Anyone used Invisalign

[WickedWitchOfTheTrent]

I've just had my initial consultation, my teeth are pretty bad with regards to alignment, bottom teeth all over the place and top ones would look good on a vampire.

But there is nothing wrong, health wise, with them so I've always been reluctant to do anything that might change that.

But another but is that they look really bad and have moved a lot over the past few years meaning I'm really self conscious about them.

Has anyone used these aligners before? It's through my usual dentist who are usually really good

Both my children and they're so happy with their teeth. Being a mum I didn't notice it but they are adults and they said it's the best thing I've ever done for them.

Yes, me, DH and two of my best friends.
All of us would say it was the best thing we've ever done and only wish we'd done it sooner.

One friend had a massive gap in front teeth and never smiled and now she is always posting smiley pics of herself looking so confident and happy - it's great to see.

I’m coming to the end of my Invisalign treatment and I’m really happy with the results. It’s an investment for sure but my teeth are straight and my face has changed shape as the teeth have been realigned. I’m in my 50s. No real pain. It’s taken a lot longer than I expected - 2 years by the time I finish - but that is, in part, down to COVID.
Wish I’d done it years ago!

I've nearly finished with my treatment and I can't bloody wait to be able to eat and drink without thinking and not have to take my toothbrush everywhere. I don't regret it and am happy with the results but it is a slog. Also it was a pain having to go back so often to the dentist.

Yes. It was painful, inconvenient and expensive.
But I’m soooooo glad I did it!

Wish I’d done it before my wedding - or in fact any time sooner.

What does it cost?

I have just finished this and am now on retainers. Really recommend, my smile looks lovely and I wish I was able to get it done sooner.

I am using an online company called Diamond White. I am retainer 15 of 17. It cost £1500 and I was quoted £3500 by Invisalign.
I will say though my teeth are not that bad as I had braces when I was younger, so Invisalign sounds better for more complex cases.

Overall I am happy with the company I chose. Customer service has been good, it’s been straightforward. But, I know it’s not finished yet, but one of my teeth isn’t as straight as I would have hoped. They said they will sort stuff for free if you are unhappy by the end of it - so we shall see!

I am similar to you - no problems with bite but very cosmetically crooked teeth. I had them straightened when I was a teen and they've moved back.

I have been looking into straightening since before Covid. I originally wanted Invisalign and actually started a referral through my dentist but then got cold feet. Now I've decided to definitely go ahead with it and I chose to go through an orthodontist as I heard so many different things through different dentists that I thought it best to go with a specialist. They said my teeth were too crowded for Invisalign to be effective, or it would take a very long time (2-3 years) so I'm actually getting fixed braces.

I getting my last set of 8 trays on Monday. Mine have ripped the insides of my mouth to shreds. Massively uncomfortable and they left me that way for 16 weeks only eventually giving in to a rescan once I went in and threw my toys out of the pram.

Saying that, the results are pretty good and fast. If I knew what I know now I would have a fixed brace I wouldn't have invisalign.

Best thing ever. I'm 50, had wonky teeth all my life. Used lockdown to sort it out, results are amazing.

The first day I was a drooling mess but you acclimatise very quickly and I stopped noticing them at all.

Great to help you cut down on snacking too!

That's really reassuring, my dentist is brilliant but they must be an invisalign stockist, and when I've read reviews about invisalign they aren't good. But I think that's the company rather than the process.

I'll be 50 in 18 months time and I keep swinging between 'why bother I'm too old' to 'I really need to do something, I hate looking at photos of myself'

They've quoted me £4000 as my bottom teeth are really bad, but that covers everything and for as long as I need it. It's eye watering but I could afford it at push.

Plus I'm hoping I'll lose a bit of weight in the process

I'm currently on week 9 of Invisalign. I had had enough of cringing at photos of myself and my crooked teeth so decided to do something about it. I'm on the comprehensive plan and it should take approx 18 months for the treatment. The first couple of days I really struggled to get them out without fear of snapping them or of pulling my teeth out (!) but by day 3 I'd gotten used to them. I don't like how I have to think about how long to have them out for and plan this around coffee with friends, meals out etc... It is a pain but I can already see a big difference in the bite of my front teeth, so I know it is working and this is encouraging on the days when I just want to think fuck it and take them out all evening to drink red wine and eat chocolate! Sometimes I do take them out for a few hours of an evening once in a while, but I try and avoid doing this often as I want the treatment to go as fast as possible. Sometimes I can feel it snag on my upper lip as I have a tooth which juts out a bit more (one of the reasons I hated my teeth) so having the retainers on that tooth can feel uncomfortable sometimes but otherwise it's been fine.

I'm also in a country where dental care is considerably cheaper than in the UK, which was another reason to get it done now while we are still living abroad. I think in the UK it would cost £3500-4000 whereas I've paid £2500.

Yes I’ve had invisalign - best thing I ever did for my teeth. Made a massive difference to my smile, even though it wasn’t awful to start with.

Do people notice you're wearing them? I work from home most of the time, but I'm wondering if they would be really noticeable on the days I have to go into the office?

Hey, I had them earlier this year and got a lot of help from everyone on here. I will add you to my thread.

Not sure I got your name right but it should recent now in style and beauty. Good luck!

Thank you @westr I'm having a look at your thread now

DD had Inman Aligner rather than Invisalign and it worked great.

@WickedWitchOfTheTrent I'm back to update you on my new invisalign trays. I went to the orthodontist today (see my post above about the issues I've had) to collect my new set after having had a rescan 8 weeks ago.

My new trays couldn't be more different from the first 16. They are much thinner, fit better, don't irritate my tongue/inside cheeks and lips. I can't quite believe it is the same product. This set is so different, they are finished off properly. I'm wearing no 1 of 6 final trays and should be done in January. I used to have to wear so much wax it affected my speech. I also used masses of bonjela and iglu.

If all my trays had been like this it would have been a much nicer 6 months!

I hope you get a decent set! Good luck.

Yes I've just finished (getting metal wire this week) and I am so pleased I did it. I don't think I have Hollywood teeth but my t teeth no longer stand out as being bad. I happily go out without makeup now as I feel confident and enjoy smiling! I had hated them for years and over a year ago decided to start dyeing my hair and straighten my teeth. Simple things but I just feel confident! I'm no model but I'm happy in my skin.

Also, I was a bit lazy about tray wearing towards the end. Would take our at 10.30 and not put back till 1pm!! I just wore them a little longer (eg more than two weeks) and I got so used to it I was in no rush to finish. Of course the journey is different for everyone. I used a cosmetic dentist but for some people an orthodontist is best and their main job is moving teeth so probably your best bet. They also have flexibility to move you into metal braces if you need to change for any reason. It was about 3200k for my retainers, appointments and scans, whitening (need to do this later as an pregnant), sets of night time retainers and also fixed wire retainer.

For teeth that aren't that bad you can get invisalign lite. I think I had between 20-30 trays which is comprehensive.

I am coming to the end of my Invisalign treatment. Attached is a before and half way through picture. They are so much better now. So pleased with it, I smile much more now, and wish I had done it years ago. Only
one person has ever commented on my wearing them. Might be harder if you had buttons on the front two teeth though

Not only are the aligners almost invisible, but they are moulded seamlessly
to your teeth, making them far more comfortable, and compact in your mouth.
Braces tend to be more noticeable in your mouth, as the brackets attached to
your teeth stick out. With Invisalign treatment, an initial 3D scan is taken
of your teeth, in order to create a series of custom aligners that fit your
teeth perfectly. These aligners will be sent to you over a series of weeks,
which means you will have fewer check-ups with the orthodontist or dentist.
Your teeth will move slowly into the desired place, causing significantly
less discomfort than with traditional metal braces. Your aligners will also
be removeable, meaning they are easier to clean, and will not get in the way
of eating. I cannot recommend Invisalign enough, it truly is a brilliant
treatment for all patients, at any age.

Hope this helps!

Kerry Rodgers, Orthodontic Therapist