Invisalign - a Positive Review!

I've been reading some awful reviews of Invisalign on here and, whilst everyone will have a different experience, i just wanted to post a positive one to encourage those who are thinking about Invisalign. One poster said that it's usually those who feel negatively about something that shout the loudest, so I wanted to add a positive voice to those who have had bad experiences.

I am 28 and have severely overcrowded teeth. My left upper canine is above all my other teeth, with the others jammed together below it. My front teeth stick out and are all shifted round to one side where they've filled the gap where my canine should be.

I've had my Invisalign three months now. Nobody has noticed - work colleagues, friends, family. I have actively had to point out to people that I am having my teeth straightened. And I can kiss etc with no problems!

I have 'buttons'. The orthodontist didn't make a big deal out of them beforehand but he didn't hide it either. If you are going to spend a significant amount of money on anything then I think you should look into what will happen - the pros and cons and costs. Buttons are usually part of the deal and I think everyone should be aware of them - if you were buying a car you wouldn't expect the dealer to tell you everything that was better about a Vauxhall than a Ford - it's your responsibility to find that out before you pay your money.

That said, my 'buttons' are zero bother. In fact, the whole process has been literally zero bother so far. I have buttons on my upper and lower teeth and i still have to tell people I am wearing braces - not one has noticed, friends, family or at work. ('Braces? Where?!' 'Here! look - can you see the attachments?' 'Oh yeah - only now you point it out!) When I first had them put on, the first time I took out my aligners I pulled two of them off. It didn't hurt a bit - the dentist just stuck them back on (a good orthodontist should have you trying this in their office, and seeing how it goes). One did sheer off partly a couple of days later, so when I took the braces out to eat it cut into the inside of my mouth. Obviously that's not great but i just went back the next day and he filled in the sheered off bit and it's been fine since. And that was the very first week of having buttons and learning to take my aligners out at a certain angle to avoid any damage - not a problem, mastered within a week and all buttons in tact and doing no damage to my mouth since.

I have no pain - none at all. The worst I get is a max of two hours of pressure with each new aligner (two hours!), then it's over. I really couldn't ask for anything less painful or unsightly. And I can already see everything moving towards how it should be.

Obviously other people have had bad experiences, and of course I am only 1/3 of the way through my treatment so don't know the outcome, but surely there must be more people out there with positive things to say! I could not be more happy so far - when I think what people with 'traintracks' go though in terms of the pain each time they are tightened and how ugly they are I am very grateful. I've never lisped, nothing rubs - I have nothing to complain about. I don't get a dry mouth (tip - run your braces under water before you put them back in). If I'm out or busy I don't always brush between all meals but I'm an adult and that's my decision - if I get cavities it will have been up to me!

So far, no pain (at all!), nothing to show for it and I will still hopefully have straight teeth in 1 year.

The only thing I have to say is of course I am only 1/3 of the way through my treatment. What seem to be lacking on here are real people's before and after photos, and comments from people who have been all the way through the process. I'd like to see that.

My message is - if you are thinking about invisalign, there are positive stories out there. I can't tell you you experience won't be negative but for me it has been no trouble AT ALL!