So I'm thinking about getting Invisalign as I am too old for braces. Does anyone have any experience with it? I know cost will depend on how messed up your teeth are but what price range should I expect? Also, any recommendations for an orthodontist around the Galleria area would be greatly appreciated. TIA
i just had them to check price for me. it cost about $5k for the whole thing. my insurance MAY pick up about $1.5k. that's still $3.5k to pay out of pocket. i can't decide whether i should buy an American made Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster, or get Invisalign...
I'm getting it soon also... I can tell you, I've tried out a sample that they made for me back in May... it's basically like retainers... if you've ever had those. They make them in the shape of your teeth after molding your teeth. They range anywhere from $3500 and upwards.. I think mine is around $3800 with everything including maintenance... I prob won't get them until next year though. Another thing... you gotta brush your teeth after everything you eat... it's horrible if you're a person that eats on the go or likes to eat snacks... gotta keep a small toothbrush and toothpaste with you at all times.
I thought about getting it too. The money doesn't bother me but that brushing after every snack is going to be annoying. My teeth were never bad enough when I was young to get braces like my brothers. So my dentist got me retainers instead which I proceeded to lose twice, so my dad never got me them again. Hence I still got stereotypical Asian teeth.
I'm on invisalign right now. I paid 4500 with Insurance covering 1500 or 2500, can't remember. I was on the initial plan for 16 trays (2 weeks per tray). Now I'm on the refinement, which means basically my ortho wanted for me to have better teeth by fixing my bite (broaden my back teeth). Well, if you like to snack, invisalign sucks because you gotta brush after every time to eat. However, most people can't tell I have invisalign and I don't have a horrible lisp or anything.
I was on invisalign about 6 years ago and it worked good for me. It took about 14 months to correct my teeth and everything went to plan. The only annoying thing is that you must have them in your mouth for most of the day. You talk a little different with them in your mouth, but they are barely noticable.
Do you have to go see your dentist every two weeks to get the new tray, and how bad is the pain when you put a new tray on?
You're never too old for braces. I got mine when I was 19 and they didn't come off until I was 22. There is a 40 year old woman I work with that just got her's off. Not sure if braces are cheaper now but back then my set cost me $3800 so it seems Invisalign is comparable unless the price of braces has dropped in the past 10 years.
I had it...you have to be disciplined. With braces, your own discipline didn't matter since you couldn't take them off. Invisalign...you really have to do your own policing and make sure you wear it. I've read about how not wearing the trays for at least 18 hours a day for the full 2 weeks each time can potentially not give the base structure of your teeth enough time to form after the movement (i.e. if you take them on and off a lot, your teeth will be in constant motion, never settling in place and kind of "setting"). If that happens, you could be in for some trouble 20 years down the road with weak teeth structures. But I do recommend it if you're eligible. I got a deal from my friend's cousin and only paid $3200, and $1500 was covered by insurance. But I think the normal price for him was btwn $4500 and $5000 And since he was far away, I convinced him to give me trays for 8 weeks at a time rather than going to see him every 2 or 4 weeks.
If I remember correctly, you get all trays up front and go in for check ups every 2 months or so. As far as the pain, it varies. It kind of hurts whenever you didn't wear the previous tray as much as you should. If you have the tray on as much as the suggest, the pain wil be minimal.
a) not always true, depends on the dentist/ortho as to whether you get all the trays at once or get a few at a time b) not always true. it depends on your teeth. Sometimes, certain weeks will have bigger shifts (or more dramatic turns) than others, and certain trays will just hurt more even if you follow all the directions and wear them as much as you should
I had them. I got them at 23. i didn't want braces in my wedding pictures. You have to be good about cleaning between meals or else you will be more prone to cavities. Your teeth always ache when you switch out retainers. but a few hours later you are all good.
My teeth weren't bad so it only cost me about $2k overall. What I need to warn you is, if you get lazy and half-ass it, another 3-6 months will added to your time for how long you have to wear invisaligns. I got lazy and it took me an extra 6 months to finish.
Thats how it was for me, I guess it just depends on the dentist/how bad the teeth are. Mine were done very slowly, with minimal shifts. It still hurt sometimes if I went without them a day or two. I think you can have the choice of less time or spread over a longer period of time.