Invisalign!

[pigeon toe]

Don't know if this should go here, but I need some advice on possibly getting Invisalign!

I had braces from ages 10-14 and absolutely HATED it. I never wore my headgear and definitely never wore my retainer afterwards. So it was basically pointless.

Now the teeth inbetween my front teeth and eye teeth are crossing over my front teeth and it is not a good look! It's not too bad, but I know it's only going to get worse, so I want to nip this in the bud.

Has anyone here gotten Invisalign? About how long did it take for your teeth to be the way you wanted and how expensive was it? Is it as painful as regular braces? Do you get a retainer afterwards? Is it really obvious or not that noticeable?

Thanks so much ladies! I've searched on the Invisalign website, but I'd rather hear stories from real people, not people who were paid.

 

[MissHannah]

Wish I could have those. As a 35 year old I'm pretty sure it would be too late for braces even if I could afford them and could stand the humiliation and pain.

 

[KittyT]

Wish I could have those. As a 35 year old I'm pretty sure it would be too late for braces even if I could afford them and could stand the humiliation and pain.

It is never too late for braces. My mom had them in her 30s. Invisilign is a better option once you're past your teens.

 

[CherryRed]

I know someone in their 40's that has Invisalign and she said they were painful.
I also think they can only do so much. If you have had braces before it may work for you. Only your dentist can say for sure.

I am 35 and I am getting my wisdom teeth pulled next month and then getting braces. I have to get them because my bite doesn't line up, so not there is no time limit.
Also for anyone that needs them and can't afford them, look into Care Credit. That is the only way I will be able to get mine.

 

[The Shirt]

Cherry Red -
I'm 36 and have to get all my wisdom teeth out this month as well! bleck I hate it.
MY mother had braces at 62. Her bottom teeth kept moving towards the front and twisting and squishing her front teeth. Invisaligns weren't really an option for the amount she then had to correct. My understanding is that they are great for people that need a little maintenance or touch up after originally having braces long ago. So perhaps Pigeon they might work for you.

 

[CherryRed]

Cherry Red -
I'm 36 and have to get all my wisdom teeth out this month as well! bleck I hate it.
MY mother had braces at 62. Her bottom teeth kept moving towards the front and twisting and squishing her front teeth. Invisaligns weren't really an option for the amount she then had to correct. My understanding is that they are great for people that need a little maintenance or touch up after originally having braces long ago. So perhaps Pigeon they might work for you.

Good luck with the teeth puling! I only have them on the top and they are starting to hit my gums below so they have to go. My appt is on June 5th. I am dreading it.

 

[sixsexsix]

I am 25 and have had invisalign for the past 18 months. My teeth were super screwed up and crowded and have straightened out - my treatment is almost done (finish in July). Because my teeth were so crooked and my jaw never fully developed (I basically have the mouth of a 10 year old), my treatment has been long and I had to wear those stupid elastics (I just stopped wearing them after a few months and figured I could live with a bit of an overbite).

If there is just a small crossing over or gap in your teeth I bet your treatment could be over in a few months. Many people who just have a couple of teeth they want fixed are done in six months or less.

I never had traditional metal braces, but I have heard about all the headaches associated with them. With invisalign there are no "tightening" ortho appointments, you simply put in a new aligner each week, and go in to the ortho every couple of months so they can check your progress.

At the beginning they make a mold of your teeth, and then they make aligners that are just a tiny bit different and move your teeth every week you replace them. I have had close to 100 aligners, but if you're not fixing major issues will not have nearly as many.

I also like that you can just take them out to eat (they snap on and off really easily like a retainer), so you're not limited with food.

Nobody notices them which is wonderful.

There is no pain. It was uncomfortable when they did the mold, but that was about it. When my teeth started shifting a lot and moving they became a little sensitive, but brushing with sensidine fixed that.

The cost for my treatment as $7000, which is a lot, but there was a lot of work & a lot of retainers. All the ortho checkups etc are included in that. They also offer interest-free financing - I make monthly payments. Just go in an speak to an ortho who does it and they can give you a quote, the consultation is free.

Finally, there is no retainer at the end per say, you're just supposed to wear your last aligner at night to ensure your teeth don't start shifting back crooked.

Hope that answers all your questions - if you have any more just ask!

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

I'm having my bottom wisdom teeth out a week today.

I am hoping that my bottom two front teeth may slightly correct themselves as they got pushed together after my wisdoms came through (despite official research saying that doesn't happen). But I wouldn't get them corrected I don't think.

 

[MissHannah]

Bottom teeth aren't worth worrying about - no-one really sees them. Typically, my bottom teeth are dead straight whilst the top ones are a mess!

 

[Lola Getz]

I am in my 40's and have braces. No humiliation here!
I did look into Invisalign, but they were twice as expensive as regular orthodontia, and they are not an option for everyone (but your problem seems minor.)
I did not realize until my doctor told me that our teeth are always trying to move! I guess they like to stretch out.

 

[desi_de_lu_lu]

For all you gals having your wisdom teeth taken out.....Don't make the same mistake I did and drink (alcohol) just hours after the procedure.

I was young and stupid and didn't think.. "hole in head directly to bloodstream + alcohol = instant drunk!"

 

[The Shirt]

"hole in head directly to bloodstream + alcohol = instant drunk!"

Instant drunk can be fun though - and cheap to boot. I'm hoping i have enough drugs in me to think it was all but a dream.

 

[desi_de_lu_lu]

Instant drunk can be fun though - and cheap to boot. I'm hoping i have enough drugs in me to think it was all but a dream.

This is true....even one beer or cocktail can put you over though..!

"What dry socket Doctor? The alcohol kept it wet..."

Seriously, at least I didn't suffer infection, etc. Maybe there is a something in getting swizzled.

 

[MissS]

I just had my braces removed last November, then had a few months of invisalign.

Because I needed a lot of work done, invisalign for the entire treatment wasn't an option.

However, as others have mentioned, being just a small overlap, you might be ok - just remember it's not cheap! And it's only as good as you are - so don't forget to keep wearing them!

 

[Pina Bridgette]

How funny this topic came up, I've been thinking about getting braces on my bottom teeth for a while now. One of the front ones is getting pushed out and rubbing my lip the wrong way. I have an appointment next week for a consultation with my son's orthodontist. His braces were not cheap so I am preparing myself for the sticker shock. My dental insurance will only cover up to $1500 and his were somewhere around 3x that!

Of course, I did shop around and they were probably the most expensive. One orthodontist was 2/3 the cost of one I choose but he wanted to pull teeth so I went to another for a 2nd opinion. These orthodontists have been able to correct his teeth without any pulling and therefore has been worth every penny IMO. *confession* the 1st orthodontist I tried was a contemporary of my orthodontist from my teens(!) and I was convinced he might not have kept up on the latest techniques so that kind of factored in my decision to try another - who also happens to be married to my son's dentist. But also some things are not worth skimping on.

p.s. Miss Hannah I'm 37 so its never too late.

 

[KittyT]

Instant drunk can be fun though - and cheap to boot. I'm hoping i have enough drugs in me to think it was all but a dream.

I couldn't take the drugs they gave me. They made me horribly nauseous. My swelling went down after 2 days.

 

[limetree]

pigeon toe, I had a problem with those teeth (between the eye teeth and the front teeth) too! Mine were twisted around sideways - even though I had braces from age 13-16 - and I eventually had to get surgery where they cut the gum away from the tooth so it would reattach in the new position and stop twisting. I really hope the Invisalign will work for you!

I'm kind of lucky as my Dad is an anaesthetist, so he organised to have me put under general when I got this done and when I got my wisdom teeth out. The best memories of operations are no memories at all

 

[pigeon toe]

Thanks for all your opinions and experiences ladies!

I'm afraid to tell my parents I want Invisalign because I know they will get so angry that I didn't wear my retainer. I think they want me to suffer the consequences! On the website it said the average is about $5,000, and they have payment plans. I make a little more than that a year (I work less than part-time because of school), so I'd definitely be willing to sacrifice shopping and pay for it myself.

I guess I'll bring it up with my parents and hopefully they won't cuss me out!

 

[MissS]

Great - then when you're done, you can ask the orthodontist to put a fixed retainer in behind your teeth (really thin metal wire) to ensure they don't move again!

 

[Real Swell Gal]

Well we do Invisilign at work but only when people need slight tooth movement. If they need braces to adjust their bite they get traditional braces.
if you've had braces before you might be a good canidate but you'll need an evaluation. Also make sure you go to an orthodontist that knows what they are doing with Invisilign. Many times a dentist can just take a workshop on them without having some real training and that can be an accident waiting to happen. They are a little more expensive than traditional braces but usually not by much. And yes they do hurt but from what patients tell me it's no worse than when you had your braces adjusted. They make your teeth sore for a few days. They also make you talk funny. More so than with traditional braces. You can also avoid having a permanant retainer or having your teeth shift after treatment by wearing your retainer at night like you're supposed to long after treatment is completed.

On lower teeth, yes they are important because if they are out of alignment your top teeth will shift and then it's like a domino effect on other things.
For example, my husband's lower teeth are out of alignment because when his wisdom teeth erupted they crowded the lower front teeth. So that caused his upper front teeth to bang on the lowers and they have chipped away all the way down to the dentin. They are not sensitive which is usually an issue when dentin is exposed and they are free of decay but they look bad. Being the type of person my husband is,he will not go to an orthodontist.
He doesn't even go to the MD's unless he's dying.
I would love to get him to go,get the braces to straighten his teeth and then have crowns or veneers done to repair the damage to his top teeth.
If he would have been able to have his wizzies out before they made his teeth shift, the damage would have been avoided.


And if anyone wants wisdom teeth advice, I'd be happy to share.