“BIG REGRET”

Pros: Can't think of any
Cons: Gross, uncomfortable, teeth look worse than before I started

Had braces as a child, but didnt' wear my retainer and had some movement. Thought about doing Invisalign after seeing my dentist who had nothing but praise for it. I did some research and had some reservations about costs and effectiveness. However, my dentist dismissed my concerns and on an impulse I decided to do it. After I was accepted as a candidate I was shown a 3D image of my teeth (computer image that was perhaps technically correct, but not so realistic as it was a blown up computer animation and didn't display the filing). I had read some negative reviews about filing down of teeth to create room for movement, which caused me concern. My dentist told me that in my case it would be so minor that I wouldn't even notice it. Not true, but a good sell.

He filed and created space between 8 of my teeth (the ones you see when you smile) according to the Invisalign specs. This left me with quite a bit of space between my front teeth which was NOT not noticable (could fit couple of finger nails thru). He tried to reasure me that it would close up within a couple of weeks. Not true. Took many months, and they still have gaps. Even worse, my teeth will forever be narrow and off-looking for my face. I would sue if not for the many waiver forms I signed (shame on me for not doing more research). My teeth look straigter (not as straight as they were after braces), but have gaps that will likely never go away with out the help of costly veneers.

Aside from that, they are bulky, uncomfortable, and dirty. No matter how often you brush your teeth your mouth will dry out (most of the saliva collects in the trays which end up feeling slimy), and feel dirty and smell less than fresh. Constantly brushing your teeth and sipping water helps, but not always an option. Your lips also get chapped. Had I really understood the inconvenience and gross factor, I would not have done it based on that alone.

If you are on the fence, do the braces. I am in the refinement phase, but don't hold much hope that they will succeed in closing my gaps (the ones they created). Braces are noticable, but so are Invisalign. However, Invisalign comes with a host of other negatives to make you less inclined to smile (again, your mouth tends to feel dirty). Also, you can kiss with braces, with invisalign you will be WAY too self-conscience to even think about it.

Please keep in mind that Invisalign offers incentives to Dentist and Orthos. They aren't always that unbiased in their recommendations. By the fact that a regular dentist (mine is a cosmetic dentist)is qualified to do them gives me alarm (of course, after the fact). Seems like it should be left to Orthos, but who am I?

Invisalign might work for you, but it left me worse off and poorer for the effort. Braces have a proven track record, so far at least 1 out of 5 people in this forum say they regret their choice. I know I always will.