Should I get iBraces or clear brackets on the bottom?

[bad teeth]

Yes, all of this has helped a lot. Thanks! Everything I've learned has me leaning towards iBraces on both top and bottom. Now I just have to figure out how to pay for them.

Hearing that the lower iBraces don't interfere with speech as much is especially reassuring. Unless the pain is just so bad it makes it hard to get through the day, I'm actually much more concerned with speech issues. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the impression I'm getting about comfort is that they're at least tolerable after the initial adjustment period.

And hey, if the pain does make it harder to eat, maybe they'll help me loose weight. Then again, if I have to give up certain healthier foods because they're too hard to eat, the braces could have the opposite effect.

I've noticed some posts under other topics about people having some pretty serious problems with linguals, but I think those may be mostly about their early days. I also don't know if those problems were caused by the uppers or lowers or by iBraces or some other type of brackets. They scare me nonetheless.

Is there anyone out there who has lower linguals, iBraces in particular, but has problems with them bad enough to wish for traditional/labial ones?

[Noellenoelle]

I actually did ask my ortho about this choice and he said that from a treatment standpoint each was fine, so it came down to a personal choice. When I pressed for details about the relative comfort and practicality of each type I got a similar answer.

There is, of course, a big price difference between the two and that is unfortunately a big concern for me. I'm already paying so much just to get iBraces on my top teeth though, that if it seems like iBraces will be easier to deal with for two years on the bottom it will be worth it. I see it as a quality of life issue. I'm in my early 20's and I've already had to wait until I was ready financially and in other ways to do this.

I don't mean to over dramatize this. I'll deal with either, but both are going to cost a lot of money, take a lot of time, and likely cause a lot of pain so I'm trying to learn from the experience of others and figure out which will be the least problematic.

I know what you mean lionfish about most people only having experiences with things one way and therefore not being able to compare. I thought about this when I was polling everyone I know who has had braces. What rolo said about preferring the iBraces that (s)he has on top to the ceramics on bottom is helpful though.

To Rolo---> You said, cost aside, that you like your iBraces better than your ceramics, but do you think that iBraces would be better even on the bottom where they could interfere with your tongue more than on the top? Also, what are your issues with your ceramics compared to the iBraces other than problems with food? Do they cause more or less discomfort and/or pain? Are they significantly easier or harder to care for? Do you have an opinion on how the two might compare on speech issues on the bottom teeth specifically?

Hi Bad teeth-well..I have my lower ibraces on for about 4 weeks now, and when I had my initial consultation I was told that I couldn't get regular braces on the bottom and ibraces on the top due to my bite, etc--so that is why I am getting them on top and bottom. Right now, a wire is sticking out, that I need to get clipped on Monday because my teeth are moving (which is a good thing) but all I have to do is put wax on , and it is fine. I had no problem with speech on the bottom, but not sure about the top. I am not sure how old you are, but I am in my 40's and was not going to get metal braces, and no one (other then close friends that I have told and family) know that I even have the braces so....go for the ibraces 100%--that is myopinion....good luck and let me know what you decide!

[bad teeth]

I'm going all in and getting ibraces on both top and bottom in early September. I'm sure I will be back here with more questions once they're on. I'm hoping that I'll be one of the lucky ones who has little to no speech problems after the first days and weeks, but I doubt that I will actually be that lucky. I'm worried about all the usual, speaking, eating, pain, cost/money; but braces are a necessary evil. I haven't discussed it at length with my ortho yet, but since I have a ridiculous overbite, I think I will either be dealing with my lower front teeth hitting the brackets on the teeth above or fighting against something designed to prevent this as I try in vain to eat.

One of a few other discouraging things is that my ortho and his staff all seem generally nice, but they are impatient and not very open to questions or discussion. My desire for information about my own treatment, which I am paying a disgusting amount of money for, has been met with thinly veiled contempt at best. I would consider alternatives, but there aren't any other orthos close enough who do linguals which I really have to have. I would think that they would think that they would find adult patients easier to deal with, but I'm wondering if they prefer children who they can more easily dismiss. Maybe it's just me.

I am worried about all of this, but I have truly terrible teeth and I am really looking forward to any improvement.

[bad teeth]

Thanks again everyone. Especially since my ortho isn't that open to questions, I have really depended on some of what I've learned here!

[lingualslady]

For me the tops cause the lisp but that goes after first few weeks.

The bottom linguals definitely cause more problems becasue theyre in your tounge's space! So I still get ulcers which get wose the more i speak. My job means I'm on the phone all day so it my tounge swells up as the brackets rub against the side. I have no experince of the outside braces but apparently they can rub against your lips so you get sores/ulcers there instead..!

[lionfish]

I think that with either choice of brackets, there will be an initial adjustment period. Good luck with whatever you decide.