Smile Direct and the like vs Invisalign

[donkhonk]

I've been quoted almost £3k by my dentist for Invisalign.

Since I googled it, of course I've now had a ton of ads on Instagram for cheaper alternatives like Smile Direct Club.

Can you share your experiences of Invisalign or the cheaper alternatives please? I know that with Invisalign you get oversight from the dentist, but did you find it was really necessary?

What were the timescales like with either treatment? Any pros and cons?

Thanks!

Interested to hear other people's experiences here too!

www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1134056

I very nearly went for smile direct earlier this year (went so far as to Pay) and then decided against after asking a friend who is a dentist. Found the above which is really eye opening. TDLR: your mouth is incredibly complicated and orthodontists don’t get 7+ years of training for no reason, the risks of scrimping are huge, including loss of teeth and corrective surgery.

Unless you want your teeth to fall out, don't go with smile direct and go to a qualified orthodontist.

Yes agree with the above there is a reason you should research and go to a reputable orthodontist due to the complexities of moving teeth.
I had fixed braces and Invisalign to correct my bite and my understanding is that smile direct and the like, only look at straightening teeth rather than the overall bite etc which makes a huge difference. so please only go to a registered ortho.

Dentist here.
You do realise that by going with one of these companies you could be potentially damaging your teeth?

If you really have to straighten them, at least get an orthodontist opinion first.

Definitely a proper in person orthodontist. They are teeth moving experts. It's worth the money to do Invisalign.
However it turns out my orthodontist is really good. As he's got lots of experience. Do your research

Oh my goodness please do not do smile direct club. My orthodontist said it moves your teeth way too fast, please do it under a professional and in real life over a prolonged period of time.

I honestly can’t recommend Invisalign enough and it includes everything no matter how long it takes/ amends to the plan etc. Mine cost £4,500 and it’s genuinely the best money I’ve ever spent! I can’t imagine not having a real life person and appointments etc. Smile direct seems so corporate too and you really don’t want to mess your teeth up.

Please don’t scrimp on this one xxx

Oh poo sorry forgot the other bits!

Mine took about 18/20 months. Had to have a front tooth taken out down the bottom to make room (had to be done via my normal dentist which was a bit annoying). My teeth moved quite easily and ended up changing trays every week in the end.

The only con which would be true for all teeth straightening I guess is putting the tray back in after you’ve taken it out for the first couple of days. Feels like self inflicted torture and if you’re prone to headaches/ migraines I found it can aggiatate them. They fitted a bar behind my teeth but still have to wear a retainer and it hurts so much if you don’t wear it for a few nights.And the price obv but I got mine on credit and paid a monthly instalments

Also they filed between your teeth to help everything fit in too which I’m not sure how they’d manage that if you didn’t see someone in real life

xxx

Okay I’m ignoring all of the above then 😂 I went with straight my teeth, would never usually sign up for those things but my friend had done it and it was insane how much her teeth had been straightened. I only really had one tooth I wanted sorted but it stuck out so much that it really bothered me. I’m getting married in 2 months so wanted it done for then. I’m only half way through the aligners but already see a huge difference! When I looked online it seems like it’s the exact same set up as Invisalign with the aligners and replacing them every 8 days (think Invisalign says 7?). The only difference is you don’t see someone in person but dentists do look at your moulds and pictures you send in. I’m blown away with it for only £650, if my tooth ends up completely straight in my wedding pictures I’ll be delighted! I didn’t have a few thousand so it would have stayed the way it was otherwise

Have a look into K Line aligners, they're (apparently) as good as Invisalign but come through a little cheaper if you have a dentist near you that will offer it.

Ah but Sarah, you say you only had one tooth that needed straightening but in order to straighten that one all the teeth near it need to be moved around

Thank you all - it's really helpful.

I did think the cheaper online versions wouldn't ultimately be the route I would go down.

Can you share your experience of Invisalign on a practical level? How did it fit in with day to day life? I have a toddler so eating is grabbing something on the go/hoovering up his leftovers so I'm a bit worried about taking it out/putting it back in etc.

Well I struggled with a lisp. And as all my work is meetings I didn't wear them as much as I should. So it took longer to move the teeth.

You won't want to pop them in & out all the time. As you have to clean the braces & your teeth properly each time. So you either eat less or faff with removing.

Getting the attachments put on was pretty horrible. As was getting them taken off. And NONE of the adverts show anyone with attachments. But they are the things that actually move the teeth around, so most people do need them.

My entire upper jaw has changed shape, as well as my teeth straightened. I doubt you can do that with online aligners.

Plus if it does go a bit wrong teeth are very expensive to fix. It could be a cost save long run to get the proper Invisalign.

It was a hassle (just had my attachments off) and it's just an overnight retainer now. For basically forever.

But I have STRAIGHT TEETH so that's worth it for me.

The practicalities are hard! I have Invisalign and two small children. I've lost weight I did not need to. I had huge buyer's regret at the beginning, wishing I'd gone for fixed braces instead. But after a couple of months, I got used to it... And I guess the advantage is that, with Invisalign, you HAVE to be fastidious about cleaning. With fixed braces I might have been tempted to just snack and only clean my teeth a couple of times a day, as normal. As it is, I do occasionally eat and just rinse my mouth with water before putting my aligners back in. But that feels obviously gross, so it's rare. I'm glad I'm forced to keep them clean as I think with fixed braces you can get build-up around the brackets quite easily. (Not that you're asking about fixed! But that is obviously another option you might think about...)

Some dentists I work with do a two day course then offer Invisalign ( or similar). An orthodontist is a specialist in this area with at least another three years post graduate training on the topic. Please consider an orthodontist.
Whilst Invisalign works well most of the time, the reality doesn't always live up to the computer generated images. If it goes wrong, a dentist is sort of stuck. At least, if an orthodontist does the procedure, they can stick a couple of brackets on to correct the issue.
Some cases I have seen have caused teeth to move to fast, then relapse or start to become mobile.

You could be potentially playing with fire or causing major issues. Please think carefully who you let loose on your teeth. Ask how many cases they have previously done, how long they are qualified, how long they've been doing Invisalign etc

Omg do regular dentists do Invisalign? That's mad. You need a proper orthodontist.

Sometimes when teeth are moved incorrectly it can damage the root and cause tooth loss. Implants and crowns are not cheap, I would advise you to save up longer and go for to a qualified ortho. Healthy teeth are incredibly precious even if they don't look dazzlingly white and smile perfect.

I'm not so sure. I've just had both my ds's finish braces with local orthodontist. £3k each privately for metal fixed braces, because neither qualified on nhs. He is fabulous, but he also offers Invisalign. You all make it sound substandard.

I've actually booked to have mine done by a cheaper option. I saw an orthodontist about it years ago.

Honestly just get normal braces from an Orthodontist. Alot less hassle with taking them out to eat. They will be cheaper too. Mine are still in and it is fine (apart from the discomfort of the teeth moving)

Yes, regular dentists now do invisalign. Mine has offered it and really likes to try and close a sale every time I go. I will see an actual orthodontist.

I have Invisalign from my dentist who obviously has additional training in orthodontics. I find them ok, can easily take them in and out to eat, I carry a toothbrush to work but do sometimes rinse and put them back in if required.
I do drink tea and coffee with them in and have had no issues. I change them every 10 days or so, so they don’t get badly stained. Having time to attend the appointments can be tricky with work. But the last time they gave me 6 to change myself and I go back again for a check up soon.