Anyone had dental braces an an adult?

[Lottapianos]

I have very crooked teeth on the bottom row and am thinking about getting them fixed. From what I hear, braces are not what they used to be and now you can get clear ones that you can barely notice.

I know it's hard to be specific but roughly how much dosh are we talking about for bottom teeth only? Did they hurt? Did they affect how you talked? How long did you have to wear them? All info gratefully received!

Watching this with interest. Also wonder if traditional braces are better than invisalign?

I've just this morning got an initial appointment through for DD as she needs braces. There's a price list in with letter.

Adults fees are £4200 for Invisalign. That is per course of treatment.

This is a private orthodontist surgery.

I am in the middle of £2,500 of treatment for top and bottom teeth. The system is clear trays like Invisalign, but made by a German company, Orthocaps.

Four trays into my course of treatment and there is definite movement, front teeth already starting the 'uncross" and I have another 12 trays to go. Very pleased so far.

The downsides are: lots of visits - estimate every two/three weeks per new tray fitted plus lots to start with when dentist has to measure and photograph your teeth and jaws.

Also, to make space, the teeth are filed down which is not pleasant .

Also, no eating or drinking when the trays are in (20 hours a day is recommended) and you may dribble and lisp a bit at first.

I had fixed braces (top and bottom) at the age of 35 plus an operation to move my jaw forward.

The fittings and adjustments were uncomfortable but not painful. The whole process can be fairly lengthy and time consuming.

I'm really pleased with the results and would say, go for it!

I have got '6 month smiles' fixed braces on at the moment! I have had them on for 2months so far and treatment time should be between 4 and 9 months.

I have them top & bottom and its costing me £2500. (would be £1250 just for bottom).

They are like the 'train track' metal braces but are made of a white wire and clear square brackets on each tooth. Its proving to be a much bigger deal than I thought to be honest and as yet its too early to comment on whether it will be worth it!

The elastics which hold each bracket in place discolour REALLY easily which makes them more noticeable and I just look a bit grubby in the mouth area a lot of the time!

The first 2.5wks I couldnt eat very well at all, and the mouth ulcers were HORRENDOUS. Now 8 weeks in though I can eat more or less normally and the ulcers have gone. Its given me a SLIGHT lisp but not to the extent where it is very noticeable really.

I wish I had priced up getting the traditional metal ones as I suspect this would have been a cheaper option, and at least then you wouldnt have the discolouring issues. Although the brackets & wires etc are clear/white, they are certainly not invisible and its very obvious that I am wearing braces.

I have been unlucky so far with breakages and although I should only have to go to dentist once every 4 weeks, I have already had to go back 6 or 7 times within 8 weeks due to bits breaking!!!

Sorry this is long!

am watching this also as I am so self conscious that it affects my speech when in public. I've heard about the inman aligner as well which seems to be quicker when only a couple of teeth are involved.

I have traditional train tracks in at the moment. As no way i could afford anything else.
I am 30 and 12 weeks into 2 years of treatment.
People hardly notice them. I even go different coloured elastics (hot pink) this time and still not that noticeable. I go every 4-6 weeks for tightening etc.
I had to have teeth removed and Ihave trouble eating certain things but I quite like them and can feel and see a difference already.

i would go for it.

I have tracks, top and bottom. I find it painful when they are fitted because the metal rubs on the gums, it does improve, and you can use wax n stuff to soften it. I think it comes to about £2500, I pay with interest free credit in monthly instalments. They have moved loads, I can't wait for the treatment to finish and the cherry on the icing on the cake will be when they come off and i have them whitened. The main reason I had mine done was that my upper bite went in too far, imagine a rodent ( due to braces as a child ) and my top lip plunged in and looked all thin, now my top teeth have come forward loads, and my lip looks lovely and full.

It's cheaper abroad, is this an option for you.

Traditional train tracks are seen to be be better but cosmetically less so. They grip the teeth better and can be adjusted throughout treatment as the teeth move so generally are seen to give the best result. They don't stain and are the cheapest as least cosmetic.
White brackets are seen to be next best - they don't allow for such precise tooth movements and stain.
The clear braces, eg Invisalign can only correct certain types of tooth positioning- usually relatively limited movements but are the most cosmetic and so are popular but may not give the best result. They are costly.
There are more invisible- type braces available producing very limited movement - sometimes all that is required - eg Inman aligned with the active parts on the inside of the mouth rather than the outside of the teeth.
All tooth movement hurts - tis a risk vs benefit!
Hope this helps!

Stupid question alert - if you're quoted £1500 or whatever, do you pay extra for your dentist appointments every 8 weeks or whatever? Or is that included in your 'package' price?

Cost includes all appointments and retainers. Or at least mine did.

I went for traditional train track style braces but with clear ceramic brackets and tooth coloured wires. They are supposed to be invisible but in reality they aren't as they discolour quite easily ( as another poster has said). I had mine replaced with metal wire from 9 months in to treatment and it felt and looked so much cleaner that I wish I had gone with metal from the start.

My treatment took 15 months. The last week of treatment I wore a retainer (a device similar to the invisalign braces) and it was more painful than the wires had ever been. I also found it hard to talk and it was a right pain having to remove it for eating and drinking. I now wear a retainer at night (not necessary to wear it every night but I do) and I have a wire behind my front 4 teeth to hold them in place.

It was worth every penny and every minute of the treatment. I have lost the lopsided "hide the manky teeth" smile I used to have and it has been replaced with a full on wide mouthed grin!

I had a traditional fixed brace on my top teeth - the orthodontist said Invisalign wasn't as good for the reasons people mentioned.

It was agony and pretty embarrassing, but I had severe issues that needed to be sorted and it is brilliant now that it's done. I wouldn't do it just for minor cosmetic problems, but seriously crooked teeth can be bad for dental health, cause migraines etc so in that case it would probably be worthwhile.

Thanks ujjayi - I hate smiling right now and would love to feel more confident. I think straight bright teeth also make you look younger

I absolutely agree. It was my vanity that drove me to have them sorted because i felt they were very ageing now i am in my 40s. My front teeth crossed and one of them was almost sideways rather than laying straight :(. I also looked as though I had had a tooth removed on one side as the gap was huge. The braces looked so ugly to begin with because of the gaps and twists but as your teeth become straighter they become less noticeable. Hardly anyone noticed mine and when they did they were more likely to encourage me than to take the proverbial!

I had braces put in when I was 34 and wore them for 3 years. My teeth were very crooked and because of That I rarely smiled and lacked confidence. Now My teeth are very straight and I feel so much more confident now. I hated wearing them at the time and felt quite embarrassed. I reminded myself that 'yes I have crooked teeth that I hate and I'm going to do something about it!' it was the best decision I have ever made. It cost about £3000 which luckily I could afford at the time. Wearing a brace is actually a bigger deal for the person wearing it than for others who probably don't even notice. People say I look happier and younger, some people who have not seen me for a while can't work out why I look different, but compliment me on how I look. I think it is also important for health reasons too. If teeth are crooked and overcrowded they are difficult to clean. Good luck with your decision, I think it's worth it!