Invisalign

[DeezNuts]

Anyone ever have these(removable clear braces-type thing to straighten teeth)? I used to have braces in jr. high but never wore my retainer, now my teeth are bad and seem to be getting worse every year.

I don't really need COMPLETELY straight teeth if it means wearing metal braces for 2 years, I can live with how crooked my teeth are now, I just feel like they are continually getting worse, a road I don't want to go down(may end up just getting a retainer). I get canker sores easily when I get cut on the inside of my mouth and don't really want metal braces again. Plus, getting close to 30, I don't want to look 15 again. Am willing to pay more for invisalign, but was wondering if anyone had experience with these.

DN

[edtost]

i don't know if this is what you're talking about, but i had clear plastic "retainers" in HS that fit over my teeth (kinda looked like empty dentures). they weren't bad, but i never really wore them.

[JMP300z]

We havent started ortho yet in school (next semester) but Ill try to ask around for you tomorrow.

-JP (dental student)

[DeezNuts]

[ QUOTE ]
We havent started ortho yet in school (next semester) but Ill try to ask around for you tomorrow.

-JP (dental student)

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. I have a bunch of friends that are practicing dentists, but no one that has ortho experience and don't know anyone that has actually HAD these, which is what I am really looking for. Basically, how much better/convenient than braces are these? How much more expensive, etc?

DN

[Oblivious]

I used Invisalign. Since I was single and in college, I wasnt really into getting metal braces. Its good that you can take them out to eat, brush, makeout etc. My teeth were straight, i just had a large bite and some extra space to close, so my dentist said my situation was best for Invisalign. I used a bottom alligner for something like 20 weeks, and a top alligner for 26 weeks. They closed some of the space and corrected a slight overbite pretty well. Theyre obviously pretty painfull, and you'll be too sore to eat comfortably for the first week. After I finished, I was supposed to continue wearing the last alligner as a retainer, but Ive slacked and now cant fit into it comfortably.


Edit: They were somewhere between $400~$1000 more expensive than conventional braces. I dont completely recall because my parents paid for it. They were lightyears more convienient than I imagine conventional braces would be.

[edtost]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
We havent started ortho yet in school (next semester) but Ill try to ask around for you tomorrow.

-JP (dental student)

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. I have a bunch of friends that are practicing dentists, but no one that has ortho experience and don't know anyone that has actually HAD these, which is what I am really looking for. Basically, how much better/convenient than braces are these? How much more expensive, etc?

DN

[/ QUOTE ]

ok, so these are what i had, used as retainers after i got my braces off. i found the braces more convienient, simply because eating/talking/making out/etc required taking the invisalign things out, or just became a gigantic pain in the ass.