My Invisalign Journey -Greenville, NC

Thank you for following my Invisalign Journey. I have been reading the posts from many others and I wanted to share my experiences. I have not yet started the actual treatment. I am still in the process of finding the right doctor for the job. I have had a few consultations and I have a few more scheduled for the next few weeks. Let me give you some background on why this is so important to me...

I have a severe case of Dental Phobia. I have no idea where it stems from, but it is as real as anything you can feel. I am 25, graduated from college, have an amazing job, and am doing well for myself. One of the few voids in my life has been healthy teeth. I have not been to the dentist since I was able to drive. I would always make excused why I could not go so my mom would not make me. It carried over into college and after graduation. But I have finally come to the conclusion that I want to fix my teeth and overcome my fear.

I originally found a sleep dentist in my town that specialized in Dental Phobics. I never knew that existed! I LOVED that place. I felt as comfortable as I possibly could and everyone from the receptionist to the dentist knew who I was when I walked in the door. They were prepared for me and my fears... But HOLY COW were they expensive. They recommended a ton of work, 4 or 5 crowns, 13 or so fillings, wisdom teeth extraction, and then Invisalign. $7,000 for dental work and $5,000 for Invisalign. Grand total of $12,000. Please do not get me wrong, I was more than happy to pay that right then to get my treatment. They did not finance so I would have to come up with the funds on my own.

Things changed soon after that consultation and I moved to a new job. That dentist was no longer in network, so I decided to try another sleep dentist just outside of town. Since my XRays were recent, they used the same ones the other dentist used. Their recommendation was wisdom teeth extraction, and 5 fillings. I asked about the crowns and he looked very confused. He could not figure out where they were going to put them. So, $1,300 for dental work and $4,500 for Invisalign. Grand total is $5,800. That is a big difference! They do not finance either, but much more obtainable!

So, I am getting my wisdom teeth extracted Dec. 27th. And my fillings will all be completed by the 27th of January. Then I will be ready for ORTHO! :)

So, since they are not in town for Invisalign, and you need to go in many times throughout treatment, I decided to see what my options were here in town for the Invisalign part of my treatment. This is where I am at now in the process.

The first place I priced I really liked. She is a cosmetic dentist. She understood I had a fear of being there and she seemed to be understanding. Her price is $4,700 ($750 down and payments can be made for the length of your treatment). She predicted about a year for me, but we would know more once we had an official treatment plan. I like this option so I do not have to come up with everything at once.

I have an appointment with two more places next week. One with a cosmetic dentist and another with an orthodontist. I know this is a big debate as to which is better. I would love to know how everyone feels about this.

Also, I have a few concerns about Invisalign along with my fear. Since I have been able to face my fears and go for these consults, I have been able to figure out the main thing that triggers my anxiety. The sounds. It is by far the worst part... Are there many tools used that would make the drill sound? I will probably need attachments and I have been told I need to grind some of my teeth down in order to allow them to move correctly. Any help with that would be greatly appreciated!

I will update when I have more information about what direction I am going to go. Thanks for following my journey! :)

Yesterday afternoon I went to a Consultation with a dentist that uses ClearCorrect, which is an off-brand of Invisalign. He took a look at my teeth and said that any clear tray aligner (ClearCorrect or Invisalign) would not work to straighten my teeth. I am a case that would need braces. However, I have already been to 3 consults that have determined I am a good case. Has anyone had this happen? He said that he believes my bottom teeth will not to be rotated more than 30 degrees so it can not be done using a tray. He also said he guarantees I will not get the results I want is 99.9% sure of it. Thoughts?

Note about the dentist I saw: I told him about my anxeity and he passed it off like it was nothing. He immediately looked in my mouth using a mirror and a pick - HELLO, I have a ANXEITY! He just said 'you are alright' and kept going. While I was proud of myself for not jumping out of the chair, it still was not good practice.

I have another consult this afternoon with an Orthodonisit. He is actually rated on this site. We will see!

I had a consult with an ortho yesterday evening and it went very well. The way the office is set up is not very 'dental phobia' friendly, as it is all open inside and everyone sits with everyone. I did not like it too much.

However, I did like what the doctor had to say. He was very nice and I could tell he knew his stuff! He was saying things to the assistant I had not heard anyone else say when I had a consult. He was the most thorough about expaining what Invisalign is and what they do. He recommends 18 months and is $5800. It is the longest and most expensive treatment I have been quoted for so far, however, I trust it for some reason?