Invisalign: Stories

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

Sandm82
posted 3 years ago
updated 3 years ago

Worth It
Cost: $5,000
St. Louis, MO

I am a 45 y.o. woman who had braces for a year...

27 May 2010

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.

Great review?

Comments (4)

9476anon 21 Jul 2010

Hi SandM82! Glad to hear the Invisalign is working for you. I am also 45 and had metal braces from 1974-1983, Age 9-18 (yup, that's right 9 years). Unfortunately my teeth at some point shifted back (probably due to wisdom teeth) and are now overcrowded and overlapped. I don't ever remember getting a retainer after my metal braces came off in 1983, but assume my parents did not go back due to financial problems. I received a quote for $6,800 in Norwalk, Connecticut for 1 year of aligners and obtained financing through my dentist office at 0% for 24 months for monthly payments of $280. They just called today and my aligners are in, so tomorrow I am getting my 1st set put on. I am very excited and not worried about some of the bad reviews I have read here. After having metal braces and wires tightening for 9 years, the discomfort of Invisalign cannot compare. I will start my own post this week after I get them put on. Best of luck to you! Misty Norwalk, Connecticut

mklas 31 May 2010

Just an update, my post got moved as an update to my old one from about 7-8 months ago so I'm not the one two reviewers down from you. I'm 43, I just love my new smile!

mklas 29 May 2010

I am reviewer two down from you. My last tray was a retainer only until my real retainer came in, a week later. I still wear it daily like I did the invisaligns. I was told to wear it like this for up to six months. In three months I am going to get the Vivera retainer, the one you change every three months. I spent a lot of money to get my teeth like this and I am thrilled with the results. I can wear my retainer daily for six months, or however long it takes until I notice no movement after the retainer is out all day.