waiting times etc.

[lilone]

Has anyone else had a really long waiting process for invisalign? I just seem to be havign really bad luck.

It was a year ago next month when I went for my initial consultation with the ortho I had chosen. After deciding to go for invisalign around late March, we initially thought that my trays would be ready near the end of June. In September, she was still struggling to get the movements agreed upon with the technicians and in October decided that I should be referred on to someone with more Inivsalign experience. I was given the name of an ortho and was refunded all my money. I really liked that original ortho and I appreciated her honesty (and the refund...since she did put lots of time into me.) But now, here I am all these months later and I have just made an appointment with the new ortho......who's wait time for consultations is more than FIVE MONTHS! That is nearly another half a year, just waiting for the consult. No doubt it will be a couple of months more for a records appointment and then a couple more for the trays, etc. I'm sure I'll spend another year waiting to get started.

I know it is not a fast process, but it seems to be really hard to find someone who can do Invisalign, who understands the desire for a cosmetic fix and who is within driving distance. There is a clinic that specializes in Invisalign an hour from my home (but only 1/2 hour from work) but the ortho that runs the operation works out of Vancouver. This office is in Kitchener Ontario....a six hour flight from Vancouver. I don't know if it is wise to go to an ortho you will never meet in person. I would love to go to the Toronto doctor on here but 2 hours is too far to drive so often and I couldn't take a half day off work every few weeks. I'm feeling a little hopeless that this will ever happen. Has anyone else had this experience?

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

Hey my orthodontist does Invisalign but shes out of Massachusetts. I drive 2 1/2- 3 hours to see her. Her and her staff know that I travel so far, so they make the appointments literally every other month. ON the rare occasion 1.5 months in between. I say its worth the drive to meet with your orthodontist they will probably schedule you far apart because they will realize the logistics of you getting to the office.

PS I have Damon Braces not invisalign, but a lot of offices are cool with helping the patient. WOW your other orthodontist sounds amazing. Maybe if you dont have any luck you could always get clear brackets with your orginal orthodontist.

Best of luck

[bham813]

I drive 2-2 1/2 hours to my ortho and I think it is worth it because I like and trust her and she was recommended by my dentist. I am lucky in that I can take the time off. They know I will be coming from out of town and have been very accomodating.

[DrJasonKTam]

Hi lilone. Appointments at our office are every 8 weeks for our aligner patients and I have patients traveling from the KW region, Guelph, etc to visit us. In fact, we have patients who drive for several hours in each direction of the GTA to come see us. We do have visits available on Saturday once a month, and many of our out-of-towners will make the trip in and enjoy the city before/after their appointment.

That being said, you do need to find something that is convenient for you, but with a doctor that is experienced in Invisalign. You will also want to find a doctor that can understand exactly what it is you wish to achieve from your treatment. Do you want full correction of your malocclusion or do you want alignment only to improve your smile? There are many degrees of treatment, and proper communication both ways is required to achieve your goal.

Good luck!