'At home' teeth straightening/aligners

[bendmeoverbackwards]

My dd has a long standing severe dental phobia so much so she currently can't even sit in the chair.

She recently had her teeth checked and cleaned under sedation and all went well thankfully.

She wants to have orthodontic treatment but that obviously involves a lot of appointments if going down the traditional route.

I've seen lots of ads for aligners where it all can be done from home.

Does anyone have any experience please?

Update - we've had some positive news.

This week I took dd to two separate dental practices, both offer aligners and are good for nervous/phobic patients.

The first one didn't work very well - dentist said dd was 'uncommunicative', didn't answer her questions etc. FFS this is an extremely nervous patient who was anxious even by just being there.

However the second practice was fantastic. Dd had a video consultation with the dentist beforehand which helped. I was allowed to go in with her and it was so relaxed, no pressure, no questions, he took it all at her own pace. Dd managed not only to sit in the chair but have x-rays, photographs and a scan of her teeth which involved a wand inside her mouth. I was so proud of her.

Not only has this dentist got a great bedside manner, he is also great at what he does. He looked carefully at her face and mouth shape, profile etc and explained what could be achieved. He said he can get very good results with Invisalign which is much less invasive than fixed braces.

She will need a hygienist appointment before they fit the aligners but there is the option of sedation for that.

It's all going to cost a small fortune but I am happy to pay. I'm still in shock about seeing dd in the dentist's chair with no sedation after so many years.

I think you’re being a bit harsh on the dentist. If she didn’t answer her questions then obviously she’s not going to be able to advise much.

It’s good she’s had this done but really she needs to have a check up and full hygiene appointment before any cosmetic work.

@VanillaSpiceCandle maybe you didn't read my post but you will see that she is having her teeth cleaned and checked first, possibly under sedation.

Harsh? This is supposedly a dentist who specialises in nervous patients. I had spoken to the practice beforehand to explain dd's situation and what a big deal it was for her to even come for a consultation. Yes she is 19 and an adult and 'should' be able to speak up for herself but I thought perhaps the dentist might realise how huge this was for dd and perhaps not bombard her with questions at first meeting....?

We're not going back there anyway.

The second place was so different. Dentist didn't need to ask her many questions because HE explained what could be achieved in straightening her teeth which is his job.