We first introduced James to our readers and his fellow patients back in February 2020.
If you’ve been following his journey, you’ll know James originally came to the clinic looking for lingual braces as he wanted invisible braces. As a business owner and regular public speaker, who also happens to be very tall, he was conscious that his mouth can often be at eye level and wanted to find a solution to improve the crowding of his teeth.
We’ve worked with James over the last 21 months and we are delighted to see how his smile has been transformed, and his confidence has grown too.
Read on for more about James’s patient journey, from his bond-up (bracket placement) experience to his dietary recommendations, and how it feels to finally wear a smile he’s proud to show off!
The consultation and bond-up – February 2020
As well as feeling self-conscious about the appearance of his teeth, James was aware that his bite didn’t feel as comfortable as perhaps it should, so visited Dr. Asif Chatoo here at the London Lingual Orthodontic Clinic for a consultation and assessment.
A detailed examination and appraisal of James’ bite confirmed that several areas needed to be addressed, such as crowding, a crossbite and the overall aesthetics of his smile.
James went ahead with treatment, commenting after the bond-up that the team were especially helpful when it came to answering questions and ensuring he was comfortable.
“Asif really took the time to explain every step of the appointment, so I knew exactly what to expect which put me at ease.”
James went on to confirm that in the first few days of wearing braces he found the diet to be a particularly important element of maintaining oral comfort, suggesting that foods such as rice, pasta, soups and yoghurts were lifesavers.
Further commenting that “Overall, when you’re a few days, in you stop noticing the braces, which makes the decision to get treatment a no-brainer, in my opinion.”
Read more about the initial stages of James’ treatment journey with us at London Lingual Orthodontic Clinic.
Life in lockdown with braces
Post bond-up, as James was adjusting to life in lingual braces, none of us had any idea that we would end up being plunged into a global pandemic.
At the beginning of the subsequent lockdown, when asked if he had any concerns surrounding his treatment, James answered:
“The overall treatment duration is definitely something I’ve thought about as, having not had a wire change for three months, there is inevitably going to be some delay. However, it’s times like these that make you think more about the decisions in your life and, for me, choosing someone that is such an expert in their field has been very reassuring during these uncertain times.”
The follow-up appointments
Dr. Asif’s observations after three months confirmed that James’ teeth were starting to straighten, improving the symmetry of the gum margins and subsequently his bite.
After just ten months, James confirmed his teeth were noticeably much straighter and that he felt much more comfortable smiling, without feeling conscious when he was presenting or speaking to new people. He also went on to confirm how much more powerful his bite felt, something he hadn’t thought much about before.
James added: “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!”
Brace removal and the final touches
James had his braces removed on the 11th of October, describing the experience as smooth and easy.
Remarking how quick the final treatment was, James confirmed that he loves his new smile and can see a huge difference in photos and in his overall confidence when sharing a smile, noting that he definitely smiles more than he did prior to treatment.
Although James missed being able to eat baguettes, he confessed his first post-removal craving was actually carrot sticks. James says that he’ll miss the calming influence of Dr. Asif, as well as tying in his appointments with trips to the British Museum.
Life after treatment
James says life after treatment is great. His smiles are bigger and any concerns about adjusting to retainers disappeared after one night.
For all patients, retainers are essential to maintaining the alignment of teeth. Both fixed and removable retainers are included in the overall treatment costs. Find out more about braces aftercare, here.
Another positive to the experience is James’ improved oral hygiene, boasting he now flosses every day.
When asked what he would recommend to those thinking of seeking orthodontic treatment, James said:” If you’re thinking about it, it is 100% the right thing to do. You’ll smile more confidently, look back at old photos and wish you’d sorted treatment earlier.”
If you’ve got any questions about orthodontic treatment here at the London Lingual Orthodontic Clinic, or you would like to find out more about your options, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
