I have read and re-read most of the threads in this section. For me, I need the most discreet braces possible. I'm in my early 30's, in the "business world" and feel like I really need to hide the fact I have braces. Actually I DON NOT have any braces now.
What options does everyon suggest? My dentist today actually said that I need to get the traditional braces for the bottom and can have one of the other options for the top. Plus, she said that because of crowding, I should have one tooth removed.
Honestly, I am so fed up with my teeth. BUT I only have myself to blame. Years ago, in college, I neglected my teeth and now I am paying the price. Pain and financial pain!
So back to my point, what options do people suggest and what successes?
I'm located in Northern California if you have referrals.
Adult Brace Options
Moderator: bbsadmin
I'm going to do the half & half myself, lingual uppers & labial ceramic lowers. I rarely show my bottom teeth when I speak so this combo should work well for me. However for people that hide their upper teeth & show their lowers when they speak this option then becomes in my opinion pointless.
As far as invisalign goes it seems that this is only an option for people that need very minor tweeking. For more involved cases lingual braces seems to be the only option their is if your trying to keep things on the DL. Speech is also an issue w/ linguals, be prepared to put up w/ a lisp for a little while. Most people after 1 month of linguals seem to overcome the lisping.
Keep your head up & make the right choice. I'd get at least 2 different opinions before you make a decision & go w/ the one you feel more comfortable with. I have a lot of respect for adults 21+ willing to go through w/ braces, def. not an easy thing to do at our ages.
As far as invisalign goes it seems that this is only an option for people that need very minor tweeking. For more involved cases lingual braces seems to be the only option their is if your trying to keep things on the DL. Speech is also an issue w/ linguals, be prepared to put up w/ a lisp for a little while. Most people after 1 month of linguals seem to overcome the lisping.
Keep your head up & make the right choice. I'd get at least 2 different opinions before you make a decision & go w/ the one you feel more comfortable with. I have a lot of respect for adults 21+ willing to go through w/ braces, def. not an easy thing to do at our ages.
Hi DMH.
I have cermaic uppers and really you can barely notice them. A number of colleagues didn't notice I had braces until months later.
Since you have to get a tooth pulled to make room, you are probably not a candidate for invisalign. Maybe you can get Invisalign for the top? Depends on how crowded or spaced your teeth are. Definently get a second opinion. Truthfully, after having both Invisalign and ceramic uppers/metal lowers, the ceramic braces are much less noticable than you think, and most people, even if they do notice your braces, will never say anything to you about them.
But I do understand the desire/need to have braces be descrete. So sorry if I'm trying to talk you out of Invisalign or lingual, but I think ceramics are a worthwhile consideration for you, mostly for the pocket book.
Good luck!
I have cermaic uppers and really you can barely notice them. A number of colleagues didn't notice I had braces until months later.
Since you have to get a tooth pulled to make room, you are probably not a candidate for invisalign. Maybe you can get Invisalign for the top? Depends on how crowded or spaced your teeth are. Definently get a second opinion. Truthfully, after having both Invisalign and ceramic uppers/metal lowers, the ceramic braces are much less noticable than you think, and most people, even if they do notice your braces, will never say anything to you about them.
But I do understand the desire/need to have braces be descrete. So sorry if I'm trying to talk you out of Invisalign or lingual, but I think ceramics are a worthwhile consideration for you, mostly for the pocket book.
Good luck!
2 year Invisalign patient graduated to ceramics to finish up treatment
RooRoo
HI RooRoo,
We spoke before. I'm really interested in hearing more about your Invisalign and then ceramics. I am considering switching to ceramics because the Invisalign are so noticable on me. Course, people were always staring at my teeth anyway (big spacing), so that probably doesn't matter much. Was there anything you didn't like about Invisalign?
Just curious.
Also, are you on the InvisalignUsers listserv?
Debbi
We spoke before. I'm really interested in hearing more about your Invisalign and then ceramics. I am considering switching to ceramics because the Invisalign are so noticable on me. Course, people were always staring at my teeth anyway (big spacing), so that probably doesn't matter much. Was there anything you didn't like about Invisalign?
Just curious.
Also, are you on the InvisalignUsers listserv?
Debbi
Hey Debi!
I remember talking to you about invisalign. How long have you had them? Trust me, it gets better. I know you have the spaces between your teeth, but the longer you wear the invisalign the less noticable the spaces are. And the less noticable the aligners are.
Can't remember if I told you why I have ceramics now, but its because after the 2 year invisalign treatment I had two teeth that wouldn't turn and bumped into each other, causing some discomfort and pain at times. My ortho offered to finish up the treatment with ceramics since he wanted my teeth to be perfect. So I went for it. Hey, it was free! And to go through treatment for that long and have my teeth not be perfect... no way was I gonna do that! My teeth really did look great after the 2 year treatment considering what they did look like.
So the ceramics are not that visible. I went for a month before a coworker noticed them. Of course I work in a dimly lit basement (its something about glare on computer monitors for the artists here... long discussion) so I'm not suprised he didn't notice. But when you get ceramics with clear ligatures, you really don't notice them when you look at them. All you see at about a 4 foot distance is the wire, which just makes it look like a retainer. Why is it in our minds that retainers are OK but braces are not?
Anyway, what do you want to know? Yes the ceramics are more noticable, but will the treatment be faster? Probably not. Will the end result be better? Thats more for your ortho to decide, but for me cermaics have made a closer to perfect product which invisalign could not do. Invisalign can't pull teeth down, they can only turn or move teeth forward, backward or side to side. Honestly, had I not had the option of Invisalign to begin with, I would still have crooked teeth today.
Hey, just a thought, when people used to ask me what was on my teeth, I usually said a retainer rather than explain that I was doing invisalign... blah blah blah. It might make the discussion more comfortable for you.
I remember talking to you about invisalign. How long have you had them? Trust me, it gets better. I know you have the spaces between your teeth, but the longer you wear the invisalign the less noticable the spaces are. And the less noticable the aligners are.
Can't remember if I told you why I have ceramics now, but its because after the 2 year invisalign treatment I had two teeth that wouldn't turn and bumped into each other, causing some discomfort and pain at times. My ortho offered to finish up the treatment with ceramics since he wanted my teeth to be perfect. So I went for it. Hey, it was free! And to go through treatment for that long and have my teeth not be perfect... no way was I gonna do that! My teeth really did look great after the 2 year treatment considering what they did look like.
So the ceramics are not that visible. I went for a month before a coworker noticed them. Of course I work in a dimly lit basement (its something about glare on computer monitors for the artists here... long discussion) so I'm not suprised he didn't notice. But when you get ceramics with clear ligatures, you really don't notice them when you look at them. All you see at about a 4 foot distance is the wire, which just makes it look like a retainer. Why is it in our minds that retainers are OK but braces are not?
Anyway, what do you want to know? Yes the ceramics are more noticable, but will the treatment be faster? Probably not. Will the end result be better? Thats more for your ortho to decide, but for me cermaics have made a closer to perfect product which invisalign could not do. Invisalign can't pull teeth down, they can only turn or move teeth forward, backward or side to side. Honestly, had I not had the option of Invisalign to begin with, I would still have crooked teeth today.
Hey, just a thought, when people used to ask me what was on my teeth, I usually said a retainer rather than explain that I was doing invisalign... blah blah blah. It might make the discussion more comfortable for you.
2 year Invisalign patient graduated to ceramics to finish up treatment
invisalign are pretty much invisible unless you end up with lots of attachments, that obviously changes things. nevertheless if you are truely a candidate for them (without any question) then they are probably your best bet. very little adjustment time for me. that said i am ending up moving to traditional labial braces in order to correct my bite which invisalign could not (and actually made a bit worse).
i guess my point is, if i have one at all, is that you should get at least two opinions from trained experienced orthodntists, and choose what will work the best.
chris
i guess my point is, if i have one at all, is that you should get at least two opinions from trained experienced orthodntists, and choose what will work the best.
chris
adult braces
I have a friend her name is Lucia Williams shes very short and she wears braces . she is around 50 years old, even thugh she don't look like it, shes so adorable, back to what i was saying, yes she is also my mom' s friend, nd I am lucky enough to have her as my school guidence counciler.She wears braces, the reason she wears them is because if she didn't her teeth would fall out and her teeth would cut into the roof of her mouth nd would cause her such pain and she had a bad overjet, horrific, she describes it to me.well yes she is a guidence counciler and got the braces not too long ago. she has the Clear Ceramic ones on the top, becuase she talks to people teenagers like every minute of everyday and she dicided to go with the clear ceramic kinds on her top row of teeth and the Traditional Steel metal kind on her bottom row . though she has the clear on top she didn't want them to be that visable, all her 9-1 (Freshmen Division 1 {that's her division only}) can tell and all know she wears braces as much as she didn't want ppl to see they all know. But even though she says she hates braces her end resuklt will be her keeping her teeth nd having them be perfect for her and no moore pain. which is good, she's too mice a person to have to go through that much pain.