Invisalign and Me
Blogging about my journey with invisible braces! Sharing my tips and tricks on living with Invisalign.
My Invisalign Pros and Cons (Honest as Possible!)
Advantages of Invisalign +
It’s invisible (or, as close to invisible as one can get) and virtually undetectable
I was SO paranoid when I started my treatment! I thought that people would be able to tell straight away that I was wearing clear aligners. In actual fact, not a single person has ever so far noticed the aligners – when I do in fact reveal that I’m wearing Invisalign, people are shocked. “No way! Are you wearing them now? Dude, you can’t even see them!” To which my response is – “I know, right?” *winks*
You can take them in and out whenever you want to
Wearing Invisalign is totally flexible. You are not doomed to months on end of having permanently attached braces in your mouth, to food sticking in between every nook and cranny of the metal, to not being able to eat or drink certain foods. You can pop the aligners in and out whenever you please – which not only makes eating and drinking easier, but also, makes the aligners easier to clean.
Because they’re invisible, nobody knows that you’re having dental treatment
Look, some people like to share, others don’t. And until Ugly Betty came along and made braces somewhat chic, there’s still a bit of a social stigma attached to them. (Hehe. Attached.) Call me vain, call me a realist – but if you’re conscious about a) being seen with braces or b) having to tell people you’re having dental treatment… then Invisalign is a fantastic choice.
You spend less time in the dentist’s chair
‘Nuff said. You and I both know how it feels to be sitting in the dental clinic, stomach rumbling because you didn’t eat so that the dentist wouldn’t see food in your teeth, inhaling the scent of chlorine, and feeling very dirty because of all the white walls and furniture. Because the ClinCheck basically predicts what your teeth will look like, there’s no need for as many constant checkups as with regular teeth.
You can see what your teeth will look like in the end
As said above – the whole Invisalign treatment is crafted specifically for you from moulds of your teeth. CRAZY STUFF. No such luck with traditional braces – they throw the metal on your teeth and tell you they’ll get straight. Which, of course, works excellently too.
Kissing and other, ahem, extra-curricular activities remain completely unaffected
If you think having braces means saying goodbye to sexy time, you would be wrong. Whilst snogging a mouth full of metal is slightly risky and somewhat unappealing, Invisalign is made of plastic, is invisible, and is slick-smooth in your mouth. Also, wearing your aligner means that your teeth edges less sharp, so...
They pose absolutely no hazard to the inside of your mouth – so you can live life to the max!
Not that people with traditional braces don’t do crazy things – but there’s higher risk of mouth cuts and sores and tearing the inside of your mouth if you’re doing sports or adventurous activities. With Invisalign, there’s no risk of that because the aligners are moulded EXACTLY to fit your teeth, and they’re made out of plastic. So… free-fall bungee-jumping off a cliff in Peru? YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD.
Disadvantages of Invisalign -
It needs commitment. Invisalign is not cheap – and aftercare could add up, too
As I’ve said previously, Invisalign can get expensive. YOU NEED TO BE COMMITTED. You have to wear your aligners for at least 22 hours a day and brush and floss and rinse as soon as possible after eating, to avoid bacteria and plaque build-up in your aligners. The upside of normal metal braces is that they're much cheaper and just as effective.
In England, Invisalign costs upwards of £6,000. In the States, from what I’ve read online, Invisalign ranges upwards of $3,000. Same in Australia, the Philippines (upwards of P30,000) and everywhere else.
Of course, if you have some kind of discount or know an orthodontist who can pull some strings for you, then that shaves a lot of the costs down.
Your teeth might not be 100% straight afterwards – check with your dentist beforehand
Invisalign does not promise perfect results because a) it’s a prediction, and b) the treatment relies on YOUR efforts. If you don’t wear your aligners for 22 hours a day, then your results will not be the same at the end of the treatment. With normal braces, a tried and tested method, you know your teeth will be fully straight.
If you lose an aligner, you need to pay for a new one and prolong the process
Ouch. Just don’t lose your aligners, kids!
You have to remember to wear them for at least 22 hours a day
No falling asleep on the couch before remembering. No randomly leaving them somewhere and not being able to find them again (they’re transparent! I REPEAT, TRANSPARENT. AND THEREFORE AN ABSOLUTE BUGGER TO FIND IF YOU LOSE THEM.)
The treatment process might not be 100% invisible if you need attachments or bands
Attachments are not invisible. They’re very discrete and/or subtle, depending on where you get them. I only have one on my upper left incisor and it’s totally undetectable unless you stare at my teeth from
an angle (in which case, unless you’re my dentist, is extremely weird).
Attachments are a little more obvious under the aligners, and if the attachment colour doesn’t match your teeth, then they can make your teeth look whiter or yellower depending. (Eek! Brush your teeth guys.)