Biggest Mistake I Ever Made

I had braces as a child. My teeth were perfectly straight (I was always complimented on my smile). I felt my overbite was becoming a bit more pronounced as I aged. Although it wasn't really noticeable to others, I felt Invisalign could provide improvement to the bite and prevent further shifting as I aged.

I went to a cosmetic dentist for a consult and was assured that I was a "simple" case that would require less than one year. They took impressions on that same day (told me I was only committing to $450 at that point) so I was unknowingly starting the process without really being ready. After that appointment, I started reading internet forums and noted comments regarding the risks of not using an orthodontist.

When the trays came in, I asked to back out of treatment; however, the dentist assured me of his expertise, assured me everything would be fine based on his extensive experience with Invisalign etc. and I unfortunately went ahead.

Initial treatment was sixteen trays. For the first few months, I was happy with the treatment. The IPR gaps closed quickly, my attachments were not very noticeable and I had no pain at all. Very unfortunately, I began to notice an extremenly disturbing trend- by tray 11 my top teeth no longer touched my bottom teeth. A mid-course correction was ordered at tray 11. I wore all nine new trays and there was no improvement whatsoever. Only two teeth now touch when I bite down-the one last molar on each side of my mouth. What started as a minor cosmetic concern on my part has turned into a serious openbite problem. Cosmetically and medically, my smile is much worse.

I would advise anyone considering Invisalign to conduct a tremendous amount of research regarding your doctor, suitability for the treatment etc. before making a decision. Make sure that your doctor has expertise in moving teeth and is not relying solely on the Clincheck.

I am now starting over with an orthodontist (elite premier provider) at a cost of $9,000-21 trays. This will amount to two full years of Invisalign assuming treatment runs smoothly.

As a final thought, I would encourage people to assign satisfaction ratings when they are far into, or finished with treatment. In my experience, it is very misleading to judge your Invisalign experience in the first few days or weeks.