To spend £4k on this?

[setitup]

For background I’m 28 and on £40k. My bills are quite high (I have my own house) and I don’t have savings. I’d be able to afford this using 0% finance over 24 months. The deposit is £750 and monthly repayments around £130.

I went for an Invisalign consultation, the cost will be £4k and will require a fixed wire retainer (a permanent metal wire on the inside side of both my arches).

The result from Invisalign will be slight, it’s more widening my arches which is why the fixed retainer is needed, but my teeth are already quite straight so it won’t overall be noticeable. I do think I’d like the end result.

Aibu to go for this? I’m not super keen on the fixed wire retainer but it’s also a treatment I’ve wanted to do for ages

I have the same problem OP. Perhaps wait a year and save as much as you can? I do understand how it can negatively impact your self esteem though.

I think you're completely mad. The obsession with absolute perfection is so depressing.

Maybe spend the money on some counselling to address your lack of confidence. If your teeth are not at all bad but you still feel the need to spend a lot of money on something that you admit will make little difference then maybe you need to be asking yourself why.

Save the money first OP.
And reassess once you have the funds.

I've just finished paying off mine. If your teeth are something you're concerned about and you can afford it, then go for it!

Do it. You’ll never regret investing in your teeth. The sooner you do it the more value it is.

You say yourself that the results would be slight, so I don't understand why you would want to pay £4k for this when you clearly don't have money to burn.

I’d save up and if you still want it when you’ve got £6k in the bank, go for it. You might find you feel differently when it’s real money, or you might feel more motivated to get it done.
It’s not an urgent decision you need to rush.

I've saved up for mine, to fix wonky teeth that no-one notices except me. It's not purely cosmetic, it will correct my bite and make cleaning easier. But I won't be going for Invisalign, I'll be opting for fixed braces with clear wires. It's slightly cheaper and I've heard that people can find they create a lot more saliva with Invisalign. I already wear a shield at night to help with grinding and that is the case.

Reading some posts on this thread I understand why so many British people have such awful teeth. Yes, I'd absolutely get it done though I'd save for it first. Self confidence is not a substitute for good dentistry and there is nothing wrong with wanting to have a nice smile.

Yes - you don't sound very enthusiastic in your OP. It doesn't sound worth landing yourself into debt for.

Most people aren't saying don't have it done, though - most people are saying prioritise saving first, rather than getting it on finance when tou've no money for anything else going wrong.

Some are saying sort out your self esteem, though. Only the OP can say whether her self esteem is the real issue.

A colleague had his teeth done in his 50s - not sure if it was Invisalign, nor exactly what the issue was, but it was meant to help with reducing gum problems and tooth lost as he gets older, so it wasn't just about cosmetics.

I agree with everyone saying to save up for it first then see how you feel about it.

You don't sound very sure about it, I have to say!

I’d post the before and after of the virtual results but worried it might be outing! I’m sure it will make my teeth/smile look better but maybe I should save up a bit first. I think the main thing putting me off is the fixed wire brace.

I do think I’ll have the same income in a few years. I work in the civil service so it’s unlikely I’d lose my job, rather I’d get moved around. I had a job interview recently for the next step up, so we’ll see what comes of that.

@GhostSpider68 tell me about your experience with the fixed wire retainer - is it weird? Can you feel it? Is it hard to clean? Can you or others notice it?

Not going to be a popular opinion but IMO if you think you can afford it after everything else os paid and you have the spare do it. I had work done on my teeth and it was the best thing I ever spent money on. I had an extreme overbite which teen braces corrected but then the teeth moved..my entire 20s I was lacking in confidence, my smile being a big part of that. Once my teeth were done..I felt amazing. Your smile is such an important part of your overall look..to not be able to, or feel self conscious about it is a big deal. I will add there is alot of maintenance involved with retainers/braces.. follow the process as directed and good luck 👍

Then be sensible save the money for a year and you will have £3600

You don't sound like you think this will particularly make much difference to your teeth, barely noticeable at best, and a retaining wire you're not keen on. How much do you want this? If it's not something you're willing to save up for, it doesn't sound like you want it or need it badly enough to warrant spending 4k.
4k is an absolutely massive amount of money. You could pay for a few holidays (it would be 4 holidays worth of accommodation for us as a family of 4!), a car, 4k is a good buffer to have if you came into financial difficulties for whatever reason, needed a home repair, car repair or something unexpected that can often end up really expensive.

I'd absolutely love to have lipo suction on my tummy, but could never justify it as I think of all the other things I could use that money for that are so much more worthwhile to me - making memories, seeing places, taking the kids out, affording a weekly meal out etc.

I guess all it boils down to how much do you want / need it, and can you afford it?

It doesn't sound like it's going to fix your problems with self esteem if you're already trying to plan your next treatment once this one has been completed. I think either save up and work on your self esteem / loving your body as it is in the meantime then decide once you have the money, or I'd probably just get a set of veneers instead and be done with it 😂

I was going to say go for it - I know two people who have had Invisalign as adults and it made a huge difference to them and was well worth the money. BUT both these people had serious dental problems - teeth rotated 90 degrees, enormous gaps, etc.

If the result is not going to improve your health and is going to barely improve aesthetics, then I would only do it if I had money to burn. I do not think you have money to burn.

Great idea!

If it’s not very noticeable then I don’t really see the point but I would do what this poster suggests and save up the money.

If you still want it done after saving the money, then go ahead and if not then splurge it on something else.

Have you had any consultation for a more traditional brace? You can get white ones and they're a much quicker and cheaper option usually. People tend to still have a lisp with invisalign if the speech thing potentially puts you off, and appearance wise it's short term pain for long term gain.

Pp earlier was right, save up and then see if you want to spend your savings on it.

Exactly this, I've nearly finished my treatment and it is the best money I have ever spent. That said I had enough savings not to need finance but knowing the confidence it has given me I would say go for it.

Who really notices people's teeth, or for those that do notice - who really thinks anything at all about teeth?

I'd save your money op, but you have to do what's right for you. If it's really bothering you a lot, then I suppose do it. But I am sure that nobody would really be judging you on a very very minor teeth "defect".

I have a noticeable tooth defect. Nobody actually notices it though! I couldn't care less about it.

I don’t think you can afford it.