After a four-month delay due to the pandemic, my daughter was finally able to resume her teeth straightening treatment with Uniform Teeth. Clinics opened in June and Munchkin booked the first available appointment she could find. This office visit was necessary for her to move onto the Alignment Phase and receive her next sets of trays.
However, shortly before that, I accidentally got chemical burns in both of my eyes and my vision was impaired. So, I apologize for this late update as my eyes have only recently healed completely. As we have her next appointment coming up, though, I wanted to let you know how things have been progressing since my last Uniform Teeth post.
COVID-19 Safety Updates
Before Munchkin could have any orthodontic work done for the Alignment Phase, she had to take a COVID-19 test. Due to new safety updates, Uniform Teeth requires all patients to get tested 4-7 days before their appointment and to bring the test results with them into the clinic. Fortunately, Munchkin tested negative and could continue with her appointment.
Since appointments are staggered to allow for proper social distancing, patients are expected to be on time or their spot might be canceled. Frans and Munchkin didn’t want to take any chances so they made sure to leave extra early to arrive in San Francisco with time to spare.
Everyone that enters the clinic has to wear a mask and body temperature is taken at the door. During the appointment, the staff wears extra protective equipment and patients only remove their mask when treatment begins.
Prepping for the 5-Month Alignment Phase
With Munchkin finishing the initial Expansion Phase, it was time to prep her teeth for the Alignment Phase. This included a checkup, adding anchors, and filing her teeth. Anchors are small, hardened nubs that are added to specific teeth to engage tooth movement when using the clear aligner trays. As you saw in previous photos, my daughter had several teeth that needed to turn this way and that.
The assistant placed the anchor material into an aligner tray and placed that in Munchkin’s mouth. She then used a special light to adhere the anchors to my daughter’s teeth.
Dr. Yoo came in after that to check the placement and attach of the anchors. He then removed excess material and smoothed any rough edges.
Filing came next. Munchkin has a very small mouth. But, instead of extracting teeth to make more room, the orthodontist used a metal file to slightly shave off some enamel (we’re talking fractions of millimeters here) between some of her teeth. These minuscule spaces would provide just enough room for my daughter’s teeth to properly shift into place.
Once that was all done, Munchkin was good to go for the Alignment Phase. The staff brought out her next box of trays which included 19 sets of clear aligners, each set being numbered by week from 5 to 23. If changed every seven days, these trays would take about five months to finish.
Munchkin was pretty diligent in using her trays and didn’t experience much soreness during the past months. So, because she was getting anxious to finish her treatment as soon as possible, she asked the doctor if she could change her trays more frequently.
During our initial consultation, we were told this was an option if the teeth were moving well. After checking her weekly photo uploads in the Uniform Teeth app, the doctor gave the green light for her to change trays after five days instead of seven. This adjustment lessened her overall treatment by a week or two. (She did use a few trays for seven days since her teeth were more sore during those movements).
Here is her current progress. Can you see the huge difference?
Heading into the Final Readjustment Period
Now, Munchkin is on her Week 23 tray, which wraps up the short Space Closure Phase. For some people, this would mark the end of their treatment and they only need one final clinic visit. Others, though, require additional refinements.
My daughter falls into the latter group. She still has that one tooth on the bottom that needs extra TLC to fully straighten it out. After the doctor checks her teeth and adjusts her treatment plan accordingly, she will receive another set of trays to us. We’ll find out what comes next when we visit the clinic this week.
Receive $200 Off Treatment Now
As we look at the before and after photos, we are floored by the dramatic improvement of Munchkin’s teeth. Best of all, she feels more confident when smiling and is proud of the result thus far WITHOUT braces. If you have been thinking about teeth straightening with clear aligners, go with Uniform Teeth! You can even save $200 when you book a free consultation here and mention my handle (@cookieandclogs). They even have a new plan especially for teens!
This post is in partnership with Uniform Teeth and treatment is being provided for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
