Invisalign - to do or not? - Dental Health Message Board

tracy26 · 02-21-2005, 08:32 PM

Hi There, I am new to this board. I am in the process of still deciding on Invisalign or Ceramic Braces.
I have to say some of the Invisalign posts are scary, but the thought of braces is also scary.

I went for two consults and the first Ortho said Invisalign is great for me and then the second one said he would do it but ceramic was another option. Cost is the same and they told me Invisalign would be about 12 months and Braces would be 18 months.
I had braces as a kid so I know what to expect there, and the thought is not great, but I know they will work and I will get used to them.
Invisalign is new to me. I am worried about it not working, or wearing it longer than expected and just the general feel of the appliance. How does it feel when you drink, when you kiss, just in general. I also heard about speech issues. I want to correct my mouth for a great smile, but I don't want to be more self consious. All your posts have been great, but I really need some facts to help me make this decision.

Plus, my ortho told me all wisdom teeth, crowns, etc. would need to be done before invisalign because the trays are computerized and any changes in my mouth after the trays are ordered would effect the outcome.

Thanks,
Tracy

Yekcoh4 · 02-22-2005, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tracy26

Hi There, I am new to this board. I am in the process of still deciding on Invisalign or Ceramic Braces.
I have to say some of the Invisalign posts are scary, but the thought of braces is also scary.

I went for two consults and the first Ortho said Invisalign is great for me and then the second one said he would do it but ceramic was another option. Cost is the same and they told me Invisalign would be about 12 months and Braces would be 18 months.
I had braces as a kid so I know what to expect there, and the thought is not great, but I know they will work and I will get used to them.
Invisalign is new to me. I am worried about it not working, or wearing it longer than expected and just the general feel of the appliance. How does it feel when you drink, when you kiss, just in general. I also heard about speech issues. I want to correct my mouth for a great smile, but I don't want to be more self consious. All your posts have been great, but I really need some facts to help me make this decision.

Plus, my ortho told me all wisdom teeth, crowns, etc. would need to be done before invisalign because the trays are computerized and any changes in my mouth after the trays are ordered would effect the outcome.

Thanks,
Tracy

I have Invisalign. As far as the look and feel, when you first put them in, you feel like you are wearing a boxers tooth guard, lol, and EVERYONE can see and tell, when in reality they can't. Within a few days you don't even know they are there and you actually feel weird when you DONT have them in. Drinking is not an issue, you honestly dont even know they are there after a couple days. Speech was not affected in my case either. I smile just as much as I always did, not worried about other people seeing them, because it's now a proven fact, that they can't

Neither my boss, mother, father or sister even noticed them for the first week until I mentioned it to them and even then they said "huh,? lemme see!" As far as is working for your particular case, I can't say anything about that. But as far as the comfort level, aside from the tightness and pressure on your teeth, you dont feel them. There are no uncomfortable brackets or spacers normally associated with conventional braces. Just the clear aligners and a couple tooth colored grips affixed to a couple teeth. I can say that my experience, so far, is an EXCELLENT one. I would recommend them to anyone who is a potential candidate for them. I'm so excited to keep moving forward with the process!