Teeth straightening

[ThursdayAfterNext]

Hello,

Just wondering if anyone has used Smile Direct Club, MiSmile, ByteMe, StraightenMyTeeth.com or similar? Looking at invisalign but it is so expensive, so wondering if anyone has used any of these other companies and what your experience & result was like? Some seem to be half the price and duration of invisalign, so wondering if you're paying for the brand rather than the outcome? Anyone had success with any of these companies (or any horror stories!)? If you wouldn't mind also including price & duration of treatment that would be really helpful too.

Thankyou!

I've used Invisalign.

Before I went for it I researched all the other options - I don't see how they can possibly be as good as Invisalign. My teeth weren't really that bad but I had quite a few buttons to help the movement and some shaving to create space. Just trays wouldn't have got the same effect.

The key question is whether you are having the treatment under the care of an orthodontist or not. My understanding is that with some of these companies they just send you the retainers based on moulds of your teeth but you don’t see an orthodontist.

I am at the start of having my teeth straightened under the care of an orthodontist. They offer Invisalign or something similar but it wouldn’t do what I need which is to pull the teeth forward and down as well as straighten them (the top ones aren’t actually that crooked but the bottom ones are). So I am having the clear braces which are fixed to my teeth. I was told approximately 18 months due to having to move in 3 directions effectively and it is expensive but if I remember right it wasn’t that much more than the invisalign type of treatment. My dentist lets you pay monthly interest free over the duration of the treatment but I paid up front to get 5% discount.

I did Invisalign. £500 down then £100 a month. Great result but wearing a retainer every night forever ro stop them moving back after, is a pain. I wish I'd gone for a permanent clear brace behind your teeth which is what a separate Dentist advised he'd have done when I saw him last year.

Thanks all.

@CSIblonde, is the permanent clear brace permanent as in you can't take it in and out like aligners or permanent as in you have it on for the rest of your life?

@Notcontent, I was looking at one (smile direct club) where you do an imprint kit and they make aligners. It says online that it is overseen by orthodontists, but I don't think you actually see the orthodontist yourself.

Thursdayafternext - I am not an expert, but I think there is a bit of a risk associated with having this kind of treatment without actually seeing the orthodontist.

I've been told that when my treatment is over I will be fitted with a permanent retainer behind both top and bottom. My dentist says they insist on it but some dentists make it voluntary. However your teeth will move without them which will be a waste of all the time and hard work and money laid out. I wasn't aware of this before and was initially a bit concerned but a friend has them and she says you don't notice them pretty quickly. I know another friend who didn't have one fitted and her teeth moved and she had to do it all again.

I think my dentist also mentioned some plastic/sillicone mouth guards to wear at night too but can't recall if this is every night or permanent.

@CSIblonde

I did Invisalign. £500 down then £100 a month. Great result but wearing a retainer every night forever ro stop them moving back after, is a pain. I wish I'd gone for a permanent clear brace behind your teeth which is what a separate Dentist advised he'd have done when I saw him last year.

I think irrespective of whether you have Invisalign or traditional braces, when you have finished the treatment you often need something to stop undoing all that good work, as depending on what caused the problem in the first place, your teeth might want to move back to their old position. My understanding is that In most cases you can either have a retainer to wear at night or a permanent invisible brace - so you could still go back and have that fitted.

My dentist gave me the option of retailer every night or permanent fixing to hold them in place. I chose the latter and they are absolutely fine, I don't even notice them now and I've only had them on since Feb :)

My teeth moved back because I kept forgetting the night time retainer. Still, he filed my fangs to look nice & match my existing teeth before the Invisalign (£20 a tooth), so I'm still way happier with them. I've just one wonky tooth .