It’s Courtney, back with another honest review about my recent orthodontia experience at Anantuni Family Dental (AFD) in Chandler, Arizona. As the ghostwriter behind the AFD blog, it’s exciting to have the opportunity to come out from behind my laptop and talk to you about my experience with Invisalign and veneers!
Obviously, Dr. Anantuni is a renowned dentist. But after seeing her vision of my teeth come to life, I am now convinced she is also an artist!
Below, I’ll discuss the good, the unexpected, and everything in between.
Are you ready?! Let’s dive in!
What is Invisalign?
As we’ve talked about before, Invisalign® is an alternative to traditional metal braces. Invisalign® got its name from “invisible aligners” and has truly changed the game in dentistry.
Why?
Clear aligners such as Invisalign® are far more comfortable than metal braces. Since they are clear, most people feel more confident in their smile while wearing Invisalign® as opposed to metal braces.
Looking beyond the cosmetic benefits, Invisalign® is an effective treatment for correcting many dental issues, including overbite, underbite, gaps between teeth, and crowded teeth — just to name a few!
Why Invisalign and veneers?
If you don’t know what porcelain dental veneers are, I recommend reading this blog for more detail. Dental veneers are little porcelain-based shells affixed to the front of teeth. They are used to cosmetically improve teeth that are misaligned, broken, chipped, or discolored. To create a more confident smile, they also work to fill in gaps and shape and alter the appearance of teeth. Moreover, colors are matched.
Before starting Invisalign, the small teeth on either side of my two front teeth were disproportionately smaller. Part of Dr. Anantuni’s artistry was creating spaces by moving teeth orthodontically with Invisalign so that the smaller teeth could look proportionate to the front teeth (with the help of ceramic veneers). Because of the crowding of my teeth, Dr. Anantuni had to lightly file some space (we’re talkin’, itty bitty millimeters here) between my teeth so they had room to settle into a better position. Don’t worry, this didn’t hurt!
The way I see it, the Invisalign treatment reworked my foundation so that my remodeled teeth could be the star of the show, which is why the process was Invisalign first, then the porcelain veneers.
The process of Invisalign to veneers.
Dr. Anantuni recommended Invisalign to me because of the crowding of my teeth, which were worsening with age. She explained that if I didn’t pursue aligners now, it could lead to more extensive and invasive dental treatments later in life.
That got my attention! And so, in September 2022, I started with Invisalign.
After nearly seven months of moving and straightening my teeth, it was time to begin the process with veneers.
First, after removing the Invisalign attachments, I treated myself to laser whitening. Because after all of this time and money invested in my smile, I wanted it to be bright!
Then, Dr. Anantuni filed the affected teeth down and attached temporary veneers, which were made in the AFD office! Dr. A numbs the area, so I didn’t feel a thing.
Afterward, I went to a dental arts lab to color-match my newly whitened teeth for my permanent veneers. I was so intrigued by this process — they hand paint the porcelain teeth!
Lastly, I returned to AFD to receive my permanent veneers. Again, Dr. A numbed the area, and with a few tweaks, I didn’t feel anything.
When she removed the temporary veneers, I wondered what my natural teeth looked like because they felt like little stabby nubs. I asked Dr. A if I could see them before she put on the porcelain veneers — because it was my last chance to see them!
She asked, “Really?!”
I said yes, and she handed me a mirror.
I burst out laughing because I thought I looked like some kind of forest creature with my pointy, nubby teeth! But if you’re sensitive to this kind of stuff, definitely skip this part. It’s not a normal part of the procedure to be shown your natural teeth after being filed.
What can I say? My curiosity got the best of me!
Anyway, Dr. A installed my permanent veneers, and I also received my new Invisalign Vivera aligners, made to keep my teeth in position while accommodating the new veneers.
Conclusion
Invisalign and veneers are a personal investment of your resources and time. And while I questioned the process at times or experienced moments of frustration, the reward is definitely worth a handful of uncomfortable moments.
Because once my permanent veneers were in place, I left the office with my smile brighter than ever before. I am thankful for Dr. Anantuni and the AFD staff who made this process as smooth as possible. They always ensured I was comfortable and answered my (many) questions. I am thankful for these modern dental and orthodontal technologies that have drastically improved my smile for the rest of my life.
Love Your Smile at Anantuni Family Dental
Are you curious about Invisalign? Find out if you are a candidate for clear aligners by contacting Anantuni Family Dental at 480-821-4000!
