Very happy overall! I've had some bite and TMJ/jaw problems for a long time, and my dentist thought that straightening my teeth would help (I've been with this dentist for 3 years now). After waiting a year to decide, and not being pressured at all by my dentist, I went ahead and had the impressions done and got my first set of aligners. My dentist and his office were fantastic! My oral health is even better because I have to take the liners out to eat and I have to brush and floss after every meal. I've lost 15 pounds (which I needed to do anyway!) because I can't 'graze' throughout the day. I drink more water now too. My dentist checked every single detail and answered every question. Sometimes my liners needed to be adjusted a bit when I changed from one to another (i.e., filed down in one spot), and the dental assistants took care of that immediately when I called them about it. They took care of any questions or concerns I had. Some liners I wore for 3 weeks and some for just 2 weeks. The only 'cons' that I can share are that for the first couple of days with a new aligner, there is some pain...in my case it wasn't anything that ibuprofen didn't take care of...but the 'pain' told me that the aligners were working, because after a few days the discomfort would subside and I could pop the aligners in and out without any notice of pain or discomfort. There were a couple of times in the middle of the treatment that I had a bit of a 'pulling' headache with the new liners, but it never lasted long and wasn't anything that kept me from being able to do my regular daily routine. My teeth were crooked and my bite was bad...I have crowns and bridges, and I wasn't sure I'd be a good candidate for Invisalign - thankfully, I was, and I would go through it again in a heartbeat! Oh, and one great thing - at least in my case - my dentist said any refinements that might be required (additional liners to do any small additional movements, etc.), would be included in the price I've already paid. Thankfully I was able to finance my portion of the cost with 0% interest as well. If you're a candidate for Invisalign, there's no reason to wait! I'm a 50-year-old woman...it's never too late!
Thanks for asking your question. It's is difficult to answer your question properly without looking at any picture and X-ray. Generally speaking, missing some teeth does not interfere with using Invisalign to straighten them. Having said that, we need back teeth in order to protect out front teeth from chewing pressure and biting trauma. We may also need back teeth for retention after straightening them. I hope this answer can help you to make a proper decision.Thank you. Kenny Abedini DDS
