New to site and to Orthodontics

[Mike02110]

Hello everyone-- I recently decided to take the plunge into orthodontics, and figured I would start out on here with a question that I have been pondering since my initial ortho consult. My orthodontist is an invisalign elite provider, and as expected during the consult, he indicated that I was a great candidate for invisalign.

After some research (on this board, and other avenues), the common feedback about invisalign is positive, but I have seen a lot of updates out there of people who were given an anticipated timeline of 9-12 months with invisalign, but then ended up with another 6+ months for "refinements".

I mentioned ceramic braces to my orthodontist, and he indicated that the timeline would be very similar (his best guess before we get the plan back from invisalign) of 9 - 12 months for either option-- minor crowding. He said that the only challenge that he can see with ceramic braces is that he likes where my bite is right now, and with invisalign he can keep my bite right where it is. However, with braces, I might require elastics to adjust my bite toward the end of treatment.

Given the experiences of those out there... Given the choice of ceramic braces or invisalign, which would you choose? I am not concerned about the appearance of braces (especially ceramic), but am concerned a bit about the potential lisp with invisalign. The cost for both is exactly the same, so cost is not a factor to consider.

Thanks all!

[LeeAnnD]

I was pondering the same thing. I finally opted for the ceramic on my uppers and metal on the lower. After some research on Invisalign I just decided that I needed something more "permanent." By that I mean, if I had Invisalign and it started bothering me, I would take them out which would affect my progress.

[WiredOldLady]

I did the same...Invisalign and traditional braces had about the same timeline for me. I chose to go with traditional braces because I know me. If I had a nickel for every time I wanted to rip these things out of my mouth, I'd be wealthy. I do know that with the Invisalign, I'd pay all that money and when they started bothering me, I would not stay with the treatment plan. I know that the end result is going to be wonderful, but getting there is not going to be a lot of fun. I have my next adjustment next week and I'm not looking forward to it! (I love my ortho, but this hardware is a major pain in the rear end).

[kids041]

I did the same...Invisalign and traditional braces had about the same timeline for me. I chose to go with traditional braces because I know me. If I had a nickel for every time I wanted to rip these things out of my mouth, I'd be wealthy. I do know that with the Invisalign, I'd pay all that money and when they started bothering me, I would not stay with the treatment plan. I know that the end result is going to be wonderful, but getting there is not going to be a lot of fun. I have my next adjustment next week and I'm not looking forward to it! (I love my ortho, but this hardware is a major pain in the rear end).

Well said! I totally agree with your statements. I feel the same way about my braces. I could have had invisalign, but I know I would not have kept them in when they became painful or just "in the way".

[Mike02110]

I feel like my ortho will likely continue to push the invisalign. I don't want to question his judgment because he is the professional (and from what I have been told, one of the best in the area), but I am concerned about getting comfortable with the option of taking out invisalign for meetings or presentations.

[jem]

Hi Mike,

I think the point about invisalign is that you shouldn't take them out for meetings or presentations, only for eating and cleaning. Otherwise, you don't get enough wear time for the treatment to work effectively.

I was offered the choice of invisalign or a clear fixed brace and opted for the latter mainly because it was cheaper. I therefore had no choice but to keep my brace on for all professional/social functions. As a middle-aged UK professional man, I was initially very apprehensive about this, but it proved not to be a problem.I don't think many people even noticed the brace and I certainly had no negative comments or response to it.

After having the brace removed, I have been given both bonded and removable retainers. The removable retainer given as part of my treatment plan is an essix, which is pretty much the same as an invisalign tray. I am only required to wear the removable retainer for 12 hours overnight, but I resolved to wear it as close to 24/7 as possible for the first couple of months. This turned out to be less easy than I expected, the problem being in finding the opportunity to clean my teeth before re-inserting the retainer after every time I ate or drank something other than water. I realised that I would not have been a good candidate for invisalign and that wearing a fixed brace was actually much easier.

Good luck with your treatment, whichever option you take.

Jem

[Mike02110]

Thanks for this info Jem. Being a 33 year old male... I'm a bit apprehensive about the ceramic braces, but I feel like they would be a better fit for me personally.

I will definitely keep you (and all others) posted on the final decision which will likely be coming up within the next month.

[Matilda]

I'd choose ceramic braces over Invisalign any day.

[arciedee]

I have Invisalign and I love it, though I certainly agree with the others about the importance of compliance. If you expect that it will be a big issue, than traditional braces are probably a better option. To address a couple of your concerns, though, here's my experience so far:

The lisp thing... prior to Invisalign I went through a few months with a fixed appliance to correct my bite. Part of that included a lower lingual arch with a wire running on the inside of my bottom teeth. Lisp City. Then I had to wear Essix retainers to bridge me until my Invisalign came in. Lisping was slightly better, but still there. Got my Invisalign... no lisp. Obviously I'm sure this was related to the fact that I had been used to having stuff on my teeth for a while, but it also helps that my orthodontist uses the digital scanner system. He said it's been a world of difference in Invisalign fit since he switched from the traditional molds to the scanner... they are much more precisely molded to the teeth and are a lot easier to adapt to. Not sure what your ortho uses, but something to consider. Also, even if you do have a lisp initially it goes away very quickly.

In terms of taking them out... I had attachments put on with my third set of trays and since then I'd say my compliance with wearing them had only increased. The trays smooth out the feel of the attachments (I was one of the lucky souls who managed to get attachments on nearly every tooth) and makes them less noticeable.

It is annoying to have to brush and floss all the time, but it's become such a routine now that I don't even think about it and I love that brushing and flossing are so easy (again, I had a fixed appliance before, so I had experience with floss threaders and WaterPiks and the like... I appreciate the Invisalign all the more for it!).

Again, the decision is very personal so you have to think about whatever will work best for you, but just wanted to give another perspective from someone on the other side!

[Mike02110]

Thank you arciedee! This is extremely helpful. My ortho does the digital scans as well.

Decisions, decisions.

[mapleleafman888]

Hey, I'd say that fixed braces are the way to go. I had 3 ortho consults, and I had the same concerns as you...I'm a 25 year old guy, didn't fancy the idea of fixed braces at all, my case was minor compared to most (15-18months).

2 orthodontists said I wasn't an invisalign candidate, 1 said I was but the results would be less than optimal. As one ortho said 'fixed braces give 3D control of the teeth' ---where as invisalign can't do as much as braces. Obviously compliance is an issue with invisalign...I opted for ceramics.

I haven't read all the posts here so I hope I didn't double up answers lol, hope this helps you!

Good luck