Invisalign and Braces - Please help!

[BraceComfort]

Hi All - has anyone had both invisalgn and braces? My ortho suggested that I get invisalign for the first 12 months followed by braces for the remainder 8+ months. Aside from the fact that this approach will likely break my bank account, does it yield the same results as if you've started with braces all along? Please share your experiences. I am scheduled to see my ortho for impressions, etc early next week. I'd like to make a sound decision.

Thank you in advance.

[Huggypillow]

Hi, it can be a hard decision to make

I was told from the start that I was not a candiate for the aligners, having said that I have metaltop and bottom and I dont regret my decision to have treatment.

I guess the main thing is compliance with the trays, forgetting to wear the trays, leaving home without them,losing them. I guess there are pro's and con's for either path of treatment.

Some people have started the trays and then encounter a change in treatment due to unforceen circumstances and wind up needing fixed appliance anyway for the duration.

I think the only person who can make the decision is you, talk to your ortho more about it.

Braces have come a long way, i have found from personal experience that wearing metal is quite tolerable. this is my first time in braces at 30.

All the best.

[BraceComfort]

Thank you, Huggypillow, for your input.

You raised a good point, things may change once treatment starts so it's best that I talk to my ortho before proceeding. Needless to say, the costs would be a huge deterrence.

Either way, I plan to get braces so I look forward to being a member of this family.

[Robin8]

It depends on your ortho. Invisalign and regular braces are just orthodontic appliances used to move teeth; it’s your ortho who conducts the treatment to move your teeth into their desired positions and gives you the results you want.

Some providers are able to use Invisalign to conduct the whole treatment or treat complex cases, some are not. It’s a matter of their orthodontic knowledge, experience and skills with a specific orthodontic tool/ technique. If you’d like to make a sound decision, focus on the ortho’s experience and expertise.

Costs may not make a big difference; a good part of what you pay for is your doctor’s time and experience. Some doctors charge the same for Invisalign and for braces. Basically, traditional brackets cost less to the doctors than Invisalign but they require more chair time during treatment.

[drgnchsr36]

My ortho gave me a similar option, stating that invisalign might not be able to fix the issue and I'd be stuck in braces at the end.. so with that in mind and the fact that it was almost 1k more expensive, I just went with braces. I didn't care too much about being a brace face and I have ceramic on top so it's not as noticeable. I'm happy with the decision I made...

Good luck!!

[DrJasonKTam]

The result is going to depend on your orthodontist. Ideally, the results should not be distinguishable whether Invisalign or braces are used.

There are certain situations that we use a combination of braces and Invisalign. We don't have a difference in price between braces and Invisalign at our office, so there is no additional cost. Our fee is to get the teeth to where they need to be within a certain time frame, regardless of how we have to get there!

[BraceComfort]

Dear Dr. Tam -

Thank you so much for your response. My ortho appointment has been pushed out until next Thursday, October 6, at which time, I will move forward with invisalign for 12 months and the doctor will gauge thereafter to see if I'll need braces or continue with invisalign for the remaining duration. He said likely I will need braces. I didn't realize that this was even an option until I met him (my second consult). He also said given my gum disease (the condition is now stable according to my perio) with some bone loss, the combination might be better for me - so not to further induce additional stress to the gum. (Btw, I'll need two extractions - one upper/one lower -- not too happy with that but oh well...)

The first ortho said invisalign was not an option and yet the second ortho said otherwise. Could it be that he's more experienced in the field (with invisalign)? I read that there are experienced invisalign providers that can achieve great results even in complex cases. He's also an Elite Invisalign Provider (if that makes a difference). The combination will set my bank account back a bit but if it can achieve great results, I'm willing to try it.

Separately, I wish I live in your neck of the woods. Toronto is much too far for me to travel for my orthodontic needs.

[TinySmiley]

Hi All - has anyone had both invisalgn and braces? My ortho suggested that I get invisalign for the first 12 months followed by braces for the remainder 8+ months. Aside from the fact that this approach will likely break my bank account, does it yield the same results as if you've started with braces all along? Please share your experiences. I am scheduled to see my ortho for impressions, etc early next week. I'd like to make a sound decision.

Thank you in advance.

hi BraceComfort, i've had invisalign and now am wearing ceramic braces. I was the one who decided to move onto braces (my ortho wanted to do a 3rd set of refinement, but i declined and told him i wanted to try braces instead) i don't mind braces at all, really, except for the elastics they may make you wear and the brushing (brushing takes a lot longer). Both treatments give you results, but for me, during my second refinement I just wasn't seeing much improvement, so I opted for braces; and I'm glad i did.

[DrJasonKTam]

Dear Dr. Tam -

Thank you so much for your response. My ortho appointment has been pushed out until next Thursday, October 6, at which time, I will move forward with invisalign for 12 months and the doctor will gauge thereafter to see if I'll need braces or continue with invisalign for the remaining duration. He said likely I will need braces. I didn't realize that this was even an option until I met him (my second consult). He also said given my gum disease (the condition is now stable according to my perio) with some bone loss, the combination might be better for me - so not to further induce additional stress to the gum. (Btw, I'll need two extractions - one upper/one lower -- not too happy with that but oh well...)

The first ortho said invisalign was not an option and yet the second ortho said otherwise. Could it be that he's more experienced in the field (with invisalign)? I read that there are experienced invisalign providers that can achieve great results even in complex cases. He's also an Elite Invisalign Provider (if that makes a difference). The combination will set my bank account back a bit but if it can achieve great results, I'm willing to try it.

Separately, I wish I live in your neck of the woods. Toronto is much too far for me to travel for my orthodontic needs.

Thanks for the kind words .

There is definitely a large gap in Invisalign experience between inexperienced providers and those that can work with just about any problem. I have seen some amazing results in my office and from other highly experienced doctors, including cases with orthognathic surgery, 4 premolar extraction, class 2 malocclusion, etc.

Sections of braces may be a viable option rather than using a full set across the arch, since there may only be specific teeth that may move better with braces than aligners. Some doctors prefer to leave the option for fixed braces at the end of treatment, if teeth don't move as desired, while others like to use them beforehand.

Good luck with your care and keep us posted!

[Huggypillow]

hey bracecomfort,

I should tell you why i couldnt have aligners, and wby my ortho said i would get better results.

I have majority of my bottom molars are tipped, lots of rotated teeth also having tad's. because of my shift work compliance for me was a big issue.

my ortho is very experienced and has lectured around the world.

he explained that invisaline had its limitations and was concerned that i would expext mericales and i didnt want a combination of fixed as well.

it had nothing to do with ones ability to perform the job for a complex case.
i just dont want a lingering dental case, or getting depressed about my expectations not me, also invisaline is not that huge in australia yet.