Invisalign…

[Deedyn]

I initially went to the dentist about my dental bridge, but before he replaces that has now suggested Invisalign to straighten my bottom teeth.

Not only concerned about the price, the pain worries me. Has anyone had any experience of this and is it painful?

Thanks

Do you actually want them straightening ?
I go to a dentist that is both NHS and private, and I’ve noticed them ramping up the hard sell for straightening and whitening.

@DinosaurDiana; it’s the bridge at the top left that I initially went to the dentist for. He says my teeth have moved and to replace the bridge it would look better if I get the bottom set straightened. I think it’s called. crossbite or overbite (not sure now which word he used).

Don’t be cajoled into something you don’t want or need.
And I’ve seen previous threads on here where people say it does hurt every time you change the mouthpiece, but they take painkillers.

I’ve had my bottom teeth straightened recently as part of a major dental revamp (much needed I might add) I actually wanted invisalign for vanity reasons but my dentist insisted on a fixed brace behind my bottom teeth instead. He said This was because the time it would take to straighten them would be significantly less and also the cost was much less. I’m not gonna lie, the fixed brace hurt like a bastard for 48hrs and having to watch what I ate for a while was a pita. However I know I’d probably have been quite lazy with a removable brace. Teeth straightened in no time. I then had a clear fixed band attached behind the teeth to keep them straight (teeth will just move back otherwise) so I’d ask him what the plan is to keep the teeth straightened after you are finished with Invisalign? I also had an implant instead of a dental bridge which I have to say is worth doing.

@Netaporter

I’ve had my bottom teeth straightened recently as part of a major dental revamp (much needed I might add) I actually wanted invisalign for vanity reasons but my dentist insisted on a fixed brace behind my bottom teeth instead. He said This was because the time it would take to straighten them would be significantly less and also the cost was much less. I’m not gonna lie, the fixed brace hurt like a bastard for 48hrs and having to watch what I ate for a while was a pita. However I know I’d probably have been quite lazy with a removable brace. Teeth straightened in no time. I then had a clear fixed band attached behind the teeth to keep them straight (teeth will just move back otherwise) so I’d ask him what the plan is to keep the teeth straightened after you are finished with Invisalign? I also had an implant instead of a dental bridge which I have to say is worth doing.

Does the clear band you have cause any issues? Can you feel it and does it limit what you can eat? I'm debating whether to go same route as you.

I’ve thought about having mine straightened with Invisalign, but I think I’d need teeth removing and I’m not doing that !

I went to the orthodontist with the plan to have Invisalign to straighten my front bottom teeth. I chickened out of it due to the cost and faff of removing them for everything. I ended up having a fixed brace with white brackets and most people didn’t even notice it as it was only on the bottom.
Invisalign would have been 12 months and £4000
The fixed brace took 3.5 months and £900
I now have a fixed retainer which is a wire along the back of the teeth which is completely smooth and doesn’t bother me at all. It should last up to 10 years.

If you're not too bothered about your lower teeth then it's not worth it. If it's something that's always bothered you and you've wanted to sort it but didn't know how then maybe it is.

I've had both fixed braces and Invisalign and I found fixed braces easier (I also used to be an ortho dental nurse). Both are painful when changing/ tightening but I found Invisalign worse as it's so fast paced you don't get a long break in between the trays so I felt like it was constant aches and pains with only a couple days rest.

With the Invisalign trays you'll most likely get lots of ulcers as your mouth adjusts to it but that's the same with any braces.

I hated taking the trays in and out every time to eat or drink which you'll need to do to avoid staining. I hated all the spit that would collect in them- not very nice to do in front of people so I'd have to excuse myself before eating to sort them out discreetly.

Once you've finished the treatment you'll need to then think about a retainer whether that's fixed or removable but this'll have to be worn daily pretty much forever as your teeth will always want to change back positions otherwise

All that being said, for me it was worth it as the crowding in my bottom teeth used to really bother me and make me self conscious but I probably wouldn't go through it again if they moved back

@MrsMcTats it doesn’t bother me at all. Hot drinks felt weird at first though. I was naive as I didn’t realise I’d need anything to keep them straight 😂 you can’t pull floss all the way down so it is teepee bushes for me now. They do look nice now though. As you get older your teeth move for some reason which was another menopausal surprise 😭

Thanks all for your replies, it’s good to hear others experiences with braces and Invisalign. I’m not so bothered about the bottom teeth but, apparently to get the top looking better and to alter the bite, this is what I’m going to have to do. Flippin teeth!

I've had Invisalign and thought they were great! Didn't get any ulcers or major problems taking the in and out. They helped me lose weight as I couldn't be bothered to take them out so ate less! They were also way cheaper than fixed braces. I had planned to have fixed braces but they were £1k more and would have taken much longer.

@JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn; thanks for posting, this gives me hope 😀

I'm nearly finished with Invisalign and it hurt so much less than expected! A lot less than the train tracks I had as a teen. Just put them in before bed and they shift about overnight and by the next day there's practically no pain. Repeat for 14 weeks. It's been dead easy. No mouth ulcers or any real discomfort at all.