I’m a 43-year-old woman who finally was in a financial position to get her teeth fixed. I went to an orthodontist who provided me with braces. I don’t know how these kids live with these. I am absolutely miserable. The metal keeps cutting my lips and I have the worst time trying to get food out of them. I am self-conscious all the time, not just because I have a mouth full of metal but because I’m constantly worried there is something stuck in them. A friend just told me about Invisalign and said her teenager loves them. Is it too late for me to switch?
Amanda
Dear Amanda,
Invisalign Aligner
I am sorry you are so miserable in your braces. To be sure, they have a lot of drawbacks to them. The good news is that unless you have an unusually complicated case, then you should be able to switch to Invisalign. Your orthodontist might balk at that. This is because they were trained in braces and are not as familiar with Invisalign. To see if you are a candidate, I would visit an Invisalign certified dentist. Your orthodontist is ethically obligated to provide all the diagnostics he did, including his notes and x-rays which will make it much easier for the dentist to evaluate your situation.
The great news is that Invisalign has a very high patient satisfaction rate. Not only will no one know that you are wearing any type of orthodontic, but you remove them when you eat. This means you can brush and floss as you normally would before putting them back on. Because there is no metal wires or brackets, you don’t have to worry about any food getting stuck in the braces, nor will you get any cuts on the inside of your lips.
Additionally, there is a secret, hidden benefit to Invisalign. The clear aligners that are used to realign your teeth can double as teeth whitening trays. You can ask your dentist to provide you with some teeth whitening gel and place it in your aligners during a convenient time for you. This allows you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time.
This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Dentist Dr. Marie Moeckel.