Metal Mouth Message Board

I went to my orthodontist today, knowing I was getting my refinement trays.... I honestly thought I was pretty much almost done with this entire Invisalign process a few weeks ago, my teeth appear to be almost as straight as possible.....

and then I find out today my refinement process is going to be 27 trays. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? I don't even know how much more movement my teeth can do. It's frustrating, b/c at the beginning of this entire process I was so excited, and now I'm just starting to lose patience. I don't know how much longer I can stay dedicated.

Anyway, I was wondering, has anybody ever had a refinement that lasted this long?

Hi, yes it does seem like a lot but you have to trust you ortho. I had about 11 sets of refinements. Try and be patient, time flies and I am sure the end result will be worth it.

It would be nice to look at your treatment in terms of time rather than the number of trays. Some treatments are planned with refinements and they can be as long as the original set of trays or longer. There may also be more than one set of refinement.

The good news is that it should be included in your treatment. Good luck!

I understand your frustration. My refinement isn't nearly as long as yours but it's the same length as my original set of aligners. it's very frustrating when you think you are almost done and then you find out you are basically repeating what you just did. My ortho even said I just have some minor cleanup to do but blames invisalign for the treatment period.

It takes longer than regular braces sorry kid

roxie2519 wrote:It takes longer than regular braces sorry kid

This is an inaccurate generalization. When used properly, Invisalign is sometimes takes longer, the same, or a shorter amount of time compared to fixed orthodontics. It depends on the types of movements required, the compliance of aligner wear, and the experience if the doctor in planning the treatment.

I have had several cases that treated out far faster with aligners than I could have done with fixed braces. If there are movements that may take longer, our patients are aware that there is the option for partial braces.

Question: Is the cost for the refinement typically included in the initial price or comes it as a (surprise) adder?

I just finished with invisalign and had two refinements, both refinements were 20+ aligners long - my initial set of aligners was a series of 24. In total I had around 70 aligners over almost three years. I was extremely dedicated to wearing my aligners. It just took longer to move my teeth, but I had a lot of crowding on my lower arch that had to be fixed. Hang in there if you can it will be worth it in the end!

Invisalign takes a bit longer but the benefit is its invisible