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Invisalign- worth the hassle? (2 Viewers)

offdee

offdee

Footballguy
Have a little bit of crowding of my front teeth that I want to get out ahead of, and orthodontist said the lower level of Invisalign is a perfect match for my needs.     Let's just say cost isn't a factor here, but more focus on the inconveniences.....is it worth it?

- 9-12 months

- Have to have it in as much as possible, but remove it every time you eat

- Then after each time eating need to brush your teeth before putting it back in  (I'll quickly become the guy brushing his teeth in the work bathroom on a daily basis!)

- Ortho said some people end up with a slight change in speech where some letters are tougher to say  (lispy s's....fabulousssss!)

 
It was for sure worth it for me. I had them for about 18 months. My bite was jacked up and my teeth looked pretty crummy. They look great now and I've had no problem.

It's really not that big of a deal - you can pop them out any time you have to. And, I'm pretty sure you could wear them only at night and get the job done, but it would be much slower. I switched to night wearing for the last four months or so and it was fine.

 
I'm in my 3rd month of Smile Direct Club and am pleased with the results and experience so far.  I pulled the trigger after my S.O.'s daughter had a great experience.  It's far cheaper and quicker than Invisalign ($1,700 top and bottom).  You're getting raped by the orthodontist going those other routes.     

 
Captain Cranks said:
I'm in my 3rd month of Smile Direct Club and am pleased with the results and experience so far.  I pulled the trigger after my S.O.'s daughter had a great experience.  It's far cheaper and quicker than Invisalign ($1,700 top and bottom).  You're getting raped by the orthodontist going those other routes.     
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Ah good to know, I'll look into  Smile Direct Club.    Any tips or tricks that you learned that would make my experience easier with them?    My Dental insurance won't cover any of this cost so if there's a cheaper route that works just as good, I'm all about it.

ETA: I was quoted $3,400 for top and bottom for Invisalign

 
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####### smile direct club...  currently getting sued by the ADA.

Look i'm all for saving a buck and being cheap.. but not on health care stuff

 
Took it out every time she ate and then right back in. No speech change. Took longer than estimated- about 16 months

 
I'm happy with the results... for some reason I was unclear that I would be wearing a tray as a retainer every night for the rest of my life though.

 
offdee said:
Ah good to know, I'll look into  Smile Direct Club.    Any tips or tricks that you learned that would make my experience easier with them?    My Dental insurance won't cover any of this cost so if there's a cheaper route that works just as good, I'm all about it.

ETA: I was quoted $3,400 for top and bottom for Invisalign
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Not really any tips.  Just schedule a quick 30 minute session where they scan your teeth and walk you through the process.  In less than 6 weeks they'll send you a box with all of your aligners.  You're supposed to take pictures of your teeth on a weekly basis and upload to their orthodontist to make sure things are progressing as they should.  I haven't bothered with this process, but it's probably a good thing to do and is necessary for them to honor their warranty.

If you want I can refer you and I think we both get $100.  Just send me a PM with your info.  

 
Ilov80s said:
Took it out every time she ate and then right back in. No speech change. Took longer than estimated- about 16 months
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Did she not have to brush her teeth every time after eating before putting back in?   Feel like that would be a bacteria petri dish if didn't brush.

 
matuski said:
I'm happy with the results... for some reason I was unclear that I would be wearing a tray as a retainer every night for the rest of my life though.
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My ortho mentioned this, but also said another option was to install some sort of stabilizer rod behind teeth to avoid the retainer route.

 
offdee said:
Did she not have to brush her teeth every time after eating before putting back in?   Feel like that would be a bacteria petri dish if didn't brush.
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You will want to brush your teeth as much as possible, especially after eating.  These things smell like straight death even when you do brush and floss.  

 
I did it like 10 years ago (wouldn't be surprised if I started a thread on it because that was in my self-absorbed days).  Funny as it cost the same.  

I liked them better than braces (had those as a kid).  They worked.  I don't recall the bad breath issues or them significantly impacting my daily routine/life in any way.  I don't even recall them causing a problem with kissing. 

My biggest regret is that I didn't continue to wear the final tray at nighttime.  My top teeth still look great but my bottoms have regressed a bit over the years. 

 
matuski said:
I'm happy with the results... for some reason I was unclear that I would be wearing a tray as a retainer every night for the rest of my life though.
Click to expand...
I didn't know that either and I stupidly decided I wasn't going to.  Probably now means I'll need to do another round of Invisalign in another decade or whatever. 

 
Dentist said:
####### smile direct club...  currently getting sued by the ADA.

Look i'm all for saving a buck and being cheap.. but not on health care stuff
Click to expand...
I assume they're the dental equivalent of "LegalZoom" or something?

 
Zow said:
I assume they're the dental equivalent of "LegalZoom" or something?
Click to expand...
Just for the record, Invisalign manufactured SDC's aligners.  The only difference is they take expensive and likely unnecessary orthodontist visits out of the equation.  If you prefer the safety and security of having the orthodontist check you out through the process, pay for invisalign.  I was skeptical myself, but having seen someone go through the process successfully, I decided to jump in too.  So far I'm more than pleased and I've got an extra $1,500 in my pocket (and a lot less hassle).  

 
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Zow said:
I didn't know that either and I stupidly decided I wasn't going to.  Probably now means I'll need to do another round of Invisalign in another decade or whatever. 
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They say this is a very common occurrence.

 
offdee said:
My ortho mentioned this, but also said another option was to install some sort of stabilizer rod behind teeth to avoid the retainer route.
Click to expand...
I never did invsalign but when I got my braces taken out I had the rod behind my front bottom teeth.  Had it for over 15 years and barely noticed it was there (except for flossing).  I could've taken it out sooner but I was like if it's not bothering me, I'll just leave it.    Would recommend that route if the other is a hassle.  

 
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matuski said:
I'm happy with the results... for some reason I was unclear that I would be wearing a tray as a retainer every night for the rest of my life though.
Click to expand...
Yeah, so what's the deal with that? I have Invisalign and started wearing my retainer (bottom only) every 2-3 days as when I wore it every night my gums would dry out and tend to bleed. I was pretty pissed off when I found out I'd likely have to wear it for the rest of my life. That's definitely NOT something they mentioned before I decided to give it a go. So do some have to wear them every night and some don't? I was so fed up with that dentist/orthodontist that I decided to go elsewhere. My teeth have been alright but it is still noticeable that they shift little by little the longer I don't wear them and eventually the retainer gets VERY tight, almost to the point where I can't even get it on. I just can't deal with having to wear it for the rest of my life. Even if it is only every 2-3 days. Nope. I'd rather my teeth be not "perfect" but still pretty good. It doesn't seem like they'll ever fully go back to how they were before Invisalign, so not a complete waste of money.

Regardless, I wouldn't recommend them from my own personal experience.

 
BlueDredSo said:
Yeah, so what's the deal with that? I have Invisalign and started wearing my retainer (bottom only) every 2-3 days as when I wore it every night my gums would dry out and tend to bleed. I was pretty pissed off when I found out I'd likely have to wear it for the rest of my life. That's definitely NOT something they mentioned before I decided to give it a go. So do some have to wear them every night and some don't? I was so fed up with that dentist/orthodontist that I decided to go elsewhere. My teeth have been alright but it is still noticeable that they shift little by little the longer I don't wear them and eventually the retainer gets VERY tight, almost to the point where I can't even get it on. I just can't deal with having to wear it for the rest of my life. Even if it is only every 2-3 days. Nope. I'd rather my teeth be not "perfect" but still pretty good. It doesn't seem like they'll ever fully go back to how they were before Invisalign, so not a complete waste of money.

Regardless, I wouldn't recommend them from my own personal experience.
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It actually works out for me.

I grind my teeth if I don't wear them.. so win, win for me.  I can feel it every night when I put them on that my teeth have moved during the day, I imagine my teeth would move a lot if I wasn't on top of it.

Still annoying though that it isn't laid out up front that it is a lifelong commitment.

 
Zow said:
I did it like 10 years ago (wouldn't be surprised if I started a thread on it because that was in my self-absorbed days).  Funny as it cost the same.  

I liked them better than braces (had those as a kid).  They worked.  I don't recall the bad breath issues or them significantly impacting my daily routine/life in any way.  I don't even recall them causing a problem with kissing. 

My biggest regret is that I didn't continue to wear the final tray at nighttime.  My top teeth still look great but my bottoms have regressed a bit over the years. 
Click to expand...
This is almost exactly my situation. 10ish years ago. Didn't realize I'd likely need to wear them every night for the rest of my life, AND they weren't even that bad to begin with since I'd already had braces for 3+ years when I was a teenager. I went from every night, to every other night, to every 2-3 days, and now I've pretty much decided "#### it" and don't wear it at all anymore. Sure, they've regressed a little but it's hardly noticeable. If I could go back I wouldn't have ever gone this route.

 
i completed smile club, only issue for me is my bite changed a lot and my teeth hit differently, creating an issue.  smile club doesn’t help so much with this, but my dds has been great in making adjustments.  no issues for me otherwise.

 
Why is it a big deal to wear a set at night as a retainer? I always figured I'd have to wear something at night to keep them straight. I don't think it's a big deal :shrug:

 
Invisalign is a clear aligner, which is designed to be invisible. Clear aligners are an alternative to traditional braces for straightening teeth and reworking your smile without much interference in your lifestyle. The aligners are removable trays made of clear, invisible plastic material. It is painless, light-weight, and flexible.

Undoubtedly, in comparing Invisalign vs braces, it’s a tough competition. Invisalign usually appeals more to adolescents and adults, who tend to be pretty self-conscious. The fact that it’s removable, giving you the liberty of doing your daily activities like eat, drink, brush, floss as per your convenience sounds more desirable.

Though, thinking of Invisalign as the only clear aligner brand in the market is a big misconception. Since Invisalign ranks as the world’s primary and largest producer of clear aligners, it is obviously exorbitantly expensive. Also, due to its extra importation costs, the brand is costlier. Their closed ecosystem and sales markups escalate the treatment cost. Most of the aligner companies supply aligners to dentists and this jacks up the treatment cost as there are a lot of commissions to be paid.

Always do your research, ask questions and with the help of your orthodontist make an informed decision.

Stay Healthy Stay Safe.

 
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