Invisalign caused bite problems

jonnybravo147

Hi

I had Invisalign braces 4 yrs ago as an adult. I was happy with the result but my current dentist (not the one who did the braces) has just told me it's created a bite problem, causing my bottom front teeth to gradually wear out the upper teeth so much that I've chipped one tooth badly and two are pretty thin.

I'm really regretting going to a regular dentist, not an orthodontist, as other members have advised. But I found them via Invisalign's website so I trusted him to be qualified and experienced . A bad and expensive mistake!

I'm waiting to see a proper orthodontist to find out what treatment I need but what happens if it have to fix it with a second course of orthodontics! Can I expect my previous dentist to fix it or contribute financially?

Thanks in advance

Toothsmith

Might be worth a letter once you've had a treatment plan from the orthodontist.

You might get lucky.

If he's not one who's easily terrified by the prospect of getting sued - it might need lawyers and a great deal of luck to get anything.

jonnybravo147

Thanks for the reply.

Yep, I'm waiting for the treatment plan, £95 for the consultation taking moulds, xrays, etc.

I was thinking of the small claims court if I had to take action but even then I'd need evidence that my bite was ok before the braces.

Has anyone else had a similar problem and how did they fix it?

brook2jack

Have you been wearing your retainers since?
No orthodontic result is permanent unless retainers are worn for life or wires bonded onto the teeth.

If retainers are not worn all orthodontic treatments relapses but systems such as invisilign are more likely to relapse. This movement is more likely to have caused the problems.

The gold standard treatment is still train track braces as it can move all the teeth finely , in many directions.

Systems such as invisibility, invisilign, Inman allotments etc have limitations as they are essentially just correcting the cosmetic problem of the front teeth.

Never choose a system for braces, choose an orthodontist first then follow their advice as you have found out.

Claims against a dentist involving clinical matters cannot be heard in a small claims court, you would need to seek resolution via the dental complaints service first which is free of charge and fast https://www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk

jonnybravo147

brook2jack, thanks for the link. Not heard of Dental Complaints Service before.

I have been wearing retainers every night, originally Invisalign's Vivera retainers, tried a Hawley but it wasn't suitable, Essix not as sturdy as Vivera, now using Somnowell retainers, which is a custom fitted all-metal retainer, as good as a bonded retainer but removable for flossing.

That's why I'll be even more hacked off if I need another orthodontics treatment because that means shelling out a lot of money for another Somnowell.

Just thinking how much I might need to spend to get things right is depressing, I need a beer

brook2jack

To go through this many different types of retainers is very unusual. I do wonder if you are a bruxer (you grind or clench your teeth very hard at night). This results in retainers breaking, wearing through very quickly.

I would certainly mention to your orthodontist you have tried all these retainers. Someone who bruxes needs very careful management.

If you are a bruxer this is a very destructive problem and might be related to your tooth wear as well.

Who supervised the making of all these retainers?

jonnybravo147

No, the reason was my teeth were relapsing.

I wasn't told that the Viveras needed replacing every year, so they started moving (another reason I'm not happy with the original Invisalign provider) and I had to go through several pairs of Vivera retainers to move them back. Maybe it's true teeth treated with Invisalign trays are more prone to relapsing?

I wanted a longer lasting retainer, thought about a bonded wire but didn't want problems flossing. I tried the Hawley and Essix types after getting referred to a local orthodontist (I'd moved away by then) but just found they didn't keep my teeth in place. Eventually I found the Somnowell retainer online and had to go to another dentist. I know he wasn't an orthodontist but I thought it'd be okay as I wanted just a retainer, not braces. Although thinking about it, maybe an ortho would've checked my worn teeth and found the bite problem before getting the retainer made?

Ha, I've got lots of advice on what not to do if anyone wants braces.

brook2jack

The problem then is there is a history of relapse, multiple dentists making retainers and so the big picture was not being seen so not an ideal situation .

Not only that but you have had another course of treatment to move teeth back into place so it's difficult to pin the blame on the first dentist. There is a difference between retainers in a conventional sense which just hold teeth in place and are passive and alligners used to move teeth such as invisalign.

It is still highly unusual to have so much relapse, so quickly and go through retainers so quickly. Most people would get a few years or more out of a set of retainers. The sensible option if teeth keep moving is to go back to the orthodontist rather than research stuff on the internet and try different people, different options.

Make sure your orthodontist is fully informed about what's happened. From the sound of it you have a very atypical case, retention is going to be very challenging and any treatment needs to build on your previous problems and be consistent ie provided all along by one person.

jonnybravo147

The second 'course of treatment' was actually using Vivera retainers, not Invisalign aligners, to fix the small relapse and force the teeth back to their original position after completing the Invisalign treatment. And since that position has given me a bite problem, I still think the original dentist is at fault.

I'll be giving the full story to the orthodontist that I'm waiting to be referred to. Thanks for the advice, brook2jack.