Invisalign Reviews

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“$11,000! Did I Get Gouged? Plus Very Inconvenient.”

lisa50

Not Worth It
Spent: $11,000 in Annapolis, MD

Comments (16)

Updated 29 Aug 2009

Posted 28 Aug 2009

I'm paying $11,000! I wish I'd gotten braces instead.

I have a terrible time removing the invisalign braces - it's a painful struggle. Plus I have to take them out every time I want a cup of coffee or a diet soda? And brush my teeth before putting Invisalign in again? Geez, for the money, you'd think Invisalign would be more convenient.

Putting these braces in is a big deal. The orthodontist had to apply little "knobs" on my teeth to hold the braces. That's not bad, but then he scraped and buffed them down, and that hurt. Took a long time, too - occupied most of the hour-and-a-half I was sitting in that chair.

This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.

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My Doctor: name not provided

I think I got gouged on the price.

Comments (16)

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Sharon at RealSelf (Community Manager) 29 Aug 2009

Wow. I don't want to discourage you too much because Invisalign is the type of thing you have to really commit to (like you said, removing them and putting them back in, etc) but $11,000 is the highest price RealSelf users have reported in 275 reviews. Here's the full cost map: Invisalign prices

Is your treatment quite extensive? That could account for the higher price.

lisa50 31 Aug 2009

Thanks for your reply. I do have gaps between my teeth, resulting from two baby teeth that didn't come out until my 20s. But supposedly, this was good. I had plenty of space in my mouth and didn't have to have any teeth removed. I was a "good candidate" for Invisalign. I'll doublecheck my total treatment time and compare it to the times posted here to determine just how extensive my treatment will be....

addierocks 30 Aug 2009

Get an Aligner Remover Tool, called an Outie. On Amazon, set of 3 is $5.00 plus shipping. It will give you peace of mind and it works great! You still work your trays loose a bit from the back teeth forward and then use this tool to pull them off. It takes me about 30 seconds max to get them off. You'll get the hang of it in no time. I think you paid too much but unless you can get a refund it's no sense fretting now. Just focus on keeping them in for 21 hours a day so you can have a great smile worth more than 11,000.

lisa50 31 Aug 2009

Thanks very much! I'll definitely get one of these "Outies".

Rosieee 30 Aug 2009

Should have researched more before you got them...this is as much your doing as your orthodontists.

lisa50 31 Aug 2009

On one hand, I agree. It's a lesson to me to do my research and check prices. The orthodontist had a good reputation, and my daughter was getting braces there, so I went with the "convenience" option. On the other hand, I think the orthodontist should have provided some basic "usage" info - such as how many hours a day they need to be worn, the limitations (you have to pop them out every time you want a cup of coffee or need to eat), and how they are applied (mine required little glass "knobs" that took a while to shape).. A two-minute "reality" spiel on the part of the orthodonist would have been VERY useful in making a quick decision between braces and Invisalign, and in ensuring customer satifisfaction...

Angie1 1 Sep 2009

A hint on coffee/soda: not to encourage bad habits (but I do feel sorry for you paying so much!) - you MAY be able to get good at using a STRAW to drink with the liners on. It takes practice and no good if you have a bad gag reflex - HA - but try drinking with straw way back on tounge without the liquid touching your teeth. And swish with water as often as possible - even without taking liners off. You will be able to tell if the liners stain - if so then you are no good at the straw thing. Also get a teeth cleaning every 6 months and the hygenist will let you know if you are getting decay (which is why they don't want you to do the straw thing). I smoked the whole time and they also said I shouldn't do that with liners on. Also DON'T tell anyone I told you the straw trick! :)

Rosieee 6 Sep 2009

Liners....Aligners?

lisa50 7 Sep 2009

Thanks for the info on the "straw trick" - I'm going to give it a try!

Angie1 9 Sep 2009

yes, my dentist and I call my trays "liners".

ptblogger 16 Jan 2010

I'm considering invisalign and also smoke. You say you smoked the whole time...did it not stain or tint the aligners? I'm very curious, as I'm sure I'll be tempted to smoke with them in on occasion myself.

Angie1 16 Jan 2010

PTBLOGGER: Yes, I smoked a pack a day for the two years I wore Invisalign - and it did no harm to my teeth or the aligners that I can tell, and the dentist and hygenist never mentioned they looked bad. Of course they told me before I started that I should not smoke with them on... I kept the aligners clean with Polydent tabs every week, and gently brushed the aligners with toothpaste daily (when they were out of my mouth). Do this in the palm of your hand and always one tray at a time.

ptblogger 7 Mar 2010

Thanks! That's good to know!

maranelos 21 Nov 2009

This is by far the highest price I've seen.I can understand the frustration it brings,but I've learned different ways around to adjust to living with invisalign.Unfortunately, I had to give up on sweet drinks because I don't always have an opportunity to brush my teeth during the day, but sometimes I drink my coffee with them on, but here is the trick: drink it just betweem warm and hot so you don't damage the plastic, if possible, skip on sugar, and rinse your mouth with couple of sips of water. And next time you use a restroom, take them out and rinse with water. Not recommended by doctors, but it didn't hurt me,hehe. Another suggestion: if you struggle with brushing your trays, use denture cleaning products. I use Polident 3 minute Antibacterial pills, all you need is to soak your trays fro couple min and rinse.They stay as clean as new. Good luck!

lisa50 28 Nov 2009

Thanks for the great tips! I am a coffee drinker, so I'll keep your advice in mind. I've got to try the Polident 3-minute antibacterial pills,too! Lisa

derp 5 Mar 2010

Uh, eating/drinking with these things sounds like a very bad idea, even with straws or whatever trick you want to employ. If you can taste the drink at all then it's circulating in your mouth. If it's circulating in your mouth then that sugar or stain will get into the trays and you'll damage/stain your teeth. Rinsing your mouth out with water frequently without brushing your teeth is also a bad idea because your saliva actually helps prevents tooth decay (this is why chewing sugarless gum is so good for your teeth; it stimulates saliva glands which neutralize the acid the bacteria produce and also remineralizes the tooth enamel.) If you are washing it out all the time there is nothing to protect the teeth. I have already read reviews here where a few people have suffered accelerated tooth decay while using invisalign because their teeth stay too dry. Some people even recommend swishing your saliva around the mouth to help stop that. I haven't gotten invisalign, but I've done a lot of research about it (as I want it done in the future.) Don't just listen to any cockamamy advice people give you on the internet. Do your own research and for the love of god, if your dentist says don't do it, just don't. It's not worth the risk of permanent damage to your teeth (you can't undo fillings.)

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“$11,000! Did I Get Gouged? Plus Very Inconvenient.”

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