About Invisalign~~

[minmin001]

Anybody had experience with it? Do you think it's worth the money to do it? I'm thinking about it just wasnt sure if its worth to go through it. Please let me know, thank you~

 

[AprilBaby]

Totally worth it! No one knows you are wearing it and you change the trays every two weeks. It works quickly and you can use the same trays to bleach your teeth! Your final tray is your perm retainer which you will have to wear at night the rest of your life. You would not be sorry if you do it but you might regret it if you don't.

 

[minmin001]

Thank you. May I ask how much you spent on it?

 

[amc80]

I had it. My teeth are pretty straight but I needed a few minor things done. I had them for 20 weeks and I believe it was $3800 (my insurance paid half). It was a good alternative to full on braces, but I was sure ready for the 20 weeks to be over. I got sick of wearing them and sick of brushing my teeth all day long. Oh, and even now, 4 years later, my teeth try to move right back if I don't wear the retainers at least once a week.

 

[minmin001]

so I guess it's not like brace that you can just be done with, this you have to keep wearing it all your life... hmmm

 

[monarch64]

Invisalign is meant for pretty minor issues. And like AMC related, it doesn't force your teeth to stay forever in their new place without lifelong assistance. Pretty gimmicky, if you ask me, but a great way for orthos to make money.

I chose to get clear braces when I was 28 years old and have never regretted it. Yes, it was tough to walk around with brackets on my teeth, but after 18 months, my teeth looked great and I only wore retainers at night for 6 months. My teeth have maintained their new position and I'm very happy with the results of my efforts. My insurance also paid for almost all of my orthodontia, but it would not have covered Invisalign at all, iirc. good luck to you!

 

[AprilBaby]

I pay nothing, I am a dental hygienist who works in an office who does a lot of it. An express case is about 16 weeks and $2500. A full case is about 8 mo and $4-5,000. Any braces, wire or Invisalign will require you wear a retainer the rest of your life at night so they don't regress. It's not gimmicky, it actually requires a lot of precise work on the dentist side. It can correct many issues therefore the time and price differences. One thing it cannot do is realign a forward lower jaw problem.

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

so I guess it's not like brace that you can just be done with, this you have to keep wearing it all your life... hmmm

i had regular braces for 1 1/2 years and i still have to wear my retainers at least 1-2x a week to keep my teeth looking perfect.

 

[wildcat03]

I have Invisalign currently - I'm about 6 months in to my 14-month treatment. Pros: discreet (although NOT entirely invisible, especially if you have attachments on any of your front 6 teeth), can eat things you can't eat with metal braces. Cons: can't drink coffee/tea throughout the day, brushing your teeth 4+ times daily.

Invisalign is not "gimmicky." It's orthodontics - just like metal braces. Retention (retainers) in adults is a VERY different matter than it is in kids/teens. THe recommendation after adult orthodontia is for lifetime wear of retainers to prevent relapse. This applies to both people treated with metal/ceramic braces and people treated with Invisalign. My orthodontist's recommendation is 6 months of full time wear, 6 months of 12 hrs/day, then 6 months of just nighttime wear, then 3-4 nights a week for life. This applies to both his adult braces patients and his adult Invisalign patients.

One side note/caution with respect to Invisalign. Align technologies allows regular dentists to offer orthodontia services using Invisalign. Having done significant research, I have come across a LOT of people who were displeased with their general dentist's management with Invisalign. I would make sure you go to a residency-trained orthodontist, not just a general dentist who offers Invisalign.