Adult teeth straightening - share your wisdom/experience! 🙏🏻

[NameChangedForThis2025]

I’m finally taking the plunge and getting some consultations for my teeth. As a teenager/ young adult they never used to be reasonably straight but have got progressively worse with age. Now mid 40s and with a wedding on the horizon (next year date tbc) I’ve decided I don’t want to be hiding my smile on my wedding day! I also have a very gummy smile which I don’t love but if my teeth were at least straight that would make a huge difference.

Looking to hear your experiences with either Invisalign or adult braces. I’d prefer Invisalign aesthetically but ultimately think I’ll choose based on cost and effectiveness. So I’d put up with train tracks if it wasn’t much more expensive and was going to the job better/faster. I don’t have ready money to throw at this so it’s going to involve tightening my belt to change my spending habits!

• If you investigated both braces and Invisalign, what made you choose one over the other?
• How long did it take and how much did it cost? (And when did you have it done? Just for inflation info!)
• How frequently did you go for check ups?
• Anything you’d wished you’d known beforehand?
• If you had Invisalign, did you lose weight? I’m a big snacker so that would have to stop!
• Was whitening included in the price?

Finally, are you happy with the results and was it money well spent?!

Before picture for reference!

I had Clear Correct which is similar to Invisalign. It cost £3500. It took about 2 years but that was partly because COVID hit in the middle and there was about 6 months where I was just stuck on one set of trays and then further delays after that. Without COVID would have been about a year.

One thing I hadn’t really prepared for is how restrictive it is being out and about. Every time you want to eat anything or drink anything other than water you have to take the trays out, which is fine, but then you have to brush your teeth before putting them back in. This is fine if you’re at home but not much fun if you’re in a restaurant, or on a train, or anywhere that doesn’t have cold water (lots of places just have those mixer taps that only dispense warm/hot water). Unfortunately even with all that hassle I didn’t lose weight, probably due to the lockdown part where I was at home and it was easier to eat when I wanted.

I am glad I had it done but wish Covid hadn’t happened in the middle.

I had Invisalign a few years ago (£3k including whitening) and it was absolutely fantastic. I consider it one of the best things I've ever done and it's the only cosmetic procedure I've done. I smile all the time :)

I did look at having fixed braces prior to that was put off by the extraction of teeth angle which was proposed to me. It was a chance chat with my dentist where he suggested I might be appropriate for Invisalign. My teeth were not dissimilar to yours although different teeth were a bit wonky. I had 19 aligners and it took about four months to do. I has IPR which is the tooth shaving bit - sounds awful but really isn't at all - and that IPR created the micro spaces to shift my teeth so I have no extractions. I strongly recommend Invisalign over a cheaper offer. I needed to see my dentist when things weren't progressing as expected to adjust the IPR etc and I think with something as important as your teeth and your jaw bones etc. it is important to have an expert at hand.

All I would say is that the first week or so is bloody awful as you adjust to having a very tight aligner putting pressure on your teeth - it hurts! Ibuprofen helps. So you need to work through that and know that it gets better after a few weeks and you get really used to using the aligners taking them in and out when you eat and drink. Also, my aligners were pretty invisible to most people I was interacting with, but that's not always the case - you have these little nobbly bits stuckstuck to your teeth to hold them in place, and depending on what your need are they might be quite obvious. Nevertheless it's much less obvious than fixed braces.

Also agree with PP that it is a pain taking them out every time you eat and drink. I did get pretty blasé about it if I was out in a café or restaurant. I just took them out, put them in a tissue and then put them back in, I didn't bother brushing my teeth. My dentist was pretty cool with that. I just brushed when I got home. I also ended up just drinking my tea and coffee a little bit cooler with my aligners in which is probably a real no no but didn't seem to affect anything!

I’m a big tea and coffee drinker so that will be a real struggle- 2 coffees, 2-3 teas, plus a fruit tea daily!

Chose Invisalign because I didn't want the look of braces.

Mine only took 6 months total. My teeth looked horrible (to me!) but apparently it was fairly straightforward to sort them out. I'd had braces as a teen but didn't wear my retainer so my teeth moved back.

Check ups were I think every 4-6 weeks. But that will depend on your treatment because some people need to have the little attachments changed as part of the treatment, so that would mean a set appointment at a specific point in the plan.

I started 18 months ago, I think it was £3-4,000ish.

The first couple of days you will wish you hadn't done it. It's very sore. But I remember that also being the case when I first got my traditional braces put on as a teen.

I didn't lose weight but I've never been a snacker. If you drink a lot of tea/coffee you'll need to consider that too, because you can't drink those with the trays in.

It is a faff. Taking the trays in and out and having to clean your teeth after every meal is a pain in the arse. You get used to it, but it's annoying, especially if you're out for the day.

I'm so glad I did it. I've hated my teeth for years and years. And I will definitely wear my retainer this time!

Go to an orthodontist rather than a dentist, as they are trained in teeth movement.

I had invisalign to push back my two upper front teeth which were pushing out -ar a bit of an angle - it was mainly for practical reasons as my dentist was concenred one was moving in a direction that could cause issues with my bite over time, but I won't lie I also wanted the cosmetic benefits.

It hasn't resulted in perfect Hollywood teeth, mainly because of my jaw alignment but they are a lot straighter and I feel more confident smiling. It was fsirlt easy to do the course, but I would recommend uai g an Orthodontist with in lerson apointments rather than one of those cheap online outfits.

Also you may have to use a night retainer for tbe rest of your life. This will be an ongoing expense - I get three retainers at a time at the cost of £350.

I was just about to comment about the retainer. I use mine every night and if I didn't my teeth would have moved. I find it fine but I know some others who struggle with that discipline. I have my original retainers from 2021 and am just about to get replacements so they last a long time if looked after.

@Ginmonkeyagain @spartanrunnergirl

Were you offered a permanent retainer on the back of your teeth? I just assumed I’d probably need that.

I had Invisalign, best thing I’ve done. My bottom teeth were overcrowded and my top front teeth at the top slightly overlapped. Had it done in 2020/21, changed them every 2 weeks and it took just under a year. I then had a permanent retainer put behind front bottom teeth and front top teeth. I would have been worried they would move back otherwise. Also had my teeth whitened, and I still wear a plastic retainer at night. Cost me £5000 in total. Best money I’ve ever spent.

My teeth were similar to yours, I had Six Month Smiles done about 9 years ago. They straighten the front 6 top and bottom teeth, in 6 months.

It did the job in that yes, my teeth are straight. But the back ones really lean in quite a lot as they got a bit more crowded. I had a permanent retainer put in, it's been fine but might have made a bit more gum disease than I would have had as it's hard to floss.

I'm not sure if I'd go back in time and have proper braces instead - 6 months was tedious enough.

I'm currently using reveal aligners which I'd similar to invisalign (less attachments though) I'm getting on well with them. Unfortunately not lost any weight as they're easy to pop in and out 🤣 they're supposed to take 9 months for me, I'm about 3 months in. Cost 3500 which includes whitening, composite bonding and a bonded retainer once I'm finished. Appointments roughly every 6 weeks. Currently drinking tea with them, I was told it's fine as long as there's no sugar in it. Not sure if other aligners stain more but my reveal ones haven't stained at all

Had Invisalign at a very advanced age! Took 9 months, around £4,000 including whitening. Not perfect as had to have one out at front as they were very crowded, but very pleased with them. Didn’t find them painful, just a bit of a nuisance to take out.

I am
Using sparks which are very similar to
Invisiline. 1 year for first trays then another year to fix my bite (included in whole price so I just agreed). Soon I will just be on night retainers (1year every night, then 2-3 times a week for life)
£4k
Did lose weight as stopped snacking. I do occasionally drink tea when out or lemonade with a straw. I have toothbrush and paste for when eating out. Managed 2 weeks in China /japan with it. Occasionally had to wash brace with hot ish water which was odd but fine.
My first one I could remove discretely when out -the second year I couldn't (due to drool!) but it was more comfy. Managed to avoid having any elastic bands on mine. Just had the attachments removed. Crisps always loved to gather on them when eaten!

I did Invisalign back in 2021, I was 30. It cost £3500 for the full treatment plus whitening (midlands).

It was only slightly more than train tracks with my dentist and I much preferred to idea of it both aesthetically and not having fixed braces!

I think I had to go about once a month for check ups? Started treatment in May, finished in Feb.

Didn't change my weight but definitely changed the way I eat - also a snacker! Found it tricky at work sometimes, as I'm NHS so breaks aren't always easy to come by!

The first week sucked so much - my teeth ached, the buttons felt weird, I got awful ulcers on the inside of my lips - but it was never that bad again.

Actually got married during treatment - teeth were pretty straight but not finished, you can't see the buttons at all in pics

I'm so so glad I got it done

I'm in my early 40s and I've recently got adult ceramic braces. I had been planning to get Invisalign as tbh that's all I seek to hear about and people I know have Invisalign but I don't know any adults with braces. When I visited the orthodontist he explained that fitted ceramic braces would take about half the time that Invisalign would take (12 months versus 18-24 months) and would be cheaper. He showed me photos of the ceramic braces which are white brackets with white wire and they don't look bad at all. It took a bit of getting used to for a few days but honestly I'm glad I've done it. You can't see them on photos when you smile or from a distance and people in real life have said they didn't notice. I would look into your options before opting for an Invisalign type aligner.

There are Facebook groups such as "adult braces" and similar where people share their experiences and you can see photos of the braces plus before and after.

I paid just over £3000 for mine.

Obviously you do have to be mindful of what you eat but I can eat most things now. I avoid anything with turmeric as it will stain the clear bands but you can get coloured bands instead. I think that is easier than it would be to have to take aligners out and clean my teeth each time I ate or drank anything other than water.

If weight loss or reduced snacking is a desired effect, then fixed metal or ceramic brackets is almost certainly better! Those are usually cheaper as well.

I had to have braces on uppers and lowers and didn't have the logistics or willpower to do Invisalign. I'm bit of a germaphobe and the thought of having to remove and/or clean the braces and your teeth in public locations gave me the ick. Especially public restaurant bathrooms etc.

Fixed braces take everything out of your hands. They hurt like hell the first few months though so I could barely eat anything. I didn't care about weight loss but that was almost certainly a side effect. Even after the pain goes away, the fact that food gets stuck in the metal bits really puts you off eating. I've entirely stopped eating during casual parties, work events or other places with lots of people because the idea and feeling of food getting stuck in the brackets is so unappealing.

It's also an unexpectedly good excuse to take the pressure off eating. If you say you're on a diet or whatever, people will often still expect you to eat. If you say your braces were just tightened and it's too painful to chew, then it's accepted by literally everyone without question.

I had a permanent wire on my bottom teeth (they were finished first) and the plan was for the top as well but there wasn't space- it would've knocked on my bottom teeth and chipped them. So removable it is.

I am delighted with the end result but it was a long road- over 2.5 years with invisalign, fixed braces for a while in the middle and then invisalign again for the last phase! Mine were more crowded than yours though. But I'd get an 'all in' price with a proper orthpdontist, then you don't have to stress that it takes longer (in a weird way I felt like I was getting my moneys worth 😂)

My dentist recommended an orthodontist. I went for a consultation and was given the option of fixed or Invisalign, with the advice that Invisalign may not get my teeth (specifically my two front tooth teeth) where I would be happy with them and still might need train track type brace at the end. There do seem to be quite a lot of threads on here saying similar, or they need a load more extra that wasn’t factored in to the cost.
So I would get good advice to start with.
I had white ceramic braces for a year and fixed retainers after, and the plastic retainers at night as well, they still move without the plastic ones.
used bleach in the retainers afterwards to whiten.
i am delighted with the results and 7 years on still get many compliments.

This is how I felt about having to remove my aligners and clean the when out and about. I find braces much easier and just rinse out my mouth with water after.

I haven't found them too uncomfortable or painful either so definitely recommend

I had C Fast (fixed) for 7 months. Best thing I ever did. I had occasional soreness if the wires rubbed my cheeks but it was worth it.

I have to wear a clear retainer every night which doesn't cause issues and the only night I've skipped wearing it in the last 5 years was when I had norovirus.

I do think one tooth has moved slightly over the years but they're still loads better than they were.

I was offered whitening afterwards at an extra cost but I found that the solution burnt my gums so only used it a couple of times.

The gold standard is fixed (train track ) braces. They can do movements that retainer type braces like Invisalign cannot.

Go see an orthodontist for an opinion. They offer many types of braces so will go over pros and cons of each. If you see a dentist who only offers eg Invisalign then you are committed to just that system.

Fixed braces also tend to be cheaper as the lab bills for retainer systems are so high.

Any braces you will need to wear retainers for life.

• If you investigated both braces and Invisalign, what made you choose one over the other?

I chose lingual braces purely for aesthetic reasons.

• How long did it take and how much did it cost? (And when did you have it done? Just for inflation info!)

Roughly two years at a cost of £7200
• How frequently did you go for check ups?

Every six weeks
• Anything you’d wished you’d known beforehand?

The orthodontist advised ceramic braces stating I wouldn't notice after a month. He was right. Would have saved me a lot of money.
• If you had Invisalign, did you lose weight? I’m a big snacker so that would have to stop!

I couldn't eat for two weeks after being fitted for the brace but it got less intense over time.
• Was whitening included in the price?

No. I had laser whitening later at a cost of £1000

Train tracks are far more effective as they move the roots of the teeth as well and the longer term results are better. Go and see an orthodontist and talk through all the options.

I chose to have clear fixed braces (could hardly see them!)

Because I couldn’t afford Invisalign, I went on a payment plan too, think I paid £96 for 7 months and then had them off! Went for check up every 6 weeks to change the bands or have them tightened and then had a fixed small wire fitted to the back of my teeth so they wouldn’t move again.

I would say well worth it personally, if you’ve got the money go for Invisalign but clear adult fixed braces worked just as well for me if not better!

This was about 4 years ago for reference.