POSTED UNDER Clear Braces REVIEWS
Started Clear Correct but Now Switching to Traditional Braces - Fort Worth, TX
ORIGINAL POST
Got my traditional braces off at 17 years old, so...
MistyLou12345December 7, 2015
$3,800
Got my traditional braces off at 17 years old, so 13 years ago. Wore my retainer at nights until I accidentally threw it away at age 28. Finally went back at age 30 to get a new retainer, but my teeth have shifted too much, and now I need braces again. My orthodontist put me in ClearCorrect last week, tray 1, and I HATE THEM!!!! I gave it a full week, and I've realized things about the ClearCorrect process that every office should warn you about. The only PRO of ClearCorrect is that they aren't noticeable as braces, and you can take them out. Everything else about them is a CON:
1- Have to keep your trays in for at least 22 hours per day. So that only allows for maybe 30 minutes for bfast, 30 minutes for lunch and 1 hour for dinner. Seems reasonable, but it's annoying...
2- Can't eat or drink with them in. Say goodbye to sipping on coffee for an hour or popping in some chewing gum to chew on for an hour. With already taking them out for food, there's no time for extended drinking or chewing gum.
3- It's annoying even having to think about how long you've had them out. It's very tempting to leave them out longer, to push it, bc it feels good having them out.
4- You have a lisp- mine didn't go away after a week.
5- You have to clean them. And be careful how you clean them. No fluoride toothpaste, be sure to hold them the right way.
6- Brush your teeth before putting them back in, to avoid teeth decay.
7- The tray covers your teeth entirely, unlike traditional, where it's just a bracket and wires. The tray goes in between your bite, and this is so annoying. I wanted to bite down and just break them apart, you can feel them, and it's just uncomfortable.
8- The trays have these sharp ridges you have to file down. My mouth felt all cut up after just one day.
This is just WAY too much to keep track of and to think about. And I was so thirsty! I love sipping on tea or coffee all day long, and you can't do that with ClearCorrect. It's just so annoying. I was only set to have them in for 4-6 mos, and I was annoyed at all of the restrictions after just a couple of days. Switching to traditional braces next week, with clear arches and brackets. It's gonna cost me $1,300 more than ClearCorrect, but I want to set them and forget them, with no restrictions on eating or drinking and no maintenance. Just something to think about before you go with ClearCorrect. Seems peachy at first, but it's really not.
1- Have to keep your trays in for at least 22 hours per day. So that only allows for maybe 30 minutes for bfast, 30 minutes for lunch and 1 hour for dinner. Seems reasonable, but it's annoying...
2- Can't eat or drink with them in. Say goodbye to sipping on coffee for an hour or popping in some chewing gum to chew on for an hour. With already taking them out for food, there's no time for extended drinking or chewing gum.
3- It's annoying even having to think about how long you've had them out. It's very tempting to leave them out longer, to push it, bc it feels good having them out.
4- You have a lisp- mine didn't go away after a week.
5- You have to clean them. And be careful how you clean them. No fluoride toothpaste, be sure to hold them the right way.
6- Brush your teeth before putting them back in, to avoid teeth decay.
7- The tray covers your teeth entirely, unlike traditional, where it's just a bracket and wires. The tray goes in between your bite, and this is so annoying. I wanted to bite down and just break them apart, you can feel them, and it's just uncomfortable.
8- The trays have these sharp ridges you have to file down. My mouth felt all cut up after just one day.
This is just WAY too much to keep track of and to think about. And I was so thirsty! I love sipping on tea or coffee all day long, and you can't do that with ClearCorrect. It's just so annoying. I was only set to have them in for 4-6 mos, and I was annoyed at all of the restrictions after just a couple of days. Switching to traditional braces next week, with clear arches and brackets. It's gonna cost me $1,300 more than ClearCorrect, but I want to set them and forget them, with no restrictions on eating or drinking and no maintenance. Just something to think about before you go with ClearCorrect. Seems peachy at first, but it's really not.
Replies (5)
January 12, 2016
That is a little extreme haha...I don't keep mine in for more than 15 hours a day and my teeth are shifting beautifully. The first and second trays take a lot of getting used to. But by the third tray, the lisp and other annoyances disappear!
January 12, 2016
Only 15 really? I was afraid not wearing them for enough hours would result in poor results, and if I'm spending thousands, I want results. Glad to hear you can get away with it tho!! I've had my clear traditional braces in for a month now, and I almost don't even think about them. They're in doing their job, and I don't have all the restrictions and time concern. I'm very happy I switched; I was miserable with the ClearCorrect.
January 22, 2016
Sorry your experience was bad...I've been wearing mine fore 5 months now, yes it took a few trays to really get use to them, but honestly I love them! I dont even realize they are on most of the time. I love to drink coffee as well, all day...and I still do lol I just make sure it aint to piping hot because that could change the shape of your appliance, but I sip on it all day. I just make sure I always have water and swish it around after i drink my coffee. I know what you mean about the biting down part, I thought my jaw was gong to go out of place, it felt like I couldn't bite down all the way and that was soooo annoying. Im so glad that feeling went away or there was no way i was going to continue wearing them. I keep mine in as close to 22 hours a day that I can but realistically its probably more like 20. Im sorry you had to switch to braces but im glad you did what you needed to :) good luck!!
January 22, 2016
See I was worried about tooth decay from drinking while they're in. But swishing water is a great idea!! Oh something else I struggled with, was pulling them out! I'm not kidding, took me 10 minutes one day to try and pull them off my engagers, so I could eat, and it felt so weird tugging at my tray like that. Maybe it would've gotten easier, but the office admitted taking so long wasn't normal.
Thanks for sharing your opinion with this community. I hope your journey with braces goes well and that you'll consider writing a new review for that topic.