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

Removing teeth makes the mouth arch smaller which can contribute to the tongue not fitting in the right position, mouth breathing, poor sleep, etc. I had teeth removed as a child and wish I hadn't as my mouth space is so small, my friend felt her whole face shape changed when she had them out. My 12 year old with ADHD and dyspraxia is getting on great with aligners. The orthodontist explained that they have complete precision with the aligners which they don't have with fixed braces. He works in a specialist paediatric practice and when it's a choice of aligners or fixed he always recommends aligners, reckons about a 99% compliance rate. My friends son who has fixed has been back for emergency appointments several times as he's eating things he shouldn't and snapping the braces.

My DD has fixed NHS braces, and she had 4 teeth extracted before having them fitted. It wasn't framed as a choice for us, the orthodontist (private practice but takes qualifying NHS patients) told us after all the X Rays etc were done that she definitely qualifies for treatment but they couldn't do it until the extractions were done at our usual dentist. She coped really well with it all, it wasn't nice to see her go through it but it will all be worth it in the long run, the train tracks have been on for a few months and the difference to the straightness of her teeth is already massive. I'm incredibly grateful that she gets it all free on the NHS, her school friend didn't qualify for the NHS treatment and its cost her parents thousands.

Go for the NHS braces, my 13 yo DD has just had them fitted, the orthodontist was lovely- he does NHS work one day a week then private the rest so it's not like she's getting sub standard care or anything.
I'd rather have the 4k for her to go to uni or just for a holiday!

Actually it's the opposite , fixed braces have complete control , there are movements you can achieve that you cannot with alligners, also the material and use of alligners means treatment is not perfectly predictable.

This is why fixed braces are used on the most complex cases and alligners are not.

Orthodontic treatment has been moving away from extractions for a long time , regardless of system , although, occasionally extractions are still necessary. Alligner systems tend to use use IPR (shaving down of teeth) to make space as they cannot move teeth the same way a fixed braces can.

I am quite sceptical about Invisalign.

I was offered them as an adult by one orthodontist. Another said it was a ridiculous suggestion because Invisalign is only appropriate for very minor adjustments.

I got full braces in the end and was very happy with the result.

Once you have the braces you hardly need to think about them really.

Invisalign is a real faff and it is less effective. I also think it is just as noticeable really and it affects your speech etc.

Ours was so terrified of the alternative, and really desperate to have functional teeth. The end result is much better than just function, but it did take 18 months and I think 3 or 4 sets of aligners.

My 12 yr old had 6 teeth removed ( 2 baby ones). She coped really well. She had been on a waiting list for 2 years.

My son's orthodontist also does both NHS and private and there were differences between the levels of treatment with each. The private treatment offered more choice of appointments (might be important if your DC has exams coming up and wants to miss the minimum amount of school.) He had less choice of retainer type and there was no option of a fixed retainer. I would have preferred a fixed retainer as one tooth had to move a lot but it wasn't even an option to pay extra for that. We would have had to wait 18 months after treatment had finished and then pay privately for the fixed retainer and for new night retainers to be made. I don't regret taking the NHS route as I couldn't have afforded to go private but there was a definite difference in the treatment options available.

I’m so glad to have found this thread as we’ve just had second consultation with an orthodontist today who had very different options to the first. The first was referral from our dentist and said my daughter who is 15 qualifies for NHS but the wait is 2 years. We have been evaluating private due to the time frame as she would potentially be going to university so appts could be tricky if she’s away from home. First orthodontist said fixed with pistons or tooth extraction and the second advised against extraction due to facial problems in later life and recommended a mandibular advanced invisilign at £5000 which moves the jaw, we’re going for a third assessment at another practice as I want to make the right decision for her clinically in the long term it it doesn’t seem clear cut at all and all just so expensive.

They can't cheat with standard braces and the time they have them is generally shorter. Save your money! My son had standard plus a couple of extractions starting at 15 and he's done and dusted now at nearly 17 with lovely straight teeth. I should say we had to go private even for standard (roughly 4k) as he's STILL technically on the NHS wait list for what good that did us... but the case for Invisalign just didn't add up - more expensive for more faff etc.

You can’t cheat with Invisalign as if you do the next set won’t fit properly. Honestly I was worried about compliance and my son is generally not the most compliant child. That has not been an issue at all. Loads of kids have it at school and they’re barely visible so he’s not bothered about wearing them at all.

braces
insisalign or similar correctors need impeccable tooth hygiene and absolutely no snacking without brushing after which is really difficult at that age. plus it's only suitable for minor misalignment.
and some of the outfits offering 'costmetic aligners' are seriously dodgy.