fixed braces instead of refinement??

[TinySmiley]

has anyone gotten ceramic braces put on their teeth rather than go through a second round of refinements? is that a common thing to do?

i am almost done my 1st round of refinement and will have to do another. my refinements did not fit very well at all, not even half way through did I notice major problems where all of my attachments were concerned. i was just wondering, if my next (last) refinement doesn't work, will i have to do another & get charged for it? or typically do orthos suggest fixed braces? Because if i need fixed braces, I'd rather do it now, than later. And honestly, i don't know how much more Invisalign i can take.
thanks.

[Wireless]

I would think this is going to depend on your doc and his/her willingness to change treatments - I would think that they would want to do the most expedient and effective method. Also any conditions that you have that may favor one treatment type over another. My dental hygenist goes to the same ortho I do and had problems with Invisalign. She and the ortho agreed that going with regular braces would be better than staying with Invisalign and there weren't any additional charges.

I can understand your frustration with Invisalign - I'm into this 2 1/2 years and it does interfere with lifestyle, particularly when there are snacks around. In my case I had conditions that would have been more difficult with regular braces. While everything is going in the right direction, it's taking a very long time. I had regular braces before and they were much less of a hassle than Invisalign - as long as elastics and other appliances weren't involved.

Something else to think about - I'm finding my teeth are becoming much more sensitive as I've had attachments and metal brackets removed. The last few that were removed were painful - almost like getting a tooth filled. I'm not sure what the cause or if it is because my enamel is getting thin with all of the grinding. Hopefully I won't have to do any more of this!! My case is unusual and I was told initially that it was going to be difficult.

[Robin8]

If your next refinement doesn’t work, it’ll be up to your doctor to decide on what to do next. As to charges, it depends on the contract your doctor has with Invisalign. My understanding is that most contracts include 3 refinements.

I don’t think orthos typically suggest fixed braces for further refinement. They'd do it if they can’t achieve the desired results or complete the treatment with Invisalign. If you want to switch, it’d be easier if your doctor is an orthodontist and not a dentist. Orthodontists’ business is in fixing teeth and they usually use different kinds of braces so it won’t cost them much effort or resources to put fixed braces on you.

Dentists usually don’t do fixed braces. Their main business is in dental care and health (i.e. check up, filling cavity, root canal, bonding, etc.). Either the dentist or you will have to pay an orthodontist to take over your case and complete your treatment.

[TinySmiley]

thank you for your replies Wireless and Robin8