In the beginning… there were my teeth. English teeth. Teeth that have got me through 35 years, self confidence reasonably intact, and even through 9 years of modelling- in the days when perfect teeth were a nice bonus but not strictly compulsory in the modelling world.
The thing is though, that I have never been happy with them. They aren’t bad enough that I always remember to put my hand up to hide them when I smile (although I often do), but they aren’t good enough that I would consider smiling naturally. People probably assume that I was born with this strange lopsided grin. I wasn’t, I cultivated it slowly over my teenage years as the most effective way of hiding my wonky, and less than beautifully white teeth. Just because I cultivated it doesn’t mean that I like it, however.
And so, at the age of 35, perhaps as a mid-life crisis, perhaps thanks to the grace of new technology, I have decided to fix my teeth. My objective isn’t perfection. At 35, and at the point from which I’m starting, it is unlikely that perfection is possible. What I want is good enough. Good enough for people to think I have “nice teeth” but perhaps not perfect teeth. Even just good enough for people not to think I have “goofy teeth” as I once saw a potential client had noted on the bottom of my model card. I would like my teeth to be good enough that no one ever again notices I have bad teeth- so I can blend into a room full of people anywhere in the world.
So, I shall record my journey here and see where we end up in my pursuit for a Hollywood smile.
Want to jump to the end? Check out my Invisalign before & After video and photos.
The way I see it is that the more you use something and have experience with it, the better you are going to be at using it! In Australia especially you are not going to get away with dodgy or poor results and I am sure a Specialist Orthodontist is not going to recommend something to their patients that would not be suitable. They don’t need to do that and wouldn’t risk their reputations and comprimise a patient’s treatment to gain a higher status to make more money. They simply don’t need to do that.
I have used the Invisalign “find an orthodontist” search and found the loveliest Orthodontist in the universe. He has been treating people for a number of years and is awesome. Check out http://www.evolveorthodontics.com.au
I will post a photo when my treatment is complete (end of 2012).
Hi,, regarding the list of orthodontist/dentists listed on the invisalign website I think might be a bit misleading as the top tier invisalign providers may not be the best orthodontist to see I think these are categorised primarily by the amount of invialign they have sold?
I think listing them as most ‘experienced’ although may be true but is a bit misleading as I have heard of many dentists and orthodontist pushing invisalign onto patients who it may not be auitable for simply so they can sell more to make more money and become a platinum seller, subsequently these patients have had poor results. It seems like this level is might be more of a marketing/sales thing so I am wary of the so called high level gold/platinum providers putting profit above patient care.
Hi there,
Sorry for the delay in replying- I didn’t see your comment before. The way I went about finding my guy was to look through the Invisalign website. They rank providers by experience. I went through and made a shortlist of all the most experienced orthodontists (not dentists- I only wanted a specialist working on my teeth) and went to see them all for quotes. I think this is the best way to find a good one. I wish you luck with it, I know how hard it is to pay it off, especially when you have children to pay for too!
Good Luck!
Hi! my name is Kami, and i am about to start invisalign treatment- i have had a really bad experience though so far though i havent even started the treatment- with a dentist i found through one of my Coupon websites, and though i have had my impressions done, i have been so scared to go back to this guy- and wished i would have read your blog sooner so i knew what i should be doing! i was dumb enough to think that any dentist would be able to do the same thing, and price drove me to this guy because at 27 yrs old- OOPS, 28 in a few days- i really have wanted to straighten my teeth for more than half of my life and i really have felt that it lowered my self confidence some- i too was an aspiring model- but with “wonky teeth” as you call them (haha! i love that term- though i wish it wasnt my reality as im sure u felt for some time!) and i gave up thinking i would never have money to fix them… well, thanks to having a baby and getting a better tax refund, im finally doing something for myself! i just want to thank you for opening my eyes to the invisalign process- and realizing that a good doc is more important than giving up a few things to be able to pay these babies off!! 🙂 i am afraid the dentist that i went to was giving me unnecessary fillings and deep cleanings- which i later read on YELP that he has done this to MANY people and people are actually reporting him to the ADA!! how did you find a good dentist? how do you know they arent a crook like the last guy? and how do i know what is a good deal for my particular case. im not rich- but i have to get this done now. i want to have straight teeth if i ever get married one day!!
i cant wait to see how your teeth come out… i have been told in the past my case could take about 11 months- id post a pic, but i dont know how to send u one! 🙂