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Original poster

Adult braces. Any recommendations?

29 replies

Lostsock07 · 07/01/2020 10:17

Hi.
I’m early 40s and thinking about sorting out my wonky teeth. I’ve spent hrs researching all the types of braces and I can’t decide what would be the best.
Obv I want something that’s not noticeable, pain free and quick, which doesn’t exist.
I’ve thought of clear fixed but I love my tea, curry, pasta sauces etc and I’ve read they stain and look yellow. Then there’s Invisalign which means I can eat anything but I’ve read they take longer, more expensive and may not work.
Anyone had braces and what did you go for and how did you find them?
Tia

OP posts:
pregantandengaged · 07/01/2020 10:21

I paid a few years ago to have train tracks but with clear brackets. Yes you could still see them and yes I couldn't eat curry/drink red wine but I knew if I had invisiline I would be tempted to take them out ore often. You can get brackets that go behind your teeth, these are a lot more expensive but nobody knows you have them and you can still eat what you want. With invisiline you will still have brackets on your teeth to hold them in place, my friend had these and personally they look odd to me.

Meshy12 · 07/01/2020 10:22

I saw something called smile direct club - they even have night time Invisalign braces for £1.2k - take slightly longer as night time but still work

Perhaps that is a good compromise?

Poetryinaction · 07/01/2020 10:25

I had 6 month smiles and don't recommend. They don't take teeth out or move back teeth, to make it quicker and cheaper. So to make room my teeth flared out and I got on overjet. I was refunded all my money.

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pregantandengaged · 07/01/2020 10:31

I forgot to say my braces were the best money I've spent, my teeth are perfect now and I love them. If I was to go through it again though I would save a little money and get normal train tracks.

You can normally book a consultation with your local orthodontist who will take you through price plans and show you examples of each type of brace.

Bluewavescrashing · 07/01/2020 11:11

Invisalign sorted mine. 3k with a highly regarded specialist orthodontist. I wouldn't mess about with cheaper postal options. You need to actually be seen in clinic for good results.

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 07/01/2020 11:32

I'd second seeing an orthodontist - my orthodontist went through all the options and explained why most of them weren't suitable (basically teeth in too much of a mess for anything other than train tracks), and then I chose my current option (clear fixed on top, metal fixed on bottom, will have both removable and fixed retainers afterwards - this for me was most important back in the 80s when I had my original braces, retainers didn't exist, so my teeth went crooked and crossed over) based on price.

Having hand held a DC through five years of braces, it's really important IME that you're seen by the same person each time, as not all the people DC saw actually read the treatment plan notes, and one single appointment ended up causing a further year of treatment - there was an unusual amount of work going on there though, and DC is extremely unusual as far as I can tell. Doing it all via a postal option means no-one is actually looking at your teeth at each appointment/change.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 07/01/2020 12:50

I've just finished Invisalign and am happy with results although not being able to eat / drink anything but water without faff was a pain in the arse.

AGirlHasNoShame · 07/01/2020 13:13

Nearly at the end of my Invisalign treatment and how anyone could say it doesn’t work is beyond me!

My teeth have shifted SO much, they look like someone else’s

The attachments sucked and made it more noticeable to me but I work with kids and not one has asked me what’s on my teeth so they can’t be too bad

It’s the best thing I’ve ever done

keepingbees · 07/01/2020 13:20

What's the cost difference between Invisiline and traditional train track braces?
I know Invisiline is around the £3k mark

AGirlHasNoShame · 07/01/2020 13:21

There was a difference of £300 at my orthodontists between train track braces and Invisalign. I’d imagine every place is different though

keepingbees · 07/01/2020 13:23

Thanks, I was hoping they would be quite a lot cheaper!

VeryLittleOwl · 07/01/2020 13:26

I had Invisalign, cost me £6k nine years ago for top and bottom and treatment took about a year and a half, there was quite a bit to straighten out. Still have straight teeth, although I do still wear the final retainer overnight three times a week to keep them that way.

Amyspickledlime · 07/01/2020 13:47

Getting mine off in a week!
I had white train tracks. My dentist was pleased I chose those over Invisalign as people don't always follow the rules 100% but there's no choice with fixed braces.
With hindsight I would still have a fixed brace but not bother with a white one. It was a pain having to think about what might stain it.

Bluewavescrashing · 07/01/2020 14:28

Nobody noticed my invisalign and I worked with brutally honest young children.

I remember taking them out by the sink in a restaurant toilet once, checking in the mirror. A toddler was really freaked out and shouted - mummy why is that lady taking her teeth out?! 😬

EndoplasmicReticulum · 07/01/2020 17:53

Oh yes, restaurants. And then you're supposed to brush your teeth before putting them back in - I didn't ever realise before now how many restaurants only have hot water in the sinks.

Bluewavescrashing · 07/01/2020 19:07

It was a faff, I won't lie. My treatment took 2 years but I'm so glad I did it. Retainers are really important for aftercare. My orthodontist also covered the cost of replacing broken retainers in the first year (I broke one set quite quickly as they are less flexible than the aligners). I wear my retainers 8 hours every night. My treatment also included whitening using the aligner trays. That's the expensive part of whitening. Once you have aligners you can buy the peroxide gel (from a dentist or orthodontist) and it's easy to whiten at home.

I had 3 consultations before choosing which clinic to go for. One was a cosmetic dentist as opposed to a fully qualified and experienced orthodontist so I didn't choose him. The other wanted to extract two healthy teeth. The third, the one I chose, is one of the most highly rated providers of invisalign in Europe.

I'm all for money saving but this was one situation where I wanted to get it right first time. I don't regret choosing my provider at all. Great results and very good care throughout.

ChessieFL · 07/01/2020 19:27

@EndoplasmicReticulum yes re the public toilets with only hot water!! Such a pain. Hopefully it will all be worth it! I have ClearCorrect which is basically the same thing as Invisalign. People are always surprised when I tell them so they can’t be that noticeable.

SmellMySmellbow · 07/01/2020 19:31

I had invisalign. Bloody brilliant. My teeth were awful before. I had it for a year, weekly tray changes. I saw a orthodontist who does all the types and he priced all options up and advised what woukd work best for me. I liked being able to see the end result before I even started and was able to make tweaks to aspects I wasn't happy with in the computer simulation (very minor) It was motivating knowing what the end result would look like.

clareykb · 07/01/2020 19:31

I had white train tracks and they worked brilliantly. They didn't stain and weren't very noticeable. I was given several options by the orthodontist and they were the best cost-effective option -i asked about lingual (sp) which is on the back of teeth and it was lots more. Mine cost just under 2k 8 years ago. I did have it done on a years interest free credit though like a sofa so it wasn't too bad. Infact, I had just paid my car off and it was less than that per month so I didn't notice it as much

CarolineForbes · 07/01/2020 19:39

I have Invisalign at the moment. Yes it is a pain brushing each time you eat but it’s definitely stopped me snacking as much! I’d suggest just going for a consultation OP as not all braces types suit all teeth so don’t worry too much in advance about train tracks vs Invisalign as your orthodontist can talk through all suitable options with you

Yellredder · 07/01/2020 19:40

I had mine sorted on the NHS with train track braces in my 40s. It's made such a difference to me.

Bluewavescrashing · 07/01/2020 19:46

Once I finished invisalign I out on half a stone. It's good for dieting as you can't be bothered to take them out to eat and brush your teeth then put them back in.

Chesntoots · 07/01/2020 19:56

I'm nearing the end of my invisalign and the change to the shape of my mouth and face is amazing. I look far more symmetrical and my teeth look better than I could ever have imagined.

It's been a long time, but very much worth it.

namechanged857 · 07/01/2020 23:12

I'm on week 8 of Invisalign and I noticed a difference within the first few weeks, best decision I ever made

Original poster
Lostsock07 · 09/01/2020 19:23

Thank you everyone. I’ve just booked a consultation with three different places so hopefully I’ll get some good advice on what’s my options and stop overthinking it. Part of me feels spending the money is a luxury and I shouldn’t go for it and the other part of me thinks just do it.
I noticed also most of the places in my area are either cosmetic dentists who offer different brace options or nhs orthodontist that don’t take private patients. Is it normally difficult to find an orthodontist?

OP posts:
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