“OK for Some Types of Straightening - Philadelphia, PA”

CYS

Not Sure
Spent: $9,000 in Philadelphia

Comments (2)

Posted 8 Jul 2011

I had braces as a kid, but because I didn't wear a retainer (back then they didn't tell you to do that), my teeth started moving. I had Invisalign Express ($2500), as recommended by one orthodontist, and I was very unhappy with the results. He shaved my teeth in between and basically tried to force the teeth into the shape he wanted w/o considering the overall affect.

I ended up going to another orthodontist to have it corrected, for another $6000+. The results are better, but I am still not happy with it. There are still problems from the first treatment, which I thought would be fixed with the 2nd treatment. My bite is off still, and the teeth aren't rotated properly as Invisalign cannot adjust the teeth to that level of precision.

I think there are real limitations with Invisalign - it's great b/c it's clear and convenient, but if I'd do it again, I think I'd just suck it up and get braces so the result is more precise and you can achieve better results. I'd also be very careful of Invisalign Express - a lot of orthodontists don't know how to use it, and they think it'll give you the result in the time you want, but it won't. You'll just end up spending more money to fist issues.

This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.

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Make sure you spell out exactly what you are looking for - results, concenrs etc. Make sure they explain what they plan to do. I had no idea the doctor was going to shave my teeth - in hind sight I should have objected.

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Comments (2)

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Megan P (Community Manager) 11 Jul 2011

Sorry to hear after all that time and money you still did not get the result you had hoped for. I think you are right that Invisalign is great for some cases, but not all.

Good advice you gave for people to make sure the full treatment plan and expected outcome is explained to them before starting.

Sheny 11 Aug 2011

I agree with your Express warning! My orthodontist put me on Express and charged me $4,000! My results were not great, and I am being retreated for $5200 with Invisalign Full with a much more experienced orthodontist. I actually had a meeting with one of the top Invisalign orthodontists in the US and he says he NEVER uses Express anymore because it often fails to give great results. He said the only time it makes sense is if the patient is looking for minor corrections in alignment before having restorative work. I wish I had known all this before I went with the first orthodontist so I could have fled his office when he recommended Express.

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“OK for Some Types of Straightening - Philadelphia, PA”

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