Invisalign & Braces: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, IMO
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 7:11 am
Hello, everyone! Since I got my braces off yesterday, I now have fully experienced both Invisalgn and Ceramic Braces and I wanted to share some pros and cons on these two methods of straightening your teeth. I thought I’d share my opinion because new people browsing on this board are thinking about which method to choose; hopefully this will give them some insight. ***But please remember that this is just my opinion (based on my experience), so someone else might have a different point of view***
But before I do, a little background about my situation: I had Invisalign for one and a half years. That first year I saw a lot of progress and movement, even though my trays were not fitting completely. It is typical to have refinements as part of the Invisalign treatment, so after the first year I began six months of refinements to adjust small movements, close gaps etc. After my first round of refinement did not work, meaning, the same issues I had at the beginning of my refinement, I still had them/they did not improve AT ALL by the end of my refinement. I wore my trays religiously, but still they stopped fitting about a month and a half into my six month refinement process. I was so on top of it—brushing right after eating to reinsert them, biting down on my chewies SEVERAL times a day…) So, it was recommended to me that I should do a second round, but I was really unhappy at the lack of progress. So I asked to finish off my treatment with (ceramic) fixed braces.….
The Good: Invisalign
-They are comfortable. No annoying wire to jab you in the cheek or using wax to cover brackets. Aside from the pain you feel when your teeth are moving (which is a good sign) you do not feel any pain.
-You can brush your teeth like you regularly do. This is a big PLUS, because you are going to be brushing several times a day, so you don’t want to be in the bathroom for 20-30 each time, right? With Invisalign, you don’t have to. Because you take off your trays to brush, you there is no change in your regular brushing/flossing routine.
-You can eat whatever you want. There are no restrictions as to what you can and cannot eat. Because you take out your trays to eat, eat whatever you want!
-Really unnoticeable. This is also a big PLUS. I had mine for a year and a half and no one at my work noticed. Even with all the attachments they put on my teeth! I thought they were so noticeable because I knew they were there. I saw every once and a while someone staring, so maybe they wondered, but no one said anything or asked about them until I told them.
-Weeks fly by. Maybe it’s because we change them ourselves every 2 weeks that it felt like I was flying through those trays, but it seemed like the treatment went by quickly and didn’t drag on.
The Bad: Invisalign
-Brushing right after every meal, even when you don’t have the time. This is a big CON. There were times I didn’t have the time to brush or even a public bathroom close by for me to pop into for some time to brush. And that was a problem, because you need to brush your teeth to reinsert your trays! If you don’t brush and reinsert your trays, you run the risk of getting cavities from the food stuck in your teeth when you have the trays on. I know there are a lot of people on this forum who have little tricks that work for them (they swish with water or chew gum and then reinsert) but I always brushed. And because you need to brush & you can’t have your trays off for too long, there were times when I left my friends at the table while they enjoyed an extra cup of coffee and I was heading to the bathroom to brush my teeth-not fun
-Trays may not fit properly. This happened to me twice in my treatment. No matter how diligent I was about wearing them, for some reason or another they stopped fitting over my attachments. When that happens, you may still get some movement but basically your teeth are not moving where they are supposed to so your progress will begin to fall behind (at least that’s what happened to me). There is no way of preventing this (I know because I wore my trays and bit down on chewies religiously ) and it can be very frustrating and disappointing when you are so on top of your treatment, like I was.
-Biting down on chewies. It was recommended to me to bite down on harder things like a pen, to help make the trays fit. I did that too. Biting down on chewies/pen can only do so much, and I bit down A LOT. Not bad to do, if you’re watching TV or surfing the net, but to remember to do it and several times a day? It’s such a pain.
-Wait times. From the time you stop treatment and actually get your refinements, weeks or months go by (impressions etc.) I was dying to get started; the sooner you start, the sooner you finish and waiting with my last tray on for a month and a half was torture.
The Ugly: Invisalign
-Your worst nightmare: it may not work. For me, it began working just fine and progressed far, but when it came to certain issues in my teeth (near the end of my original treatment & in my refinement), Invisalign did not work. I can honestly write, the same issues I had at the beginning of my refinement, I still had them/they did not improve 6 months later, at the end of my refinement. I know it has worked for lots of people, so it can work, I’m just saying there is a chance it might not and I can say this with certainty because I am one of those unlucky people, and I did everything “right” so I know it was the product, not me. (I thought I was the only one who was not having a successful treatment, but I have met others on this forum who have experienced the same discouraging results, as well).
-Using public bathrooms to brush your teeth. I did it, but I hated it. Some people don’t mind doing it, but I could never feel totally comfortable. And with Invisalign, whether you like it or not, you will end up having to use a public bathroom to brush every so often.
The Good: Ceramic Braces
-Surprisingly, not that noticeable. I was amazed how many people did not notice until weeks after I began wearing them.
-Don’t have to brush right after every meal. I did brush. But on the days where I was too busy during the day, I wouldn’t. And it was so nice!! I could be flexible, brush later on if I had the time, I could sit and take my time to eat because my braces are fixed in my mouth, no need to hurry to brush and reinsert anything.
-For me, braces fixed my big issues and little issues that the Invisalign refinement had trouble doing. With Invisalign, I was always worried that the trays were not fitting properly, thus my treatment would suffer, but with braces my ortho took care of each movement. At my adjustments, he would check to see what is moving, what isn’t and change the brackets accordingly. I didn’t worry about anything fitting properly or biting down on chewies to help the movement….all I had to do was WEAR MY BRACES AND THEY WORKED.
-Clear ligs/powerchain a good choice. I was afraid to get clear ligs and powerchains because everyone said they stain so easily. But I like how invisible they are so I tried them out. They only stained once, with herbal tea. Other than that, they did not stain at all. I drank coffee, ate tomato sauce pasta…all ok. I don’t eat curry and I avoided mustard cuz I heard they stain, but clear ligs was a good choice.
The Bad: Ceramic Braces
-Braces are more painful to wear than Invisalign. My wires poked me in my cheek several times over my treatment, so I had to go back to my ortho and it get re-clipped (with my teeth moving, apparently the wire did too). But my cheek was very sore and putting wax on brackets helps but it’s a pain, especially when it comes off while you are eating. My teeth were sorer with braces than Invisalign. With Invisalign, my teeth were sore for a day or two after changing trays, but with braces they were sore for up to a week after an adjustment. I know it varies from person to person, but for me I was eating a lot of soft food for a long time.
-There are food restrictions. Well some people don’t follow them, but I did. I was scared to break a bracket or get certain foods stuck in my braces and it takes me forever to get out. It’s not worth it, imo.
--THE BIGGEST CON—BRUSHING ROUTINE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not everyone takes a long time to do their brushing routine (waterpik, proxy brushing, flossing (at night), brushing), I can only speak for myself, but for me? to brush thoroughly around my braces and my teeth, took me a long time and doing it 3 times a day? Yup, it felt like I was living in the bathroom.
The Ugly: Ceramic Braces
-The elastics. I hate the elastics. I hate the elastics. In case you missed it, what I mean is I hate the elastics!
They don’t really hurt once your teeth get used to them, and they get used it them quickly, but the reason I HATE THE ELASTICS is that they are so noticeable. The whole reason I got ceramic braces is for it to not be so noticeable, then I have to wear elastics that are ugly and visible and defeat the whole purpose…I hate the elastics. On a similar note, I have read that some people also on Invisalign had to wear elastics (I didn't thankfully) but I guess whether you get fixed braces or Invisalign you may not be able to avoid elastics 
*MY BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE* Go to an orthodontist that knows what s/he is doing. Although I had some rough times throughout my treatment, I knew I would be OK because I went to a dental clinic that is an expert in Invisalign/Braces; so I knew I was in good hands. With something like this that costs a lot of money, a lot of time and after all the effort you put into it, you deserve to see good results. Go for a second, third opinion if you have to. Just make sure you are going to someone that knows what they are doing.
So, that’s it: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly on braces and Invisalign based on my personal experience and I hope this list helps someone out there make their decision or at least a more informed decision. Looking back, I am happy that I tried both methods, they both are good in different ways. If any of you guys have any questions, please feel free to PM me
TinySmiley
But before I do, a little background about my situation: I had Invisalign for one and a half years. That first year I saw a lot of progress and movement, even though my trays were not fitting completely. It is typical to have refinements as part of the Invisalign treatment, so after the first year I began six months of refinements to adjust small movements, close gaps etc. After my first round of refinement did not work, meaning, the same issues I had at the beginning of my refinement, I still had them/they did not improve AT ALL by the end of my refinement. I wore my trays religiously, but still they stopped fitting about a month and a half into my six month refinement process. I was so on top of it—brushing right after eating to reinsert them, biting down on my chewies SEVERAL times a day…) So, it was recommended to me that I should do a second round, but I was really unhappy at the lack of progress. So I asked to finish off my treatment with (ceramic) fixed braces.….
The Good: Invisalign
-They are comfortable. No annoying wire to jab you in the cheek or using wax to cover brackets. Aside from the pain you feel when your teeth are moving (which is a good sign) you do not feel any pain.
-You can brush your teeth like you regularly do. This is a big PLUS, because you are going to be brushing several times a day, so you don’t want to be in the bathroom for 20-30 each time, right? With Invisalign, you don’t have to. Because you take off your trays to brush, you there is no change in your regular brushing/flossing routine.
-You can eat whatever you want. There are no restrictions as to what you can and cannot eat. Because you take out your trays to eat, eat whatever you want!
-Really unnoticeable. This is also a big PLUS. I had mine for a year and a half and no one at my work noticed. Even with all the attachments they put on my teeth! I thought they were so noticeable because I knew they were there. I saw every once and a while someone staring, so maybe they wondered, but no one said anything or asked about them until I told them.
-Weeks fly by. Maybe it’s because we change them ourselves every 2 weeks that it felt like I was flying through those trays, but it seemed like the treatment went by quickly and didn’t drag on.
The Bad: Invisalign
-Brushing right after every meal, even when you don’t have the time. This is a big CON. There were times I didn’t have the time to brush or even a public bathroom close by for me to pop into for some time to brush. And that was a problem, because you need to brush your teeth to reinsert your trays! If you don’t brush and reinsert your trays, you run the risk of getting cavities from the food stuck in your teeth when you have the trays on. I know there are a lot of people on this forum who have little tricks that work for them (they swish with water or chew gum and then reinsert) but I always brushed. And because you need to brush & you can’t have your trays off for too long, there were times when I left my friends at the table while they enjoyed an extra cup of coffee and I was heading to the bathroom to brush my teeth-not fun
-Trays may not fit properly. This happened to me twice in my treatment. No matter how diligent I was about wearing them, for some reason or another they stopped fitting over my attachments. When that happens, you may still get some movement but basically your teeth are not moving where they are supposed to so your progress will begin to fall behind (at least that’s what happened to me). There is no way of preventing this (I know because I wore my trays and bit down on chewies religiously ) and it can be very frustrating and disappointing when you are so on top of your treatment, like I was.
-Biting down on chewies. It was recommended to me to bite down on harder things like a pen, to help make the trays fit. I did that too. Biting down on chewies/pen can only do so much, and I bit down A LOT. Not bad to do, if you’re watching TV or surfing the net, but to remember to do it and several times a day? It’s such a pain.
-Wait times. From the time you stop treatment and actually get your refinements, weeks or months go by (impressions etc.) I was dying to get started; the sooner you start, the sooner you finish and waiting with my last tray on for a month and a half was torture.
The Ugly: Invisalign
-Your worst nightmare: it may not work. For me, it began working just fine and progressed far, but when it came to certain issues in my teeth (near the end of my original treatment & in my refinement), Invisalign did not work. I can honestly write, the same issues I had at the beginning of my refinement, I still had them/they did not improve 6 months later, at the end of my refinement. I know it has worked for lots of people, so it can work, I’m just saying there is a chance it might not and I can say this with certainty because I am one of those unlucky people, and I did everything “right” so I know it was the product, not me. (I thought I was the only one who was not having a successful treatment, but I have met others on this forum who have experienced the same discouraging results, as well).
-Using public bathrooms to brush your teeth. I did it, but I hated it. Some people don’t mind doing it, but I could never feel totally comfortable. And with Invisalign, whether you like it or not, you will end up having to use a public bathroom to brush every so often.
The Good: Ceramic Braces
-Surprisingly, not that noticeable. I was amazed how many people did not notice until weeks after I began wearing them.
-Don’t have to brush right after every meal. I did brush. But on the days where I was too busy during the day, I wouldn’t. And it was so nice!! I could be flexible, brush later on if I had the time, I could sit and take my time to eat because my braces are fixed in my mouth, no need to hurry to brush and reinsert anything.
-For me, braces fixed my big issues and little issues that the Invisalign refinement had trouble doing. With Invisalign, I was always worried that the trays were not fitting properly, thus my treatment would suffer, but with braces my ortho took care of each movement. At my adjustments, he would check to see what is moving, what isn’t and change the brackets accordingly. I didn’t worry about anything fitting properly or biting down on chewies to help the movement….all I had to do was WEAR MY BRACES AND THEY WORKED.
-Clear ligs/powerchain a good choice. I was afraid to get clear ligs and powerchains because everyone said they stain so easily. But I like how invisible they are so I tried them out. They only stained once, with herbal tea. Other than that, they did not stain at all. I drank coffee, ate tomato sauce pasta…all ok. I don’t eat curry and I avoided mustard cuz I heard they stain, but clear ligs was a good choice.
The Bad: Ceramic Braces
-Braces are more painful to wear than Invisalign. My wires poked me in my cheek several times over my treatment, so I had to go back to my ortho and it get re-clipped (with my teeth moving, apparently the wire did too). But my cheek was very sore and putting wax on brackets helps but it’s a pain, especially when it comes off while you are eating. My teeth were sorer with braces than Invisalign. With Invisalign, my teeth were sore for a day or two after changing trays, but with braces they were sore for up to a week after an adjustment. I know it varies from person to person, but for me I was eating a lot of soft food for a long time.
-There are food restrictions. Well some people don’t follow them, but I did. I was scared to break a bracket or get certain foods stuck in my braces and it takes me forever to get out. It’s not worth it, imo.
--THE BIGGEST CON—BRUSHING ROUTINE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not everyone takes a long time to do their brushing routine (waterpik, proxy brushing, flossing (at night), brushing), I can only speak for myself, but for me? to brush thoroughly around my braces and my teeth, took me a long time and doing it 3 times a day? Yup, it felt like I was living in the bathroom.
The Ugly: Ceramic Braces
-The elastics. I hate the elastics. I hate the elastics. In case you missed it, what I mean is I hate the elastics!
They don’t really hurt once your teeth get used to them, and they get used it them quickly, but the reason I HATE THE ELASTICS is that they are so noticeable. The whole reason I got ceramic braces is for it to not be so noticeable, then I have to wear elastics that are ugly and visible and defeat the whole purpose…I hate the elastics. On a similar note, I have read that some people also on Invisalign had to wear elastics (I didn't thankfully) but I guess whether you get fixed braces or Invisalign you may not be able to avoid elastics *MY BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE* Go to an orthodontist that knows what s/he is doing. Although I had some rough times throughout my treatment, I knew I would be OK because I went to a dental clinic that is an expert in Invisalign/Braces; so I knew I was in good hands. With something like this that costs a lot of money, a lot of time and after all the effort you put into it, you deserve to see good results. Go for a second, third opinion if you have to. Just make sure you are going to someone that knows what they are doing.
So, that’s it: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly on braces and Invisalign based on my personal experience and I hope this list helps someone out there make their decision or at least a more informed decision. Looking back, I am happy that I tried both methods, they both are good in different ways. If any of you guys have any questions, please feel free to PM me
TinySmiley
