new to invisalign

Message

#1 Post by **teacher61** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:10 pm

I got to look at my Clincheck yesterday and was really pleased with the outcome since I have a 5mm overjet. I qualified for the Express Invisalign. I was originally told it would be probably be 15 months at about $4200-4800. Now it will be about $2700 for Express. I will have 10 aligners with 6 attachments. They are going to do IPR on front two teeth to close black triangle. I asked the hygenist if it would be less time since using Express and she said no probably still 15 months. I am thinking 10 aligners and using them for 3 weeks each (she told me 3 weeks for each) would be 30 weeks or 7.5 months. Am I missing something here with the time period? Also she said that I would be getting a free aligner for life when finished with Invisalign. She also told me it would be 2 months before they came in. I was really disappointed in that.

#2 Post by **Over50** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:21 pm

I'm fairly new to Invisalign, and I am just finishing with my 3rd set of aligners. From my understanding, most often the aligners are worn for 2 weeks each, but maybe your situation is different. Your orthodontist is the best one for that information.
Two months to receive your aligners after the Clincheck is approved seems really long, as my impression was that most are 2 to 3 weeks. I wouldn't think the Express makes it any different, but maybe it does.
Congratulations on your decision to go ahead! After just the first 5 weeks, I am very pleased, so I hope you have an equally good experience.

#3 Post by **jeni** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:14 am

I see the options as: 1.) maybe they want to finish up your case with another treatment (such as fixed braces, veneers, surgery, etc.) due to the inherent limitations of Invisalign; 2.) bad estimate by Invisalign to think that it could be done in 10 aligners; 3.) bad estimate by ortho to miss something that Invisalign picked up on to get it done faster. Could #1 be a possibility and they just haven't told you yet?

My original quote was also 15 months (to be done May 2008) by my ortho and 24u/26l aligners later (total of original series and refinement series), I think it is pretty acceptable. So, I think that the quote for finishing was right on. After the original series, my bite was off and a few teeth were a little off track. So, I am glad that, by paying full price, I had the option of refinements. With Invisalign Express, free refinements are not available.

#4 Post by **teacher61** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:58 am

They know that braces, etc. are not an option because I made that clear that I was not going that route from the beginning. To fill the black triangle was the orthos decision not Invisalign. Any refinements that need to be done at the end will cost $50.