Clear braces

[bcfc999]

Is anyone wearing one set of retainers at night only and the other 24-7? Due to a debacle with my bottom teeth (didn't have to pay again thankfully!!), I've only just now got my bottom retainers and ended up having a fixed wire fitted too. I've had my top retainers a few weeks already and was wearing aligners with them until I got my new bottom retainers this week. Because of the fixed wire, I only have to wear the bottom retainers at night, but have to wear the top ones all day and night for the first year. Idk whether to just wear both full time until the year is up? It feels so strange having nothing on the bottom and plastic on the top!

 

[weeweegie]

I’ve got suresmile aligners in, I’m on week 3. I have to change them every 10 days. I got it through my dentist and I’m paying it up over 2 years.

It was definitely painful the first 2 weeks and I had a panic getting the top ones out the first time I tried. It felt like I was ripping my teeth out but a few weeks later and I’m much more used to it and the pain isn’t so bad. I can already feel them moving. I have a top tooth that looks like I’ve been punched. I can’t wait til it’s in line with the other tooth! Bothered me for years.

I really didn't get like the pain and weird feelings of pressure in my gums but it’s amazing how quickly you get used to something!

 

[weeweegie]

How often do people change to the next retainer? Mine should be every 5 days I get a new retainer but sometimes my teeth aren’t ready so i need to wear them for an extra 3 days

Every ten days here.

 

[Oscarbaby0312]

I considered Invisalign, but my Orthodontist said in my case it would take much longer, be more expensive and not give a best result. The alternative they gave me was a fixed, ceramic brace which is much clearer compared to a traditional train-track brace. With the ceramic he said it would take slightly less time (circa 18 months), be cheaper (I think a £700 difference) and give a much better and tailored result.

I opted for a ceramic fixed brace instead and not going to lie, my mouth is SO sore. I have these extended brackets which feel like razers in my mouth and have led to a cut in my mouth. I'm not sure if they can file them down as it's not the actual wire. I'm only on the first week, but so far haven't been able to bite into food so my dinner has been consisting of soup, cottage cheese (which I have to fish out from my brace) and water.

I know if I was wearing Invisalign - I would have already removed them due to the pain. At least in this way, while it is uncomfortable and YES I have cried a lot today - they are on my teeth and I can't be tempted to take them out.

However saying all this, I do wish I had chosen to get braces at the start of the year as I'd already be half-way through my brace journey - but oh well!

I have the ceramic ones too as apparently invisilign wasn't the right option for me. In the first week I wondered what the hell I had done, I could barely close my lips over my teeth but after the first week it felt much better, after that I felt normal again. I'm hoping I'm nearly done now, they said 14 months originally and that was last November.

 

[Snowjoke]

Very normal! Aligner 2 will feel tight and then follow the same pattern.

Great thanks, great to have people to ask

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

I drink cold drinks with them in. I think towards the end I probably will drink hot (ok, warm!) drinks with them in. I change mine every 10 days. I can’t wait til it’s all done

Did your dentist decide that you wore yours for 10 days and then changed? I send them my first photo next week.

Also, how do you clean your aligners? I just took mine out and they smell not great (I cleaned mine with toothpaste and brush this morning)

 

[xx3221]

Thanks, definitely won't be using the online companies - these I've looked at are all provided through dentists, just different brands to Invisalign as far as I can tell

Yeah pretty much. Im not sure how much the diff is but the hidden costs would terrify me a little, i liked going to see my dentist too and i know how much im paying and exactly what im receiving, so the extra cost was worth it for me personally. One of the best decisions ive ever made - i love when people compliment my teeth

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

Any recommendations as to where to buy more chewies?

 

[Heyholetsgo]

I’ve just started my clear aligners today! I’m doing one which is similar to Invisalign, my dentist said I am a complex case I had braces as a teenager and I naively thought they’d be like my retainer which I could click in and out of place with my tongue they are sooo tight and I can barely get them off!

I hope they loosen up otherwise no Christmas snacking for me

How are you getting on? I am hoping to get mine this year I keep talking myself out of it but need to do it!

 

[Justdance2020]

Are the invisalign hard to adapt to? I am going for my consultation the end of the month and am on the fence between invisalign or clear tracks?

 

[Naataaliiee]

I had a free consultation then went in to meet them and it was fine. I then paid I think around £40 for a check up and to check suitability but it came off the final cost. I’d say go with your gut. However if the £100 is additional, it sounds expensive. The place I’ve gone through are in the top 1% in Europe and not the most expensive I had a quote from! It’s amazing what smaller places charge for these services.

 

[xx3221]

I was changing them every 2 weeks but then a month ago my dentist decided to speed it up bc she noticed one of my teeth wasn’t rotating correctly so now I change them every 10 days

Sorry I meant how many hours a day lol. Should've rephrased

 

[Snowjoke]

@Scorpihoe definitely check because single arch means either too or bottom, so if they’re charging £1800 per arch it’ll be £1800 x 2 if you want the top and the bottom doing! Mine was £1750 for single arch. £500 for the clin check seems steep I’m pretty sure mine was free?!

Definitely, mine is £1850 just for top teeth

 

[TwooTwooTwitTwitTwoo]

That is an identical procedure to mine except I have been told to wear a daytime retainer for 6 months before moving onto the night time.
I’m currently on tray 4 and haven’t had lots of pain, which actually worried me but looking at my teeth it’s amazing to see how much they’ve actually moved already, and my whole bite feels different!
I get my teeth filed in a month and I’m trying not to think about it, although many people have told me it’s slightly uncomfortable but not at all painful!
Do you need many attachments?

I think there were six or seven. She said she was going to email all the details to me but she hasn't yet.
I'm a bit worried about the pain side of things but am really looking forward to my bite feeling more comfortable.

 

[horsey1234]

Is anyone happy to share how much theirs cost? (Invisalign)
My dentist quoted me £5k for up to 12 months which was more than expected

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

Guys I’m having a late night freak out!

I’ve been wearing my final aligners for about 2/3 months now I’ve had the attachments removed in early Feb and have just had to keep re-arranging the appts since because of work and being a mum anyway I’ve just noticed a piece of plastic that’s lifted where the retainer must have been scratched and in looking at that with my iPhone torch I’ve noticed quite a few cracks in the back teeth where I must clench my teeth in the night?! Please tell me the actual retainers are stronger than this?! I don’t get them for 2 weeks but I’m half tempted to ask to nip into the dentists before to pick them up, or is it not worth the bother is this fine?!

 

[Heyholetsgo]

Has anyone completed their treatment and found that their face shape has changed? I'm worried about getting them now as my face is so long and thin as it is and I don't want to look even worse (but with good teeth haha)

 

[ChilliBean]

I’ve just had six month smiles braces fitted and oh my god I’m in so much pain. I only had them fitted on Wednesday and I’m struggling to eat. Someone tells me it gets better please all I can think of is why on Earth am I doing this

 

[Never in the World]

I found that sometimes when my teeth were moving a lot. It obviously creates space/gaps and so the aligner moves. I would speak to your orthodontist though as if it’s only your first one sounds like it might be uncomfortable for another week or two.

when removing it remember to loosen it all around your tooth-line rather than just unhooking the front and pulling (this caused mine to crack a few times)

I second that !’

 

[Dianne]

I just have a night retainer, no wire