Realign Your Misaligned Teeth With Invisalign

Vikki Lindsey dedicated nearly 20 years of her life to Eastern Airlines, first as a flight attendant and later as a brand ambassador even after her retirement. "For most of my career, I flew with Eastern," recalls Vikki, now 89, reflecting on her varied assignments across cities like Dallas, Charlotte, New York, San Antonio, and Miami. "I saw a lot of places and met many lovely people doing that job."

Among the people she met was her husband, Odie, whom she encountered in a chance encounter at the San Antonio airport back in 1972. "I had to put him on a plane so he could visit his grandmother," Odie recalls. "I left him in the care of a stewardess, who turned out to be Vikki. After I got home, Vikki called to tell me my son had gotten on the plane all right. She was also trying to find out if I was single or married."

"When we got on the plane," Vikki adds, "I said to Odie’s son, I just talked to your dad and he asked me out for a date. I was testing to see if Odie was single because flight attendants got a lot of proposals. His son said, You should go because he makes good eggs in the microwave."

Despite her prominence in the public eye, Vikki struggled with insecurities about her smile due to crooked and crowded teeth. "I had crooked teeth in the front," Vikki admits. "Odie said those teeth were one reason he fell in love with me, but I was very self-conscious of them. And as I got older, my teeth became an even bigger concern due to shifting."

Every dentist she consulted proposed pulling some teeth to straighten them, a prospect Vikki vehemently opposed. "I didn’t like that idea because I still had all the teeth I was born with," she explains. "I never had one pulled."

Vikki's quest for a solution led her to Blossom Dental and Facial Aesthetics, the practice of Huda Aljonaidy, DDS, in Ormond Beach, after seeing an advertisement on television a few years ago. Curious if Dr. Aljonaidy could offer a remedy, Vikki promptly scheduled an appointment.

Unnatural Biting Forces

“Ms. Lindsey’s front teeth were extremely crowded, which was causing the teeth a lot of wear. She also experienced pain, and her front teeth were very sensitive,” Dr. Aljonaidy reports. “Thankfully, there were no cavities or abnormalities in the foundation of her teeth.

“I explained that her upper arch was small, so her teeth were jammed into each other and not meeting properly when she chewed. They were not meeting each other on their long axis, making them very vulnerable to pressure, bone loss and erosion of the tooth structure, which leads to pain.” Dr. Aljonaidy’s evaluation also revealed that the biting forces in Vikki’s mouth were not even. Her front teeth were taking most of the forces when she chewed, which is not natural.

“My teeth are beautiful, and the Invisalign process has been a breeze.” – Vikki

“We use our front teeth to bite a sandwich and that is all they should do,” the doctor details. “The back teeth should do the bulk of the chewing. When we chew, our front teeth should not touch. Ms. Lindsey’s primary function was on the front teeth, which made them hurt.”

Dr. Aljonaidy’s recommendation was to realign Vikki’s teeth to put them where they belong. That would improve the teeth’s appearance and function and relieve Vikki’s pain. To achieve those goals, Dr. Aljonaidy suggested using Invisalign® clear aligners.

“When we align the teeth, we allow every tooth to receive the proper forces along the long axis,” Dr. Aljonaidy informs. “I use the analogy of lifting weights. When you are lifting there are certain postures you use to lift properly so you do not hurt your spine. The same applies to the teeth. If the teeth are not in perfect alignment against the forces of chewing, those teeth are going to hurt.”

Dr. Aljonaidy stresses that age is not a deterrent to receiving orthodontics.

“There is no such thing as an old tooth,” she says. “If your teeth are healthy, you are a candidate for Invisalign. The fact that Ms. Lindsey’s teeth were sensitive means the treatment was not just to improve her appearance. There is going to be a cosmetic outcome, of course, but the driving force behind the treatment is improved function.

“We were able to eliminate Ms. Lindsey’s pain by adjusting her bite through realignment. Once her teeth were where they belonged, her lip support became more natural. She can speak more clearly because her arches are more relaxed and open. Her gums got tighter because there is no crowding from the teeth. “We were also able to save all of Ms. Lindsey natural teeth. And all we did for her was Invisalign.”

“A Win-Win”

Vikki began her Invisalign treatment in February 2021. Today, she is in the final stages, where Dr. Aljonaidy continues to tweak the process to achieve the best result. Still, Vikki is extremely pleased with her outcome.

“My teeth are beautiful, and the Invisalign process has been a breeze,” Vikki enthuses. “If you just follow the directions you won’t have a bit of trouble. It is a little inconvenient taking the aligners in and out every time you eat, but that makes for a good diet.

“The treatment has been a win-win. In addition to straightening my teeth, Dr. Aljonaidy made sure my teeth were lined up in height because some were a little bit longer than others. I just sat back and let her take the ropes, and I was better off.”

One of the things Vikki liked most about Dr. Aljonaidy was her commitment to saving Vikki’s teeth from extraction while relieving the crowding — unlike the other dentists.

“Dr. Aljonaidy said, I’m not going to pull any healthy teeth. That’s just against my principles,” Vikki remembers. “Right then and there, I knew she was a great dentist and the one I would be going to for my treatment.

“Dr. Aljonaidy is very thorough and kind. I’m surprised that she’s still working with me because the treatment cost was a flat fee, and she just continues seeking perfection. She’s a perfectionist. I definitely recommend her and Blossom Dental and Facial Aesthetics.”

Also read this article on "I found my Doctor" here.