James’s treatment journey: Part 3

James’s treatment journey: Part 3

December 2020

It’s been just over 10 months since James first came to us to start his orthodontic treatment at the clinic. In that time, we’ve heard his experiences of the bond-up appointment and learning to live with lingual braces in the early stages of treatment, as well as how he’s been managing to maintain a dental hygiene routine during the periods of lockdown. If you keep up with us on Instagram, you may have seen some of his updates over on our feed too.

As early as three months in, James was already noticing changes to the way his front teeth looked, appearing straighter than before, and became more conscious of his bite. So, what can we see after ten months in lingual braces? Use the slider on the images below and see for yourself.

Left: December 2019 Right: December 2020

Dr Asif’s observations

“The changes we’re seeing are the movement that has taken place since the end of January 2020 – it’s also good to note that this is despite 12 weeks of the first lockdown, where we were unable to continue with regular appointments.

You can see that the teeth are straighter across the upper and lower jaw; the gum margins of the upper teeth are more equal and symmetrical and the bite has improved, with the upper teeth coming out and starting to sit properly over the lower teeth.

From the images you’re looking at, you will be unable to see this, but the slide of the jaw on James’s closing teeth has now been eliminated, so they will not catch and risk being worn down.”

James’s thoughts ten months in

“The first thing you’ll see is that they are noticeably straighter, but I also feel much more comfortable smiling open-mouthed now and don’t feel conscious when I’m presenting or speaking to new people. The other change is how much more significant my bite feels now and is something I’d never really thought about before.

An acquaintance of mine recently saw a photo of me on LinkedIn and commented on my teeth, so it was quite nice to know other people have noticed the difference!”

And when we spoke to James about the remaining duration of his treatment, this is what he had to say:

“In the earlier stages of my treatment, the only questions I ever really had for Dr Asif was how long I had left to go, but now I find that I don’t actually care anymore. All the things you worry about initially, about discomfort or eating, you forget after the second or third appointment.”

If you’ve got any questions around orthodontic treatment here at the clinic, or would like to find out more about the different options, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Feature image credit: Laura Evans, Let’s Talk Video Production

2023-03-07T15:52:13+00:00Patient Stories|
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