So today I start my journey with Invisalign braces...
A Brief History
My top teeth have always been pretty straight but over the last decade, they’ve begun to over crowd, and a few of my front teeth are starting to overlap. Coupled with that I’ve always had an open bite (top and bottom teeth have never touched). So when I discovered both these issues could be helped by Invisalign I was immediately interested.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a relatively new form of clear plastic braces, used as a more aesthetically pleasing and rapid alternative to traditional metal braces.
They do cost more than traditional braces (£2000-£5000) but they are completely clear so less noticeable and a lot quicker than traditional braces. you receive a whole bunch of aligners so that limits the number of visits to orthrodontist, as you won’t need tightening visits etc.
The Initial Process and First Consultation
My initial consultation for Invisalign took place today. I was given a rough estimate that it would take 3-5 months for the treatment and I would only need 14 trays, I think this is half the usual amount as I only needed minor adjustments at this point. To be honest this is one of the main reasons I decided to go for this now. As the worse the crowding gets the more time and money treatment would take. I had Impressions of my top and bottom teeth (I was told doing the bottom teeth tooth would help ensure they meet nicely and evenly with the top set) taken and a bunch of photographs to prepare my "Clincheck" a 3D video that would show what to expect from my treatment. At this point I had to pay £300 upfront to cover the cost of the 3D animation. I was told this was non refundable if I decided not to progress with treatment. I was told my total treatment cost including this would be £2400. This would be paid over instalments each time I visit for new aligners etc.
The Extras
So initially I though Invisalign would be very similar to my nightguard, just a plastic brace. But I soon found out theres a little more involved in the whole procedure:
Attachments
I would need to have several attachments or buttons placed on certain teeth, to help the Invisalign brace stay in place and also create the pressure required to actually move the teeth. These are basically made of the same material they use for white fillings and wouldn’t be too noticeable.
Inter-proximal Reduction
Now this was the part that I have to confess scared me a little. With Invisalign they tend to prefer this method over removing teeth, which definitely makes it preferential!! Basically they need to file the sides of a few teeth less than 0.5mm to create the space required for teeth to move.
Having gone through the process and filling in a few medical forms, I was told I'd have to come in to review the "Clincheck" video with my orthodontist, and if all was ok then we'd go ahead with ordering up the trays... :D
