Reviews you can trust, from real people like you.
How it works
- Our highly-trained Review Moderation team evaluates all reviews before they're published to ensure they're written by people like you and not a member of a doctor's office.
- This multi-step process takes up to 24 hours from review submission to publication.
- Doctors can't pay to have reviews removed or hidden.
- Reviews are only removed at the reviewer's request or if they violate our Terms of Service.
If you have questions or believe we should re-evaluate a published review, let us know.
Sort by:
*Treatment results may vary
Photos
I finished my invisible braces adventure this week...
I finished my invisible braces adventure this week and thought I would write a review about my experience. I kept meaning to write this from the start and update as I went along but I just never got round to it! Anyway I will try and include everything from the beginning!
Initial Consultations
I had been been talking about getting braces for about 5 years but didn't think I ever be in a position to get them (due to the cost) I went to a few free consultations for invisilign but without paying for a full consultation they can't really give you exact answers (how long it will take, cost etc) the first invisilign orthodontist said he estimated it would be around 2 years though which put me off. I went to another invisilign ortho who again couldn't really say unless I paid for a full consultation. It's tricky as you can't get exact answers unless you pay for a full consultation but how can you compare without knowing all of the details?! I would suggest you visit a few different orthodontist for a free consultation and see who you feel most comfortable with. Read reviews if you can, just google and see wat you can find out! I decided to start looking at the dentist that were based near where I lived as not all were coming up when searching for 'invisible braces'. I found one that is just round the corner from me and they had 'invisible braces' on their price list so I emailed and asked which brand of braces they were. I hadn't heard of RX aligners so googled them and was pleased with what I found so booked a free consultation. They could only really check my teeth and say if I was suitable. I really liked the orthodontist so booked a full consultation (finally!) It was £250 but this would be deducted from the cost of my brace if I went ahead.
The full consultation consisted of taking impressions of my teeth (this was fine as I have heard horror stories about this part!), very unflattering pictures of my teeth (see photo's!) and a x-ray's to make sure everything below the teeth line is ok. This was then sent to RX aligners to work their magic and come up with a plan!
What's the plan Stan?
I went back 2 weeks later to see the plan, I was shown a computer image of what my teeth should look like at the end of treatment, the cost, how much IPR (see below) and how many trays I would need. The image also showed where I would have attachments (I have read where a lot of other people using other brands were not made aware of the attachments until they were fitted!) I was advised 10 trays (2 weeks per tray) As one of my teeth needed to be turned 90 degrees (I think) and was so tiny, even if it made it to it's final destination I was told I would possibly need a veneer fitted as it is so small! I decided to go ahead as I was pleased with the images and cost.
Picking up my Trays
One of the reason I decided to go with RX aligners over invisilign is due to them being based in the UK, it only takes them 10 working days to make and send the trays to your orthodontist.
When I went to pick up my first set of tray's I decided to google 'invisible braces & pain' whilst sitting in the waiting room and found loads of horror stories from people who said they were in constant pain. I really freaked myself out and don't know why I decided to google it at that point! Once in the dentist chair he 'snapped' the braces on and then asked me to remove them, they felt very tight so he decided he would wait a week before putting the attachments on as they would be very hard to take off!
Attachments
I had 5 attachments (2 on the top and 3 on the bottom) the attachments give extra force to move your teeth. I had them put on a week later. It doesn't hurt having them put on, it just feels a little odd! It definitely made removing my trays harder though (see below!) I didn't have any problems with the trays irritating my mouth, this could be because RX aligners are hand finished.
IPR (Interproximal Reduction IPR)
I needed to have IPR on a few of my teeth, this is where your teeth are filed at the sides to make room for where your teeth will move to. I didn't find that this hurt, just felt strange, the noise probably sounded worse that it was! It's strange having gaps in your teeth too (great for flossing) If you do have this done, just try to zone out!
Removing trays/new trays
The first tray (and new trays) once on didn't hurt - it just felt tight. I decided to try and remove it within 2 hours to eat and I got it out really easy! I was quite smug about this. I also popped them back in easily so thought it would always be a breeze! But..... I then tried to take them out about 6 hours later and it took me ages (I was casually trying to do it sat in my parents living room without a mirror and I was sooo hungry!) I had to scramble to the bathroom and wow I was relieved when I got them out. Remember that nothing will hurt as much as removing your first tray! It hurts more around the most wonky teeth but I wouldn't say it's unbearable and the more you get used to removing the trays, the quicker and less painful it is. Once I had the attachments on I really struggled to get the tray off but you kinda find the right way to remove them and will always remove them the same way once you have sassed it out. I used to have to go to the loo's at work to take mine out for lunch but within a few weeks I was able to just pretend to get something out of my bag and quickly whip them out - trust me, it does get easier!
Putting in a new tray can be tricky, you are trying to put someone over your teeth that is a slightly different shape to your teeth after all! It took me a while to get my second tray in but again you get used to this. I always changed them at night to get the maximum wear time before having to take them out. Each of my trays came on a model of my teeth which is great as you can see what your teeth should look like at the end!
Wear time
It is advised that you wear your braces for a minimum of 20-22 hour a day, I would say I stuck to this apart from the odd day if I went out for a long evening and kept them out for a few hours (this only happened once or twice - and Christmas day of course!) I only took my braces out 3 times a day as I have heard over brushing isn't good for your teeth plus I couldn't be bothered to keep brushing my teeth just for a snack, it has to be worth it!
My kit
I was very excited about buying a toiletry bag to keep everything in that you need for on the go. I just had a toothbrush (surprise) tooth paste, a little towel (well a flannel) and a mint mouth spray (this is good for after removing your braces) I tried to keep a spare toothbrush everywhere, in my car, at my family's houses - just in case I forget my kit!
The end
So I have rambled on enough so now for the finale. I finished my 10 trays on the top and bottom but still had a few small gaps on my bottom teeth. I had more impressions taken and ended up with 4 more trays on my bottom teeth.
My small tooth, as predicted did look odd when all the the other teeth were straight, it looked like I had a missing tooth so I definitely needed a veneer (this was included in my treatment). It was a little tricky with the timing of it all (chicken and egg situation) as I couldn't have the veneer until I had whitened my teeth (to match the veneer) , I couldn't whiten them until the attachments were off but I needed a retainer to whiten them and that said retainer wouldn't fit once I had the veneer on! I had retainers made and whitened my teeth with Polanight (included in my treatment) which took 3 weeks, I then went back and had one of my front teeth filed down a little (as it was longer) and my veneer fitted the same day, my orthodontist cut a hole in my current retainer so it would fit until I pick up my final ones next week! yey
I hope this helps anyone thinking about getting braces, it has definitely been worth it. Let me know if you have any questions that I might be able to help with!
Initial Consultations
I had been been talking about getting braces for about 5 years but didn't think I ever be in a position to get them (due to the cost) I went to a few free consultations for invisilign but without paying for a full consultation they can't really give you exact answers (how long it will take, cost etc) the first invisilign orthodontist said he estimated it would be around 2 years though which put me off. I went to another invisilign ortho who again couldn't really say unless I paid for a full consultation. It's tricky as you can't get exact answers unless you pay for a full consultation but how can you compare without knowing all of the details?! I would suggest you visit a few different orthodontist for a free consultation and see who you feel most comfortable with. Read reviews if you can, just google and see wat you can find out! I decided to start looking at the dentist that were based near where I lived as not all were coming up when searching for 'invisible braces'. I found one that is just round the corner from me and they had 'invisible braces' on their price list so I emailed and asked which brand of braces they were. I hadn't heard of RX aligners so googled them and was pleased with what I found so booked a free consultation. They could only really check my teeth and say if I was suitable. I really liked the orthodontist so booked a full consultation (finally!) It was £250 but this would be deducted from the cost of my brace if I went ahead.
The full consultation consisted of taking impressions of my teeth (this was fine as I have heard horror stories about this part!), very unflattering pictures of my teeth (see photo's!) and a x-ray's to make sure everything below the teeth line is ok. This was then sent to RX aligners to work their magic and come up with a plan!
What's the plan Stan?
I went back 2 weeks later to see the plan, I was shown a computer image of what my teeth should look like at the end of treatment, the cost, how much IPR (see below) and how many trays I would need. The image also showed where I would have attachments (I have read where a lot of other people using other brands were not made aware of the attachments until they were fitted!) I was advised 10 trays (2 weeks per tray) As one of my teeth needed to be turned 90 degrees (I think) and was so tiny, even if it made it to it's final destination I was told I would possibly need a veneer fitted as it is so small! I decided to go ahead as I was pleased with the images and cost.
Picking up my Trays
One of the reason I decided to go with RX aligners over invisilign is due to them being based in the UK, it only takes them 10 working days to make and send the trays to your orthodontist.
When I went to pick up my first set of tray's I decided to google 'invisible braces & pain' whilst sitting in the waiting room and found loads of horror stories from people who said they were in constant pain. I really freaked myself out and don't know why I decided to google it at that point! Once in the dentist chair he 'snapped' the braces on and then asked me to remove them, they felt very tight so he decided he would wait a week before putting the attachments on as they would be very hard to take off!
Attachments
I had 5 attachments (2 on the top and 3 on the bottom) the attachments give extra force to move your teeth. I had them put on a week later. It doesn't hurt having them put on, it just feels a little odd! It definitely made removing my trays harder though (see below!) I didn't have any problems with the trays irritating my mouth, this could be because RX aligners are hand finished.
IPR (Interproximal Reduction IPR)
I needed to have IPR on a few of my teeth, this is where your teeth are filed at the sides to make room for where your teeth will move to. I didn't find that this hurt, just felt strange, the noise probably sounded worse that it was! It's strange having gaps in your teeth too (great for flossing) If you do have this done, just try to zone out!
Removing trays/new trays
The first tray (and new trays) once on didn't hurt - it just felt tight. I decided to try and remove it within 2 hours to eat and I got it out really easy! I was quite smug about this. I also popped them back in easily so thought it would always be a breeze! But..... I then tried to take them out about 6 hours later and it took me ages (I was casually trying to do it sat in my parents living room without a mirror and I was sooo hungry!) I had to scramble to the bathroom and wow I was relieved when I got them out. Remember that nothing will hurt as much as removing your first tray! It hurts more around the most wonky teeth but I wouldn't say it's unbearable and the more you get used to removing the trays, the quicker and less painful it is. Once I had the attachments on I really struggled to get the tray off but you kinda find the right way to remove them and will always remove them the same way once you have sassed it out. I used to have to go to the loo's at work to take mine out for lunch but within a few weeks I was able to just pretend to get something out of my bag and quickly whip them out - trust me, it does get easier!
Putting in a new tray can be tricky, you are trying to put someone over your teeth that is a slightly different shape to your teeth after all! It took me a while to get my second tray in but again you get used to this. I always changed them at night to get the maximum wear time before having to take them out. Each of my trays came on a model of my teeth which is great as you can see what your teeth should look like at the end!
Wear time
It is advised that you wear your braces for a minimum of 20-22 hour a day, I would say I stuck to this apart from the odd day if I went out for a long evening and kept them out for a few hours (this only happened once or twice - and Christmas day of course!) I only took my braces out 3 times a day as I have heard over brushing isn't good for your teeth plus I couldn't be bothered to keep brushing my teeth just for a snack, it has to be worth it!
My kit
I was very excited about buying a toiletry bag to keep everything in that you need for on the go. I just had a toothbrush (surprise) tooth paste, a little towel (well a flannel) and a mint mouth spray (this is good for after removing your braces) I tried to keep a spare toothbrush everywhere, in my car, at my family's houses - just in case I forget my kit!
The end
So I have rambled on enough so now for the finale. I finished my 10 trays on the top and bottom but still had a few small gaps on my bottom teeth. I had more impressions taken and ended up with 4 more trays on my bottom teeth.
My small tooth, as predicted did look odd when all the the other teeth were straight, it looked like I had a missing tooth so I definitely needed a veneer (this was included in my treatment). It was a little tricky with the timing of it all (chicken and egg situation) as I couldn't have the veneer until I had whitened my teeth (to match the veneer) , I couldn't whiten them until the attachments were off but I needed a retainer to whiten them and that said retainer wouldn't fit once I had the veneer on! I had retainers made and whitened my teeth with Polanight (included in my treatment) which took 3 weeks, I then went back and had one of my front teeth filed down a little (as it was longer) and my veneer fitted the same day, my orthodontist cut a hole in my current retainer so it would fit until I pick up my final ones next week! yey
I hope this helps anyone thinking about getting braces, it has definitely been worth it. Let me know if you have any questions that I might be able to help with!
Provider Review
Name not provided
MKDental