Advice please teen braces or visalign experience

[HaggisHhahaha]

Hello dd 15 had orthodontist assessment today

can have nhs upper/lower braces with upper molar removal needed

or Invisalign for 4K with roughly a new set every few weeks until corrected

husband says go for nhs and so does daughter

i had molars removed for crowding and basically I’m lopsided/asymmetrical (didn’t have braces) on one side of face and it’s flatter and has always bothered me

i don’t think dd understands how painful a molar extraction will be
So
braces-stuck with for duration of treatment (can’t refuse to wear because uncomfortable) but possible side effect

Invisalign- may refuse to wear as uncomfortable, but expensive, no damage done

would be grateful for any experience please

Please don't get molars removed unless absolutely necessary. I had four premolars removed at age 9 and my face is now very narrow as a result of the bone loss. I don't have enough space in my mouth for my tongue any more and my airway is smaller than it needs to be.

Oh goodness, similar to me. It was a bad time in orthodontistry. Are you going to do anything about it? I'd love to have remedial work, but no idea where to start.

I can’t believe orthodontists are still routinely removing teeth. Please do your research before going down this path. In Aus hardly anyone has teeth removed any more - it can shrink the palate and cause so many problems going forward. It’s such an old fashioned way of sorting out teeth.

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My child had Invisalign. She’s very compliant though and really didn’t want metal braces, so no issues with her wearing them. Perfect teeth now.

Her dad had metal braces as a teen and hated them and I had Invisalign as an adult so it made sense for us to choose Invisalign.

@TryingAgainAgainAgain I've had it done already; I've just finished three years in Invisalign to try and repair some of the damage caused by premolar extractions. My spaces were completely closed and the bone loss had already happened so I could only get a partial fix. My dentist expanded my dental arches and realigned my teeth. My airways are more open now. I still have permanent bags under my eyes and sinusitis because the bone supporting that part of my face has retracted. Still, it's as good as it can get and I'm very happy with the results.

It's barbaric. It's like cutting off toes so that your shoes will fit. I was told I would have to have eight teeth removed because there "wasn't room for them" rather than expanding the palate to make room for the teeth. I was only a child at the time but it's the biggest regret of my life. The health consequences have been enormous.

My DD recently had a milk molar removed to encourage adult impacted one to make its way through

We were told it had to be a train track upper brace to ensure gap remained sufficient to help the tooth down. Apparently Invisalign wouldn't be strong enough

As it goes she's surprisingly happy wearing them now and enjoys picking the latest cool colour brackets at every check up

OP is it a milk tooth? Because I was so worried about the extraction but because they have tiny weaker roots it was ok.

If it's impacted there are of course pros and cons to all methods (remove vs leave)

My DD had invisalign because the NHS treatment would have involved a broken jaw and extractions even though her mouth is big enough for all her teeth, and she would have been terrified of all that. Not sure she ever would have agreed to it.
She had no problems complying with Invisalign and while her teeth are now not completely perfect (more natural looking than American teeth!) they do at least work (she had a very open bite with little contact) and they look right. She does have to wear a retainer every night but that is the same after train tracks.

My younger DD will tolerate extractions etc much better so will have fixed braces.
As the OP's daughter is ok with extractions etc I'd go for the NHS option .

DS(13) has Invisalign to correct over spacing (opposite problem to most people I know) and an overbite. He has been really good about keeping them in and the results have been fantastic. They are not uncomfortable beyond the first set (mainly tongue soreness as your tongue keeps "finding" them and then the first few hours of a new set, so just switch them in the morning so they have time to settle before bed.

Once you've finished you do have to have the retainer wire and a night retainer (which is just a slightly firmer set of Invisaligns).

But, I didn't have an NHS option so it was 4k either way.

Do I had several molars removed and have an asymmetrical face and puffy eye bags and always congested sinuses which I think is possibly linked to asymmetrical molar removal

dont want dd to go through the same with adult tooth removal so we will go with Invisalign

payment is over 18 months

so will have to Absorb into monthly budget, shame it’s not tax exempt!

thanks for all the perspectives it’s been very helpful

I had braces in my 20s, how I wished I had had them earlier. Don't let the 'nhs' put you off, sometimes the old ways are the best.

I had my wisdom teeth out under GA, very painful bit worth it to have straight teeth. If you don't remove there is still overcrowding and her bite might be off even though it looks nice.

Our 13yo has chosen Invisalign. We allowed her to chose (on the basis they were no more than £4K) 18 month payment plan is good! We’ve paid half and will pay the rest over 12 months.

the first ortho we visited insisted on tooth extraction and an extra £1.5k!

we researched others and our second opinion is by far the one we trust. He says no need for extraction, plenty of space for her.
The Invisalign will take approx 2-3 longer than traditional braces. 31 trays on their way 😅

DD has been researching for months. I’ve joined some support groups too. DD keeps mentioning facts about it even I didn’t think of, so she’s done quite some work. Today she noticed someone in her class has Invisalign too.

It’s taken a year for her to warm to the idea of any treatment, and I think it really depends on the child how determined they are to keep up. I can safely say there’s no way in hell my older daughter would tolerate the aligners. It’s dependant on so many factors. I’ve recently read about a 9 year old on the treatment!

Braces. I'm currently in a Invisalign treatment and I bloody hate it. Wish I just opted for the braces. There's been days I forgot to put the Invisalign back in simply because i forgot them downstairs and was cosy upstairs in bed to go back and fetch them or when I took them out in the morning so I could brush my teeth and enjoy my coffee but forgot to put them back in was halfway into work. They are an expensive annoying commitment that gives you a lisp when talking and they are not invisible!

One DC had NHS treatment so it was a no brainer on braces. The other was private so we had a choice however it was braces again as they were permanently in.

Honestly OP get at least three consultations before deciding - shop around! Orthodontics is more of an art than a science, I’ve discovered.

My dd currently has Invisalign (treatment started age 13) to address lack of space and overbite. She is NHS eligible but we had enough money to go private.

I saw three different orthodontists (including her NHS dentist) And I got three radically different opinions. Interestingly two of the three strongly recommended NOT doing an extraction (I asked, and one actually refused!). Both those dentists said this approach is old fashioned and they don’t need to remove healthy teeth to make room for the teeth. With Invisalign we have been able to see computer modelling of how the teeth will move and where they will end up, and shape of her jaw etc, which I find very reassuring tbH

I got three quotes simply to put a new sink in our bathroom and this is my daughters entire face and her dental health so it seemed mad just to talk to one dentist!

Ultimately I decided to go private because frankly didn’t like the option offered under the NHS as much. For us, the important factors were:

1. my daughter already mortified by her “horsey” appearance due to the overbite and a tooth extraction / braces seemed like an awful thing to impose on top
2. Invisalign means she can enjoy a meal without a brace in and it’s easier to clean her teeth properly
3. it will be a perfect cosmetic outcome
4. my dd is relatively compliant so there’s no issue with refusing to wear them (she’s desperate to get her teeth fixed)

The first week of Invisalign was awful and I thought we’d made a mistake, but week 2 onwards has been plain sailing. I annoy dd asking if she remembered to put the braces in as I literally cannot see them! DD says that the there is no soreness or pain since that first week. Her braces look extremely uncomfortable in my opinion but she says it’s fine! She was absolutely thrilled with how quickly the braces were effective, and this motivates her to keep them in as much as possible (recommend 22 hours a day, minimum 20 hours).

Ultimately I’m happy we went this route.

I had three extractions and two sets of braces in my teen years; still my teeth are a mess now because I wasn’t given a retainer and my lower jaw remains the wrong size/shape. I have terrible problems with my sinuses.

The Invisalign is a slightly slower treatment but I’m so excited to know my dd will have properly arranged teeth and without the pain and lifetime complications of unnecessary tooth extraction.

I agree! I am horrified reading all these comments about children have teeth pulled. They are still children, still growing, it seems unnecessary. Personally I would not go the route that recommends pulling a tooth. Find a dentist that knows what they are doing.

You need to have a fixed wire glued to the back of your teeth or they will move back. Guaranteed.

I had Invisalign 3 years ago. I still use the retainers at night a couple of times a week. My teeth have not moved back.

Train tracks braces are the gold standard for orthodontic (braces) treatment. You can do subtle movements and refinements that are impossible to do with alligner type systems such as Invisalign.

Alligners can only move teeth in certain ways and are limited in what they can do which is why some people , towards the end of treatment , have to have train tracks (fixed braces) either because teeth have not moved like clinichecks have predicted or because subtle refinement is needed.

Whatever system used retainers will have to be worn for life , although is is true alligner type treatments such as Invisalign are more likely to relapse.

You need to have a fixed wire glued to the back of your teeth or they will move back. Guaranteed.

Our orthodontist wasn't keen on this, because of the potential hygiene issues. Instead DD wears a retainer at night and that is sufficient. We've discussed what she will do at Uni, eg if she is out all night, and she figures she will just pop it in the next day when she is studying.

I had braces as a teen and invisalign as an adult. I found the invisalign really difficult, all the cleaning and remembering to put them back in after every snack and drink. Eating out was particularly annoying. The treatment took much longer than it was supposed to in the end. I would NEVER get invisalign for a teen! But I'm surprised reading previous replies about people's teens complying perfectly with the treatment. You know your teen and whether she will comply perfectly.

Our dentist was convinced DD would need extractions before a brace, we ended up going to an NHS orthodontist for fixed braces in the next county who said he never does extractions - so I do wonder why they still seem to be popular here.

The problem with clear aligners is that the clinicheck and the computer simulated photos are not guaranteed, they are just a simulation and often the treatment does not progress that way , for various reasons including the limitations of alligner treatment.

Quite often more retainers are needed so check any extra alligners are included in the price , some pricings only allow for a certain number of retainers.

Here's a quick reference describing why alligners are not gold standard treatment https://meridian.allenpress.com/angle-orthodontist/article/93/5/615/495621/Clear-aligner-biomechanical-limitations-anchorage