Invisalign Success for Middle-age (45 Y.o.) Woman

I am a 45 y.o. woman who had braces for a year back in 1982-83. During the 27 years since then, my teeth had gradually relapsed (overcrowding on both upper and lower jaw). I was disappointed at this and gradually came to dislike it enough to seek Invisalign treatment.

I started six months ago with 22 trays to get through on the upper jaw, and 13 for the lower. I just finished with the lower jaw and they look very good. For the upper jaw, I am on tray 14 and there is significant improvement. I will be done with tray 22 by the end of September.

I would have been self-conscious about metal braces at my age and so I love the nearly invisible Invisalign trays. I have complete confidence when they are in, and I have even been photographed and taken job interviews with them in, and not thought twice about it. There is no effect on my speech, and little to no pain or discomfort, even when I change trays. All in all, I feel very grateful to have been spared the pain and psychic trauma of metal braces, and gotten fast and cosmetically decent results besides.

Though I don't want to dismiss the cons mentioned by other Invisalign reviews - I realize that no treatment type is for everyone - I can't help but wonder if the negative reviewers had traditional braces as a teeager as I did. If they had, and experienced the pain and self-consciousness, perhaps Invisalign would by comparison be regarded as the great advance that it is. All in all, based on my experience so far, I rate Invisalign highly - easily 5 stars.

I imagine that my last Invisalign tray can serve as a long-term retainer that I can wear at night? I am upset that my original 1982-83 results didn't hold, and I don't want that to happen again.