I wanted to submit a review for Riviera Orthodontics in Redondo Beach and its new lingual braces treatment. Full disclosure: I am related to the orthodontist (Dr. Bakhtari) and I received my braces at no cost, as a pilot run for a new treatment being offered by Riviera Orthodontics - Lingual Braces (behind the teeth braces). Nonetheless, the review below is my own and reflects my actual beliefs -- I wanted to describe my experience with this new treatment for others considering this option.
Background: I had a full set of braces when I was a teenager, but I did not do a good job of wearing my retainers after having my braces removed. Over time, part of my smile lost its "alignment" - one of my front incisors (tooth next to my front teeth) moved over the years, to the point where half of that tooth was hidden behind one of my two front teeth. It didn't wreck my smile, but I always wanted to fix it, but only if it could be done quickly and discreetly. As an adult now 20+ years removed from having braces, getting visible, metal braces simply was not an option for me. Dr. Bakhtari suggested that lingual braces (aka "behind the teeth braces") might be an option for a couple reasons: (1) they are essentially "invisible" and (2) they work relatively quickly, taking only a matter of months in my case.
My treatment lasted about 4 months from March - July 2017. Of course, a treatment plan/timing depends on each person's teeth, but for me, it was only 4 months because I only had a one issue to address. The treatment required these braces behind my 6 teeth in the front, on the top only. Because it was only on the top of my mouth, they really were invisible to others. As an experiment, I only told a couple of family members that I was getting lingual braces. I'm happy to say that no one at work nor any of my friends noticed - which I was pleasantly surprised with since keeping the braces discreet was a big priority.
The treatment was great - for me in particular, the teeth moved quickly. It's definitely an odd feeling at first (they can feel sharp against your tongue), but like anything else you get used to it. Just like full braces from teenage years, I had to avoid certain foods like nuts, gum, etc. And like full braces, my mouth was very sore for the first week or so - I could only eat soup, shakes and liquids for the first several days. I was undoing 20+ years of movement in 4 months, so even after the initial soreness, the teeth were always a little sore because they were actively moving. So did it hurt? Yes, at first my mouth was very sore (as with any set of braces you get on your teeth), and there was always a little soreness after that, but beyond the first week or so, the soreness was incidental.
Do lingual braces affect your speaking? Yes and No. Yes, for the first couple weeks I thought my speech was affected, but No, no one noticed. It's not like trying to speak with a retainer in your mouth, but to me, I did have to adjust to having these on my teeth for the first couple weeks - but no one noticed, so I think it was more perception than reality. Another thing I want to mention is the number of office visits. I saw Dr. Bakhtari a couple times in the first month, but for most of the treatment, I came in once a month. I also came in a couple times towards the end so he could track exactly when the best time would be to remove the braces. For a 4-month treatment, I think I came to the office about 6 times total.
As for price and value of this treatment versus others, I received the treatment at no cost as a pilot test, so I can't speak to price. What I can say is that for me, having visible braces was not at all an option, so there was immense value to me for this treatment. If I were choosing between this treatment and others, in my opinion the value that comes with a discreet method is worth a premium.
Last thing - the Riviera Orthodontics office itself. After I had my braces removed, Dr. Bakhtari made some retainers for me - and here's the cool thing. I didn't have to use the plaster that most dentists/orthodontists use to create a mold for retainers; it makes me gag every time. I'm not sure how best to explain it, but the Riviera office has a state-of-the-art machine/tool that takes hundreds of photos of your mouth using a handheld camera that Dr. Bakhtari uses. It essentially scans your entire mouth via hundreds of digital images, and you can see a model of your mouth being created in real time, which is how Dr. Bakhtari created a mold for my retainer. For me, I liked how quick and non-invasive it was, and the retainer fits perfectly. read more