My Invisalign Journey -Greenville, NC
Thank you for following my Invisalign Journey. I...
I have a severe case of Dental Phobia. I have no idea where it stems from, but it is as real as anything you can feel. I am 25, graduated from college, have an amazing job, and am doing well for myself. One of the few voids in my life has been healthy teeth. I have not been to the dentist since I was able to drive. I would always make excused why I could not go so my mom would not make me. It carried over into college and after graduation. But I have finally come to the conclusion that I want to fix my teeth and overcome my fear.
I originally found a sleep dentist in my town that specialized in Dental Phobics. I never knew that existed! I LOVED that place. I felt as comfortable as I possibly could and everyone from the receptionist to the dentist knew who I was when I walked in the door. They were prepared for me and my fears... But HOLY COW were they expensive. They recommended a ton of work, 4 or 5 crowns, 13 or so fillings, wisdom teeth extraction, and then Invisalign. $7,000 for dental work and $5,000 for Invisalign. Grand total of $12,000. Please do not get me wrong, I was more than happy to pay that right then to get my treatment. They did not finance so I would have to come up with the funds on my own.
Things changed soon after that consultation and I moved to a new job. That dentist was no longer in network, so I decided to try another sleep dentist just outside of town. Since my XRays were recent, they used the same ones the other dentist used. Their recommendation was wisdom teeth extraction, and 5 fillings. I asked about the crowns and he looked very confused. He could not figure out where they were going to put them. So, $1,300 for dental work and $4,500 for Invisalign. Grand total is $5,800. That is a big difference! They do not finance either, but much more obtainable!
So, I am getting my wisdom teeth extracted Dec. 27th. And my fillings will all be completed by the 27th of January. Then I will be ready for ORTHO! :)
So, since they are not in town for Invisalign, and you need to go in many times throughout treatment, I decided to see what my options were here in town for the Invisalign part of my treatment. This is where I am at now in the process.
The first place I priced I really liked. She is a cosmetic dentist. She understood I had a fear of being there and she seemed to be understanding. Her price is $4,700 ($750 down and payments can be made for the length of your treatment). She predicted about a year for me, but we would know more once we had an official treatment plan. I like this option so I do not have to come up with everything at once.
I have an appointment with two more places next week. One with a cosmetic dentist and another with an orthodontist. I know this is a big debate as to which is better. I would love to know how everyone feels about this.
Also, I have a few concerns about Invisalign along with my fear. Since I have been able to face my fears and go for these consults, I have been able to figure out the main thing that triggers my anxiety. The sounds. It is by far the worst part... Are there many tools used that would make the drill sound? I will probably need attachments and I have been told I need to grind some of my teeth down in order to allow them to move correctly. Any help with that would be greatly appreciated!
I will update when I have more information about what direction I am going to go. Thanks for following my journey! :)
chandlera07's provider
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Another Consultation
Note about the dentist I saw: I told him about my anxeity and he passed it off like it was nothing. He immediately looked in my mouth using a mirror and a pick - HELLO, I have a ANXEITY! He just said 'you are alright' and kept going. While I was proud of myself for not jumping out of the chair, it still was not good practice.
I have another consult this afternoon with an Orthodonisit. He is actually rated on this site. We will see!
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It's extremely common for different doctors to have differing opinions about whether a certain treatment will work for you. You kind of go to different doctors and get the spread to see where most of them fall. I would definitely visit more orthodontists than dentists, though, if it were me. And if someone says they wouldn't use aligners, don't go to them for aligners ;). I'm sure they wouldn't do them anyway. If you're able to post a picture of your teeth, others might be able to chime in who feel they have a similar case to yours. Mine was relatively mild so I didn't question when my orthodontist said I was a good candidate. My husband went to three different orthodontists and got two recommendations for orthognathic surgery+braces+palatal expansion+extractions and one for just damon braces. He went for the damon braces. Anyway, in the end, you make a decision based on what the doctor says and how much you feel you can trust them.
Othodontist Consult
However, I did like what the doctor had to say. He was very nice and I could tell he knew his stuff! He was saying things to the assistant I had not heard anyone else say when I had a consult. He was the most thorough about expaining what Invisalign is and what they do. He recommends 18 months and is $5800. It is the longest and most expensive treatment I have been quoted for so far, however, I trust it for some reason?
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That's the exact way my orthodontist's office is set up. But I'm the opposite of you--I love going to the dentist. I get so relaxed, I nearly fall asleep every time, and nearly everything feels so good to me, that when something hurts, I just dismiss it as being a fluke. There are a few things I'm scared of (like a root canal! And removing my molars!!!) but definitely no phobia. But I still felt it was a little strange being in an open room like that. I got used to it quickly. I think it's because orthodontists spend relatively much less time with their patients, so they can take lots of patients at the same time, and who has space in their office for that many patients (at least, in Northern California--rent here is expensive!)
Anyway, I'd reserve judgment until the end, but it's great that you're writing down your impressions as you go along, so you'll remember how you felt about everything. Do you know how much your insurance will cover? Mine cost $7,000 and insurance covered $2000.
Oh, and apropos PreOrtho's comment below, you might want to note what level each of your possible doctors is. The Invisalign designations “General”, “Preferred”, “Premier Preferred”, and “Elite Preferred” only refer to how many cases the doctor has treated, not how successfully those cases have been treated; but at least the designations tell you how much experience the providers have had.
The Interproximal Reduction (IPR) is done with something that sounds like a drill, yes. It does not hurt most people. Of all the reviews on here, I've seen one where the woman said it hurt. I had it done numerous times and felt nothing. But the sound is there. It's maybe not quite as high-pitched, the whine. Also, I can't remember, but it's possible they use a drill-type thing to get the attachments off at the end, but once again, that doesn't hurt either. They may just use a scraping tool, though. Hopefully someone else who remembers will chime in here. They will also polish the surface of your tooth after they remove the bonding, but that is not the same high-pitched whine. More like when they polish your teeth at the dentist's office.
Honestly, though, I think you'll be fine! You were able to go to the dentist and get stuff fixed. I know that you were asleep, but those things actually hurt. None of the stuff at the ortho's office that will happen with the drilling sound is going to hurt. The only thing that will be uncomfortable will be the actual trays, and possibly if you go around without the trays so long, the attachments can rub you raw.