Happy with Invisalign, Fixing Crooked Bottom Teeth

I'm 56 years old and my bottom teeth are starting to get very crooked. A con of Invisalign is that -- depending on where your buttons are, they can show. However, I was already self-conscious about smiling with my teeth showing, so the buttons are a minor concern for me. A con, of course is the cost, with the cost being especially high in New York City. However, my orthodontist has a payment plan, and patients have quite a long time to pay it off.

I first had consulted with a different orthodontist. He charged me for the consult, during which time he showed me a canned slide show and showed me before and after shots of his patients. This appalled me, as some people would like a little privacy -- what if you saw someone you know professionally? He did not have time for many questions after his presentation. He also insisted that patients have permanent metal braces as retainers because "people don't put retainers in," which I found infantalizing.

The orthodontist I selected spent a long time with me and didn't charge for the consult. She showed me different aspects of my teeth that would be suited or that might be problematic for Invisalign. It was clear that she had a lot of experience and she was patient and caring about my concerns. Also, she is going on vacation and gave me her email address. I think this is all very important for concerns about facial appearance: expertise, patience, empathy.

She appears to very state-of-the-art equipment, although, admittedly, what do I know.

My insurance pays for nearly half, so that does make it easier for me. Frankly, I'm not quite sure how I'm going to pay for the rest of it, but since the payments are spread out, I'm not worrying about it ... yet.

The tray hurt the first four days, but Advil took care of it. They are a little hard to remove; I would not do it in public, that's for sure.

I brush them when they are on, then remove and brush the inside and soak in warm water with a little Crest "Pro-Health" mouthwash. I use the Braun/Oral B advanced power toothbrush, with a dual cleaner brush. It has a small round "Precision Clean" brush, which is perfect for the inside of the tray. After I brush and floss, I chew sugarless gum to get rid of any "residual".

My orthodontist told me that I can change trays every two weeks if I feel comfortable, so that I can speed up the process.