When I took my kids for braces, the orthodontist would always say "when are we going to do mom?" but life was so busy, my crossbite and slightly crooked smile were not very important. My dentist thought I needed a truly terrifying jaw surgery and metal braces. I thought that was nuts. The orthodentist thought he could do it with invisalign and some other therapies, and to make a long story short, it worked.
I went to Dr. Ginsburg asking for just a nicer smile but he was determined to do the whole job, so I went with the program.
I had invisalign with rubber bands, some hideous expander on my lower palate (the worst part, a couple of months), 20+ adjustments, and two full sets of invisalign, 55 uppers and fewer lowers in each set, yes, that's well over 100 uppers and almost as many lowers. I started in Feb 2003, and yes, that's almost 5 years.
As of today, I think I am preparing for my last appointment. All that's left is to sand off the the last of the adjustments and pick up my retainers. I can't wait to start some whitening to improve the appearance a little more.
Was it worth it? Sure, for the last few years, I've always had something to talk about. Would I recommend it? Yes, with one personal opinion: ladies over a "certain age" should make sure they are still actively growing bone. I actually went and got a dexa test at the beginning and just recently. What did it cost? As I remember, $2500 from my dental insurance, $2500 from me. I really think I got my money's worth, especially considering the alternative treatment (jaw surgery).
How do my teeth look? They look great, but need a little whitening due to my love of red wine and coffee.
And my final bit of advice, stick with it, it can be tough at first. And save the very first set of aligners so you can compare it with the last and see how far you've come.
Over 55 Invisalign
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