, she was done! Now she was moving on to the refinement stage.

The what? What is a refinement stage? How can you be done with your Invisalign aligners - and still need a few sets of additional aligners - with several months ahead?

Let's take a look at the refinement phase. What is it?

The term "refinement" in the context of Invisalign treatment implies just what it is: a small modification to the tooth positions at the conclusion of the initial series of aligner steps. It's done at the conclusion of the primary active therapy time frame, and it does just what it sounds like - it refines the position of the teeth.

My daughter had one tooth that needed to be rotated, and the primary set of aligners hadn't completely straightened it out, so she went into refiners to complete it. The Refinement phase can be done at any time - it doesn't refer to correction of relapse due to non comlinace with a retainer.

I wondered why she'd needed refinements, as she'd had a computer scan done of her teeth - wasn't that pretty accurate? Indeed, it is very accurate in predicting tooth movement but sometimes at the end of a treatment a few more trays are needed to finish the case prior to retainers. The computer simulation can only give an estimate as to how well someone's teeth will move. 

 A refinement is just continued treatment to really "fine tune" the final result.The end is in sight, though - at her next appointment, we will be discussing her retainer!

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board. My daughter will receive complimentary Invisalign treatment, but as always, I'm sharing my own personal thoughts and opinions.

Invisalign Mom Advisory Board - What About Compliance?

Sometimes, teenagers can be tricky. They think that they know better than the people who are responsible for them, those parents that just get in the way of their fun. Cries of "It's not fair!" riddle the earth, parents everywhere are beaten down and exhausted.

They try to sneak off, do the wrong things and think that they will never, ever get caught.

One of the great benefits to Invisalign is that you can remove the trays if you have something major, such as a portrait shoot or a special event. You can take them out, attend your event, and put them back in. This is also a downside - because if you don't wear them - your teeth will not move. There's no way to cheat when you are wearing the Invisalign. If you want your teeth to move, you must wear the trays - it's as easy as that.

Those tricky teens, though - they think that they can report that they *are* wearing their Invisalign aligners when, in fact, they are not. But - how can you tell? I mean, of course you can see that the aligners are in their mouths when they are with you, but your teen undoubtedly spends a good bit of time away from you, and I'm confident that those aligners come out almost as soon as the door closes.

Invisalign aligners come with blue compliance indicators on the back molar area of the trays that allow the orthodontist - and the parents! - to monitor the amount of time that your child wears the aligners. When your teen wears the aligners the proper amount of time - 22+ hours - the blue disappears. Now you don't have to take her word for it - because you know that she's going to tell you, Oh, yes, absolutely Mom, I've been wearing them all day!

Now you know if she's telling the truth. Sure wish we could get compliance indicators for every day knowledge...

 I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board. My daughter will receive complimentary Invisalign treatment, but as always, I'm sharing my own personal thoughts and opinions.

INVISALIGN TEEN “SHOW US YOUR BLOGHER SMILE!” SWEEPSTAKES

Please note: this blog post is for the INVISALIGN TEEN “SHOW US YOUR BLOGHER SMILE!” sweepstakes. You may only enter if you have found Carmen at the Blogher 2012 conference, requested an egg, and received it. Your entry is found inside the egg - post it in the comment section - ALONG WITH YOUR TWITTER HANDLE -  and then watch your twitter stream - you could be a winner! There are 3 $100 VISA gift cards and 3 $25 Amazon gift cards to be won - please enter your comment below!

Your smile is one of the first things that people notice about you.

Invisalign is a terrific way to improve your smile. Their smoth, comfortable and virtually invisable clear plastic  aligners gently guide teeth into place and help you get that perfect, camera ready smile you want.They are custom created to fit only you and help you achieve outstanding results.

After all, first impressions are everything. 

If you - or your child - have ever thought about braces, why not look at Invisalign? Find an Invisalign provider in your area, and transform your smile without wires, metal or sharp edges in your mouth. With no food restrictions and no extra dental hygeine efforts at all - there's no reason why you can't have the smile you've always wanted.

Official Rules and Regulations below the fold.

Invisalign Mom Advisory Board - A Parenting Bonus Just for You!

Ending The Entitlement Epidemic.

Every single time I go to the store, I see it. Bratty kids, begging parents for just.one.more.thing in the check out line. Kids who feel as if they are entitled to whatever they see, whatever they want - if it's in their eyesight, it must be theirs.

My own children are not immune to this scenario by any stretch of the imagination. They feel as if they are owed everything and anything that they want, whenever they want it, no matter the cost or the difficulty or impracticality. It's one of the more frustrating aspects of parenting, that's for certain.

Author Amy McCready, Positive Parenting Solutions Founder and TODAY Show Contributor, will hold a complimentary 1-hour webinar that will teach you tools and strategies you can use to end that feeling of entitlement in your own children. Subtitled 5 Strategies to Raise Responsible, Respectful and Resilient Kids, this chat based webinar will help you see:

    •    how well-meaning parents contribute to the entitlement epidemic
    •    the secret to using allowance to teach responsibility and accountability
    •    strategies to get kids helping more and complaining less
    •    solutions to get kids to take responsibility for homework, chores, personal hygiene and so much              more.

I participated in the chat that Amy held last month and I learned a couple of new tips and techniques that, once I implemented them into our daily routine, helped ease some areas of strife that we were experiencing.

This chat is offered twice on Thurday, July 26 - at 2 pm and 9 pm EST. It's web based, meaning htat you don't have to talk to anyone - so grab a snack and a drink and check in to something that is certain to benefit your family!

RSVP here.

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board. My daughter will receive complimentary Invisalign treatment, but as always, I'm sharing my own personal thoughts and opinions.

Invisalign Mom Advisory Board - What About Forbidden Foods?

Every time I eat popcorn, I have a flashback to the time(s) that I wore braces. Popcorn was, and still is, a forbidden food to those in traditional braces. So is gum. And caramels, and anything else sticky or sharp or, you know, yummy.

Not so with Invisalign - a fact that had completely skipped my mind until the day I took my kids to a theme park. My daughter wanted to have a caramel dipped apple and it didn't even occur to me that she shouldn't because of her braces. She wanted popcorn, and chewing gum, and none of these foods were off limits to her with her Invisalign - she just took the aligners out and enjoyed her foods. When she was finished, she brushed her teeth and put the aligners back in.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. No forbidden foods, nothing off limits - just remove your trays, eat your foods, clean your teeth and go on with life.

Except for the time that she, you know, didn't put the aligners back in - because she'd wrapped them in a napkin and tossed them in the trash with her leftover lunch. She realized while we were hunting for a bathroom so that she could brush her teeth, and all of a sudden, her aligners were just gone.

Poof. We did get them back after digging through the garbage - a job which I do not recommend to anyone. Thank goodness her dad was there.

Invisalign understands how teens can be a bit, shall we say, shortsighted in their personal care and allows for six sets of replacement trays. This can be a great consolation to the mom and dad who are really tired of hunting through the garbage can to find those trays again.

When you are given your trays, you are also given a couple of containers in which you should store your trays when they are out of your mouth. However, if you wear them the recommended amount of time - 22-23 hours a day - they really shouldn't be in the container.

You can't lose the aligners when they are in your mouth.

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board. My daughter will receive complimentary Invisalign treatment, but as always, I'm sharing my own personal thoughts and opinions.

Invisalign Mom Advisory Board - Special Occasions Can Still Be Special

This is my daughter Allegra. She was on her way to Ring Dance - a special night similar to prom, but for Juniors, where they are presented with their class rings. She worried about her appearance - what would she wear, how would she do her hair, her nails needed to be perfect, and on and on. One thing she didn't have to worry about was her smile. Due to her short amount of time in the Invisalign, her teeth are already noticeably more straight. She felt more confident in her smile.

The most important part of the entire evening, according to her, was the fact that she could remove the Invisalign trays and not wear them for her special evening. She has been counseled to wear them 22 out of 24 hours, and wore them round the clock for an entire week in order to have some time banked.

This is something that you can't do with traditional braces. You don't have the luxury of removing them for a special day. You can always take your picture with your mouth closed, but the effect is ruined.

She absolutely loved the fact that she could go aligner free for her big event.

I'd like to share this graphic with you. Did you know that your smile is one of the first things that people notice about you when they meet you? Or that those with straight teeth are described as being happier with a high self esteem?

How do you feel about your smile?

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board. My daughter will receive complimentary Invisalign treatment, but as always, I'm sharing my own personal thoughts and opinions.