“Wish i'd done braces”
Invisalign: Not worth it
Cost: $6,400
Pain: Severe
Satisfaction: Poor
Pain: Severe
Satisfaction: Poor
This was such a mistake! I've just finished seven months of Invisalign, and my teeth and bite are nowhere near where they are supposed to be according to the computer projection I was shown when I was sold on the job.
I went through this extremely disruptive procedure (forget all that hype about the trays being invisible...they are awful, as are the "buttons") to correct a painful bite problem, which was causing migraines. My bite has improved, but my migraines intensified markedly during the Invisalign treatment. I have had to resort to numerous medications and acupuncture for relief (very expensive, and the medications have made me ill). Just a couple of weeks ago, my dentist's colleague -- and there is a huge mistake I made...I went to an Invisalign dentist instead of an orthodontist -- dropped the news that the seven months I was quoted was not necessarily the full treatment period. In truth, I will be evaluated at the end and a decision will be made as to whether my teeth need to be "refined" with more trays! I will need to have the "buttons" (these are cement attachments that give the trays something to pull on) removed from my teeth, have impressions made and sent off, wait for trays, come back to have more buttons put on, and wear the blasted trays for more weeks, and weeks, and weeks. Then I will have to wear the retainer for six months -- all the time. I haven't smiled in seven months, and it looks like it will be much longer than that before I can.
I was told none of these little details when this dentist sold me the job. I wasn't even told about the "buttons" (there was some comment that I'd probably need to have some "attachments" but that they were "nothing")! Or how the buttons would scratch up my mouth when I ate. Or how my mouth and tongue would swell up, painfully, until I got used to the irritating effect of the trays. It is horrible to wake up in the morning with a dry and sour mouth full of plastic trays.
I do not recommend this treatment to anyone. If you already have Invisalign and have trouble with rough edges on the trays (per another review here), use the softer side of an emory board (nail file) to smooth them. Soak them briefly in a solution of half Listerine and half water twice a week, and then brush them with a small amount of toothpaste to keep them clean. Besides killing germs, the Listerine will color the gunk on the trays that you can't see, and you can brush it off. Drink loads of water -- the trays make your mouth dry and irritated, which will encourage bacteria. And kiss your social life (and romantic life) goodbye until the trays are gone. They give you bad breath, make you speak oddly, discolor your teeth, and make most people clench their mouths to hide their teeth so that they look unpleasant.
Jan 1, 2008Comments (125)
54 of 67 people found this review helpful
This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.
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unregistered guest
7 Jan 2008
I just finished 11 months of invisilign and could not be happier, my teeth are perfectly straight and never had any problems. I would do it all over if I had to. My love life did not suffer at all, as long as you keep your teeth an trays clean there are no problems
unregistered guest
9 Jan 2008
Just to clarify, my comment on lovelife problems had to do largely with the "buttons" and the irritation caused by them (although sleeping next to someone, much less meeting someone -- and I happen to be married, my dears -- with a mouthful of plastic is hardly sexy...unless of course you're into boxing or football or something, and to each his/her own in that area!). I have eight buttons on my teeth, and they are like rough coral scratching against the inside of my mouth. Enough said there, I hope. I keep my teeth and trays spotless, thank you very much. I still get horrible breath with them in place. It has to do with the dry mouth and irritation these things cause. I'm willing to bet that luvmyteeth got rotten breath with them too, whether friends told him/her about it or not. BTW, I was advised to use Biotene rinse by my regular dentist, and it is also recommended for dry mouth. It made the problems with Invisalign worse. I had better results just taking out the trays several times a day and rinsing thoroughly with water (on top of the brushing and flossing after meals, of course). And drinking water constantly.
unregistered guest
18 Jan 2008
I love my invisalign. Although they were more expensive than I would have liked, the result were stunning for a small inconvenience. I had none of the problems you mentioned. My buttons smoothed out pretty quickly. No bad smells or discomfort, except for a couple hours when I put a new set on. People are surprised when I tell them I'm wearing them. They do make my mouth dry, but I am on medication that does that too. I love the option of taking them off for a night on the town. I have even been getting lax and don't wear them much during the day, and they are still showing results. I would recommend them to everyone that wants braces!
unregistered guest
21 Jan 2008
I am about to be in my sixth aligner. I do not really see any results as of yet, but I definatly see the difference. The only problem I am having is my bite. Through the many changes my teeth are making, I have a terrible time chewing, it seems, I bite my mouth, right by my bottom button, at least once per meal. It is enough to cry over sometimes. I do feel that I didnt get gipped-I went to a dental spa, and my dentist is a full dentist and does everything under the sun. They were not trying to sell me invisalign, I wanted it, seeing as I am in the customer service industry. According to my computer I should start to see my bottom teeth "really" change to strait around my 8 aligner. I am supposed to have a total of 12 on top and 16 on bottom. I dont feel that it makes my breath bad "all" the time, in the morning my husband says it horrendous, but they are harder than I thought to keep clean. I really scrub them or I dont feel happy to put them back on. If you are worried about teeth staining than I recommend Nite Wite- it is a super brand and it whitens them right up!
unregistered guest
23 Jan 2008
People complaining about a "mouth full of plastic" and about the "buttons" obviously have unrealistic expectations. You are expecting a dentist to straighten your teeth magically, without any kind of appliance... this isn't possible! You need to think about the alternatives -- metal braces! Invisalign is by far preferable over traditional metal braces. You can remove it, so it's way easier to take care of bad breath and such... Imagine if you had metal brackets, it would be much harder to clean your teeth. Not to mention far less sexy than clear plastic. As for the buttons, it serves the same purpose as the little "donuts" that metal braces use to grab onto your teeth and move them. Attachments are necessary to move your teeth; teeth don't just move on their own, nor do they move easily. The difference is that they are tooth-colored. This is as invisible as you can possibly get while straightening your teeth. If invisalign is so horrible, maybe you should have gotten metal braces... I have a feeling you would have felt a lot worse with those (and your mouth would have been far more scratched up); either that, or the alternative -- learn to live with crooked teeth!
unregistered guest
29 Jan 2008
I have had my Invisalign for 1 year and 2 months. I went to an orthodontist. My treatment was scheduled to be 10 months but after my last tray it was apparent that my bite was off although my overbite had been corrected so they took the pictures, etc, etc and I have an additional 5 or 6 months at no additional charge. I only drink water with them in, had no problem with dry mouth or bad breath. I soak them in water with a denture tablet every other day and they stay very clean. I lost quite a few pounds because the first 4 or 5 trays were so painful for the first week that I preferred not to eat to taking them out to eat. That eventually changed to 2 days of tolerable pain to discomfort with each tray change. I also got indigestion the first month, something I don't suffer from, because I couldn't grind my food enough. I stopped eating solid red meat and ate softer foods and that stopped. I have impeccable oral cleansing now with all kinds of devices and that is a good thing. Problems I have had and some I believe are permanent: I was putting pressure on my teeth in my sleep, a habit I did not have, which caused it's own pain. After about 8 months that corrected itself. I spranged my finger once because one tray was so tight, when I was trying to get it out the first time it would not budge and one of my fingers buckled and sprang. That was on my second round so I was pretty competant about getting them in and out. My tongue can't seem to adjust to the changing shape of my mouth and that I think is going to be my biggest issue that will not be solved. My tongue is now wider than the space it inhabits and it hangs over the teeth on the left side of my mouth. I don't grind food as thoroughly as I used to and although you shouldn't anyway, when you use your mouth to grip something like a small ketchup packet, I can't do that any more. Sure enough with my first round I complained about these things and it got better near the very end, but my top and bottom teeth do not "fit" like they used to and probably am not going to go for a 3rd round.
unregistered guest
31 Jan 2008
I have had my invisalign for 7 weeks now. I hated them the first few days because I wasn't used to having anything in my mouth. Now I am fine with them. I feel my teeth moving and I'm excited to have straight teeth. I have 7 buttons or attachments and they don't bother me at all. They did say to wear the trays 22 hours a day, and after 2 weeks switch to the next tray. I found that I did not need to wear them that much. Once I put in a set, I wear them as much as I can, but after a week or so I feel as though they have done the work and it is just holding my teeth in place until the next tray. I have tried putting the next tray in after 8 days and it went on fine. My point is that I don't wear them all the time. I will keep them out for several hours in the evening and other times if I am busy. They do make my lips very dry. So far I am happy. I'll try to post every few months to let you know how it is going. Straighter teeth- would you have had the issues with your bit using any type of teeth straightening (regular braces)?
unregistered guest
6 Feb 2008
I'm on my sixth set of aligners so far, and I have not experienced any of the problems listed here. Yes, there are little buttons but they haven't bothered me in the least! Theres been no discomfort whatsoever, I'm so used to them I don't even realize they're in half the time. I'm already noticing results, the gaps between my teeth are noticeably smaller already. They do make your mouth dry, but I don't find it a reason to complain; drinking more water isn't a bad thing! It's actually done nothing but good for me. I drink more water, have cut soda out of my diet, and I don't snack at all anymore. Its given me the incentive to work out and eat healthier. So far I've lost 18 pounds! I love invisalign and would recommend it to anyone.
unregistered guest
13 Feb 2008
An update on my earlier post. I have my new aligners for my "refinement". Five months worth (the initial treatment was projected to be seven months)! I am not happy about that. However, there is one good thing to report. The material of the aligners has changed to a softer, more pliable plastic that is less brittle than before (the last aligners I got were received perhaps twelve weeks ago), and less sharp on the edges. The aligners are pliable enough now that they are no longer packaged in rigid blister packs, but in soft bags. They are much more comfortable on initial insertion -- less tugging on the teeth. They are less irritating in the mouth. I guess Invisalign listens to feedback? They are a little "chewy", though, so I wonder whether that might be a problem for teeth grinders. My bite is improved enough now that my teeth grinding seems to have stopped. I have eight buttons again, unfortunately, but they are smoother and somewhat flatter than before. I'm still not an Invisalign advocate, but I do like to see a company address problems. Now if they could concentrate on monitoring the dentists who market and service their product...
unregistered guest
17 Feb 2008
I STARTED INVISALIGN MORE THAN 2 YEARS AGO. I HAD 62 ALIGNERS LOWER AND 62 UPPER. MY TEETH WERE REALLY BAD MY ORTHODONTIST RECOMEMENDED BRACES BUT AS A TEENAGER I DIDNT WANT THEM. SO I DECIDED TO TRY INVISALIGN AND THEY WORKED WONDERS. I REALLY LIKED THE FREEDOM OF BEING ABLE TO TAKE THEM OFF WHEN EVER I WANTED TO. I FINISHED MY TREATMENT ABOUT A MONTH AGO BUT MY DOCTOR DECIDED TO MAKE MORE ALIGNERS BECUASE HE WANTED MY TEETH TO BE PERFECT. RIGHT NOW IM WAITING FOR MY OTHER SET OF INVISALIGN. IT REALLY DOESNT BOTHER ME BECAUSE NO ONE NOTICES AND THE PAIN IS MINIMAL.