Goodbye Attachments

After the closure of dentists (due to the pandemic), Queensway recently reopened and I was finally invited back for an appointment to get my attachments removed! I felt Queensway were fantastic in the way they implemented safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID, such as:

• Virtual check-in (where you stay in your car until they are ready for you)

• Taking your temperature on entry to the building

• Pre-appointment Screening Questionnaire

• One way system in the building

• Screens, masks and sanitizing stations

For anyone that doesn't know 'attachments' are small tooth-coloured shapes that are attached to your teeth before or during your Invisalign treatment. They're like handles, giving aligners something to gently push on. Invisalign aligners fit smoothly and tightly around them.

My Ortho started with removing my attachments. This was actually a little bit uncomfortable (I won't lie!). Not painful, but I felt a lot of pressure as if the Ortho was really pushing down to buff/file them off. I think the attachments are made of dental composites so I guess it does take a little bit of force to get them off. After they were off I was finally able to run my tongue smoothly across my teeth - something I hadn't been able to do in a long, long time!!!

Next, Guy came in to check over my teeth. One of my front teeth was wayyy longer than the other shown below:

I explained I was happy with the overall appearance of my teeth, but they were very square and I wanted a more rounded look to them so he filed and shaped them for me. I thought this was really going to hurt but it didn't at all. He then achieved this shape and I genuinely couldn't believe how happy I was and that they were my teeth! I had thought of getting composite bonding on my top teeth to achieve that super perfect look, but the Ortho said I really didn't need it.

I loved them, but for me, they still weren't 100% perfect. There was still 3 things which needed correcting:

• The colour (which we are going to correct with a course of tooth whitening)

• The chipped bottom tooth (which we are going to correct with some composite bonding)

• The left front tooth was gummier than the right (which we are going to correct with some gum contouring)