Our Patient’s Smile Journey

A big thank you to our patient who wrote about their smile journey with us.

“I just wanted to say thank you to everybody at Bank House Dental centre, especially Sanjay who has transformed my smile. I wanted to write about my journey to help others know what to expect if they are thinking about straightening their teeth.

I’d always been unhappy with my teeth, I had braces as a teenager but never wore my retainer and over the years my teeth moved back into their starting position – in fact I think they were even worse than before. I had always wanted to have them straightened again but was worried about the cost and felt too embarrassed to have braces in my 40’s so I kept putting it off. One day I was looking at the photos from my brothers wedding and thought enough is enough, I hated my smile and I had to get this problem sorted.

I contacted the Bank House Dental centre to enquire about tooth straightening and was pleased to hear they offered a free consultation. My consultation was very informative, and I quickly realised that orthodontics had changed since I was at school! Sanjay was not pushy and went through my options. There were a few options available to me, and I decided my preference was Invisalign – clear removable braces.

My second appointment was a more thorough check of my teeth. Sanjay had to make sure my teeth were healthy enough to be moved so he took X-rays, and some photos and impressions of the teeth. It was explained to me that this would be sent to the lab and my next appointment would be for a visualisation of my treatment plan.

My visualisation appointment was very helpful because I was able to see the way the braces would straighten my teeth step by step and even got to see the final result. I wasn’t expecting the result to be so good as I knew they would never be perfect, I just wanted to get started!

My next appointment was to fit the aligner. I had to have small tooth coloured bumps placed on the teeth, so the aligner could ‘hang on’ to something to enable it to guide the teeth into position. These felt a bit strange at first but were quite discreet and I got used to them quickly. I was told to wear the aligner all day except for eating and cleaning my teeth.

During the straightening journey I had to come in for checks every two weeks, so Sanjay make sure everything was on the right track and I was given new aligners each time. These appointments are quite short, and I was able to come in the evening, so my work wasn’t affected. I couldn’t believe it, but Sanjay was able to straighten my teeth in 12 weeks!

My final appointments – To finish the treatment, I needed to have a retainer made to keep my teeth in place – I’d learnt my lesson with this one! I had to have impressions and the retainer was fitted a few days later.

I am so glad I decided to straighten my teeth, it couldn’t have been easier, and I can’t believe I put it off for all those years. Most of my friends and family had no idea I was even wearing a brace – the aligners were completely clear and discreet. I would urge anybody considering straightening to go for a free consultation, you won’t regret it! It has been a month since I finished the treatment and I still can’t stop smiling! “