Invisalign to Braces

[nybizzle]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone switched from Invisalign to braces? I did, just wondering if any of you have done the same thing I feel like there are legit advantages of braces over Invisalign and I think my ortho isn't being really upfront about it.

[sandiego88]

I did but not really by choice. I had invisalign through my first ortho, I ended with an open posterior bite, so really only my front teeth touched. It also shifted my top teeth forward so I had more of a class 2 bite. I wasn't confident in my first ortho and switched to a new orthodontist. Because of my new bite problems he wouldn't treat me with invisalign. There's a lot more that can be done with braces for your bite. It can also be done a lot quicker in that you don't have to wait for refinement trays. I know if you go to a super skilled ortho that has a lot of experience in invisalign you can achieve similar results as braces, but honestly, I don't think those are easy to come by. My first orthodontist was very lazy and rarely checked my teeth - maybe every 3 months or so. I thought this was normal and wish I was more proactive.

[nybizzle]

I did but not really by choice. I had invisalign through my first ortho, I ended with an open posterior bite, so really only my front teeth touched. It also shifted my top teeth forward so I had more of a class 2 bite. I wasn't confident in my first ortho and switched to a new orthodontist. Because of my new bite problems he wouldn't treat me with invisalign. There's a lot more that can be done with braces for your bite. It can also be done a lot quicker in that you don't have to wait for refinement trays. I know if you go to a super skilled ortho that has a lot of experience in invisalign you can achieve similar results as braces, but honestly, I don't think those are easy to come by. My first orthodontist was very lazy and rarely checked my teeth - maybe every 3 months or so. I thought this was normal and wish I was more proactive.

Oh my! It must've been awful to have an orthodontist who wasn't the best! And yeah, even if you have an orthodontist who's very experienced with Invisalign, braces still seem like a better option, because they're on 24/7. Its effectiveness won't be dependent on whether you wear it or not.

[Smileop]

In my treatment my ortho stated that if the results you want can't be achieved with Invisalign then you can get braces to help achieve the result you want

[TheBrownDuck]

I had invisalign 4 years ago by a dentist. Huge mistake. Now thinking of ceramic braces. Only 2 teeth touch in back now and my overbite he said would be corrected, it wasn't at all.

[nybizzle]

I had invisalign 4 years ago by a dentist. Huge mistake. Now thinking of ceramic braces. Only 2 teeth touch in back now and my overbite he said would be corrected, it wasn't at all.

Wow, I've heard of quite a few people who got Invisalign just to end up getting braces after cause they weren't happy with the results So many orthodontist still seem to push for it though!

[Tyrantblade]

"Estimated" treatment time is just that, estimated, i think the people that qualify for Invisalign in general have easier cases thus allowing for shorter treatment times (again though, estimated, not true), compared to harder, more complicated cases that result in longer treatment times.

Theres no way that Invisalign is more effective or faster than braces.

[Eluthiel]

My orthodontist is doing the opposite with me. My treatment plan is 3-4 months of lingual braces (top only), then I will start Invisalign. I was told the linguals should shorten the time I'm in Invisalign. We'll see! My understanding is braces allow more "fine-tuning". And, it sounds like they may give faster results. YMMV.

[nybizzle]

Though comparing braces vs Invisalign is a tight race.

I don’t see enough reason why you will switch to traditional braces. Invisalign is clear teeth aligner that can help straighten teeth which is also removable. The treatment time is 22-24 hrs/day for 6 to 18 months, depending on patient needs compared to traditional braces that take 24/7 for an average of 2 years, depending on patient needs. Plus with invisalign, there is no difficulty eating and no discomfort from wires.

There are many valid reasons why someone would choose braces over Invisalign. One plus is that you don't have to remove them everytime you eat any little thing. It can be quite the hassle. There are pros and cons with both options! I already switched to braces a long time ago, which I mentioned in my post

Some people have Invisalign for 2 years. It really varies, it's never set in stone.

[EntrancedBoar91]

I was in invisalign for three years through a general dentist. Terrible mistake. I had a class 2 division 2 malocclusion and the dentist only treated me as class one. My bite problems were worse when invisalign treatment ended. I am now in ceramic/metal traditional braces with a super knowledgeable ortho to fix my bite.

I think it has more to do with the skill of the ortho than the actual treatment they use (invisalign vs braces) but my ortho did say he felt he could achieve a better result with braces than he could with the invisalign so I went that route. Certainly don't want to go through ortho treatment a third time

My advice: find an ortho who you trust and who has a great reputation. Discuss with them the outcome you would like and take into account what treatment they think you need. Then if you feel good about their plan of action, let the ortho accomplish that however they feel they can. Just my opinion though. All the best and good luck! It's a difficult decision to make.