Get the real deal on beauty treatments—real doctors, real reviews, and real photos with real results.Here's how we earn your trust.

See All Reviews
See All Reviews
POSTED UNDER Invisalign Reviews

Pretty Happy - Ann Arbor, MI

UPDATED FROM 2012Hokie

Not Done Still

2012HokieNovember 27, 2013
$5,700
So they said when I went back I would be done. Instead they said two more weeks of braces/partial trays and rubber bands. But there were no appointments in two weeks. So the fun continues. I don't wear the trays or rubber bands during the day. I go back on December 6 and should hopefully be done for real. But I won't get my hopes up.

2012Hokie's provider

Dr. Brust

2012Hokie ratings

Overall rating

I went on the Invisalign website and found this provider. They've been great.

Replies (2)

User Avatar
TwoPlusOne
November 27, 2013

That is so disappointing!  Are you seeing the progress at this point?  I mean, there's a huge difference in your pictures, but can you see what's left to close, and does it seem to be closing?

User Avatar
latentsmile
December 3, 2013
Disappointing that your treatment wrap-up has been delayed. Chin up, I'm sure you'll look back on it and it will be worth it! Your results up to the last pic look promising.
UPDATED FROM 2012Hokie

Back to the Ortho

2012HokieNovember 1, 2013
Went back to the orthodontist to follow up on my braces/Invisalign combo. The braces really helped to move my bite towards being closed. They didn't tell me to bring back the tray 10 for the top as I'd been going forward with the bottom and staying the same on the top. Long story short, I asked if keeping the braces on would reduce the amount of time left for treatment. The orthodontist agreed with that plan. The big issue is that my bite on the right side just doesn't want to close. The teeth haven't been moving too quickly with the Invisalign.

So today I left with 5 braces on top and 5 on bottom. Plus rubber bands. Not ideal, but I did get some good news. As long as my bite closes up before I go back in two weeks, I will be done. Fingers crossed! I'll put up pictures soon.

Replies (1)

User Avatar
TwoPlusOne
November 1, 2013


Yeah, in the end, you do whatever is going to work for you.  Fingers crossed! :)


UPDATED FROM 2012Hokie

A year later

2012HokieOctober 17, 2013
So it's been awhile since I updated. I started my refinement awhile back. I got 19 new for the top and 18 for the bottom. I received my first few and then went back in for a check. I made it through the first 10 of the refinement and then went back in for a follow up. It was decided that my top teeth weren't tracking right so I now have 4 braces with a wire on the top right side of my mouth. My top tray was cut so that it would leave room for this. So my top I'm still on tray 10 and will be for a month total. My bottom I'm continue to move forward.

Honestly at this point I'm over the whole thing. It is next to impossible for me to keep the dang things in for as long as I should. I'd say at this point I'm more than ready to be done. I'm trying hard to stick with it though. I'll try to update my pictures soon.

Replies (2)

User Avatar
TwoPlusOne
October 17, 2013

Wow, I just found your review, and what you have gone through!  I only had like 16 aligners plus maybe 6 extra, and I can tell you, I skipped meals whenever possible!  I got used to eating two meals/day, no snacks.  :)  Do you feel like your experience has been within the realm of expectations for you?

2012Hokie
October 17, 2013
I knew from the get go it would be over a years worth of treatment. I think I'm probably happier about getting the braces on rather than getting lectured about not wearing the aligners as much as I should. What I think was the breaking point for me was finishing my original set of trays. While I waited for the new ones to come in I got into a bad habit of not wearing them as much. This has been a hard habit for me to break. I realized how much I had missed snacking all the time :P so now I snack most of the day and don't wear the aligners nearly as much as I should.
User Avatar
TwoPlusOne
October 17, 2013

I wonder if part of the difficulty in maintaining motivation is that your teeth already look good.  It's not like in the beginning, where you see these horrible imperfections and want to fix them.  It's like, now it's just small tweaking and it's hard to see a difference.  I have to say, with my retainers, I feel like things are reverting.  I think when I go to my next follow-up, I'm going to ask if maybe I need something more permanent.  I get up at 4:30 a lot of mornings, and go to bed at 9:30 or so, and I think it's too long for the retainers to be out.  So they hurt more than I think they should.  Plus, I'm afraid they're stretching too much and letting my teeth shift.  I'm paranoid things will go back to the way they were!

User Avatar
PortRicheyCutie
October 17, 2013
I feel your pain. I'm going through the same mindset. To get a refinement and get 19/18 more is devestating. I had to get 33 more after wearing 15 of the 31 they originally gave me. Now I have buttons and bands and less than 8 trays left to go. I'm afraid my teeth won't be where they need to be by then but we'll see. I was told the next thing I could do is fast braces but I chose invisalign for a reason and fast braces are like traditional braces so kinda defeating the purpose of clear braces. Try to stay strong though. You made it this far.
2012Hokie
November 1, 2013
I gave in to the braces. I don't want to continue on hoping the Invisalign will close my bite slow as molasses when the braces can get it done quickly.
See More Invisalign Reviews
See All Reviews