Invisalign for Severe Case (24 Months) - It’s So Worth It!

After reading through a number of different reviews I noticed that there were not too many reviews from people with severe cases. Meaning most people’s cases ranged from say a few months to maybe a year. So I figured I would put my two sense in, seeing that my treatment will take all of 24 months to complete, not including any refinement (if necessary). After my initial consultation I was told that I had a severe case, but that the Invisalign process had made leaps and bounds over the years and that I WAS a candidate. To correct my problem my ortho told me it was going to take a major commitment from me. My treatment has me wearing 52 uppers (over jet), 31 bottoms (crowding), 12 attachments (6 upper/6 lower) and to top it off, 2 tooth extractions. The minute I heard all those numbers I almost bolted for the door, but then I thought better of it. I was 23 (24 now) at the time and for the most part I really never gave my teeth a second thought. I knew they weren’t perfect, but by no means were they awful to look at; but for whatever reason, during the 6 months leading up to my consultation I started to think about them more and more. I had to do something! My orthodontist gave me a quote of $6,200 and with my insurance and by paying for the treatment in full upfront; I was able to save myself $2,000. For the amount of work to be done, I considered $4,200 to be a bargain (based on some of the price I have seen), so I went ahead and got my impressions and started my journey to a “perfect” smile. To start the actual review, I must say that the first tray/aligner was by far the worst! The pain that tray caused me I can’t put into words. Not only did the tray cut the inside of my mouth (which eventually heals and is no longer a problem), but just the pain of my teeth moving (for the first time) was almost too much to bear. After that first tray though, I would have to agree with most of the other reviews. The pain is mild/uncomfortable for the first 2 – 3 days (some trays will vary though). Then it’s just a matter of wearing them regularly and keeping them clean. This can take some getting used to, BUT DO IT! It will pay off in the end. The attachments (in my opinion) are not that bad, they blend well and with the exception of the first few days of a new tray, they do not make it overly difficult to take your trays off; especially once you get the hang of it. The only thing that does kinda suck about the attachments is that when you have your tray(s) out, they cut the insides of your mouth. But like the trays, this eventually heals and it is no longer a problem. Currently I am 8 months into treatment (tray 18; upper) and have not yet had to start wearing my lower trays (this is so my uppers and lowers finish at the same time). So far out of the dozens of people I talk face to face with each day, only one has noticed my aligners. Not even my family members know I have them on! I fear this will change in the near future as I was told by my ortho (during my consultation) that I will need to wear rubber bands when I get to tray 30 (until 45). I tried finding info/reviews about this and my search came up empty. If anyone out there has had this done with Invisalign, please let me know how visible they are. I’ll keep everyone update on this when I get there in a few months. As for eating and drinking, I must admit I don’t always follow the rules. Like I said I’m 24 and I enjoy going out on the town as much as the next 24 year old does. So yes, I do drink other liquids beside water with my trays in. I have not had a problem with this at all. No staining or other ill effects. With that being said, I at least want to say that I brush my teeth 4 - 5 times a day. I don’t floss as much as I should (maybe 7 times a week), but I find that my oral hygiene has improved tenfold and this is only reinforced when I make my visits to the dentist and I’m in and out with a clean bill of health. I’ve come a long ways since I started treatment; my teeth are improving and I just love moving on to the next tray to see where they will go next. I know I have a long way to go, but so far the journey has been enjoyable. I will continue to update this post as I move further and further through treatment. I will try and post some before and after photos when the time is right. Thanks for reading; I hope my review helped at least a little bit. Oh I almost forgot; GET INVISALIGN, IT’S SO WORTH IT!