clear orthodontic aligners

sueeich · ‎04-12-2010

I have made up my mind that I am going to go for it and get clear orthodonic aligners. Despite the fact that I had braces as a kid, my teeth have shifted quite a bit and it's getting harder for me to properly clean my teeth. As it turns out, our current dental insurance covers orthodontia for adults. Up until recently, you had to be 18 or younger to receive orthodontic benefits. Since the insurance will pay about half of the cost, I decided to do it. My denist offers Invisalign but I did have an appointment with my children's orthdontist a couple of days ago to discuss Invisalign treatment. Unfortunately, going to the orthodontist for Invisalign treatment will cost me significantly more than receiving Invisalign treatment from my dentist. While I might get a better result from the orthodontist, I don't think it's a significant difference, and at this stage of my life, I don't need perfect results. I also made an appointment for next week at a SmileDirect Club office. SmileDirect basically does the clear aligner thing at home. You don't see an orthodontist on a regular basis but they keep track of your treatment via the internet. I've read many good reviews (and some bad) but not sure if I'd be doing myself any favors. Also, just read that Invisaligns patents expired in November 2019 and Invisalign owns a significant stake in SmileDirect so I'm thinking the aligners that you receive either from Invisalign or SmileDirect are the same thing. The main difference is you see a real person on a regular basis if you do the Invisalign. Does anyone have experience with either Invisalign or SmileDirect?

kaydee50 · ‎02-07-2011

A good friend of mine did the Invisalign when she was in her mid 60s on her dentist's recommendation. Don't know if the dentist did it or an orthodontist. It look about 15-18 months. She is very happy with the result.

Gussie2007 · ‎03-12-2010

@sueeich

I went through the Invisialign process at age 55. I'll be 69 this year and I still consider this one of the best investments in myself as far as good health and appearance. My teeth are not perfectly straight but my goal was to have a nice smile and now I do.. At this point it does not feel right to sleep without my retainers as I am determined to maintain my results. I did not have braces in my youth but my dentist said it is not unusual for teeth to shift with age - even if a person did have braces when they were younger. He had quite a few adult patients repeating the straightening process. In my case, I needed the frequent check-ins with my dentist mostly because my degree of movement varied within a given time frame so I was not always ready for next level of braces. My lower teeth were finished in 18 months and my upper teeth in 2 years. That time sped by. Good luck.

kelsey17 · ‎04-10-2012

do you wear invisaligns all day or just overnight??

Gussie2007 · ‎03-12-2010

@kelsey17

Invisalign braces were all day and overnight. Retainers are just overnight.

Also, I need to correct my post because it was my upper teeth that took only 18 months. Lower teeth were two years. At that time my lower braces were on 24/7 and upper retainer was only needed overnight.

sueeich · ‎04-12-2010

@Gussie2007 wrote:
@sueeich

I went through the Invisialign process at age 55. I'll be 69 this year and I still consider this one of the best investments in myself as far as good health and appearance. My teeth are not perfectly straight but my goal was to have a nice smile and now I do.. At this point it does not feel right to sleep without my retainers as I am determined to maintain my results. I did not have braces in my youth but my dentist said it is not unusual for teeth to shift with age - even if a person did have braces when they were younger. He had quite a few adult patients repeating the straightening process. In my case, I needed the frequent check-ins with my dentist mostly because my degree of movement varied within a given time frame so I was not always ready for next level of braces. My lower teeth were finished in 18 months and my upper teeth in 2 years. That time sped by. Good luck.

Thanks so much for the insight! I'm 53 and wore braces for 5 years when I was a kid. My top teeth have mainly stayed straight but my bottom teeth have definitely gotten more and more crooked as I've aged and the dentist told me that It's just going to be impossible for me to properly clean certain areas of my mouth until I've straigtened out the teeth. Glad to know you were happy with the Invisalign!

wilma · ‎03-13-2010

I was in my early 40s when I had Invisalign with an orthodontist. I am in my late 50s now. So glad I did it. 👍

Shawnie · ‎03-10-2010

@kelsey17 wrote:
do you wear invisaligns all day or just overnight??

You wear them day and night with time off to eat. I finished a year ago and now have the permanent nighttime retainers. If you go to a dentist go to one who has a lot of experience. I am very glad i did it. Never had braces as a kid. I now have straight teeth.

claros · ‎09-04-2010

From what I've read, Smile Direct does best for people who have already been through the process. They do not do well for difficult cases or overbites. So they may be perfect for you. I'm a year and a half out of metal braces. Its amazing how once straight teeth can get so crooked with age. Unfortunately, I hate wearing a retainer. I put them on every night, but they dont always stay on all night.

SandGirl · ‎03-09-2010

I have them as I type this. Wear them all day and night, take them off to eat and snack and brush my teeth after anything I have that is not clear (water)