This is the story of my Invisalign Braces experience as an adult patient. I started Invisalign when I was in my mid thirties and living in Brisbane, Australia. I have now moved and live in Hertfordshire in the UK. I had 34 sets of aligners to wear, for my first run, 50+ for my second, so I’m an extremely experienced Invisalign patient. In fact, I think I may be one of the most experienced Invisalign wearers in the world at this point!
I started this blog to document my Invisalign experience and the results that I got from wearing Invisalign braces and to show the before and after images of my treatment as well as the trials and tribulations of going through Invisalign treatment.
I used an orthodontist in Australia called Brett Kerr who runs an Invisalign only practice and is one of the most experienced Invisalign orthodontists in Brisbane. Unfortunately since my treatment he has retired. Having gone through this treatment I strongly suggest that you choose an orthodontist specialising in Invisalign rather than a general dentist who also offers Invisalign treatment.
I would love to hear from anyone via the comments forms. If you have any more specific questions about the blog please let me know via the contact page.
Thanks so much for reading!
Wish me luck!
Hi
I have had ceramic braces (Innovation-C)for 3 weeks and am really struggling with speech, mouth/lip position and eating (loosing weight!) so have discussed with my orthodontist the options of persevering, giving up (!)or changing to Invisalign – this blog is a really useful insight into the reality of this system so thank you for sharing your experiences!
Hi. I’m currently starting my refinement process which has turned out to be as long as the initial set (ah! – 20 sets lower and 10 sets upper). However, I’m currently in the USA and plan to relocate back to Australia in October 2010. I won’t be finished and even though I could transfer my treatment back to Australia, I want to possibly reassess at my point of departure and possibly stop at that point if my dentist and I are both happy with where my teeth are at. He also recommended that I could shorten the days between sets to hasten the treatment – (as long as the aligners were relatively loose at say 10 days). Have you done this at all and do you think 10 days is long enough between sets (all things feeling right)? Thanks for your blog – it’s been a great resource prior to commencing this treatment as well as along the way!
Just wanted to say your site is really helpful. I’m still contemplating whether to get invisalign or metal braces. I have spaced teeth (bottom) and I seriously want to get them fixed. Just not sure which is a better option. I’m in mid-30’s.
Thanks again for sharing your experience. Very helpful.
I started Invisalign at 52 years young. For many of the same reasons posted here. My first set of trays included 34 upper and lower. After completing that I received 22 refinement trays – way more than I was expecting. However, my lower canines have been slow to move in, and I knew they were nowhere as in place as I would have hoped for at the end. I will always wonder if traditional wire braces might have worked faster.
Hi, am having moulds taken next week, long journey ahead of me…v nervous about the pain/ulcers/speech problems, so will read your blog with great interest !
xx
Hi Christine,
I know what you mean about the diet coke. I think I’ve reduced my habit a little, but no more than that.
I am really pleased with my results so far, but as you say compliance is the hardest thing. I almost wish that they were very difficult to get as that would make me wear them more instead of constantly whipping them out for a snack!
Good luck with your treatment. How fantastic to get a makeover as a prize! What else did that entail?
Anyway, hope your treatment goes ok. The school run is a killer. I often get halfway down the road before I realise that my mouth is empty and I can’t turn back just having yelled for half an hour to get everyone into the car..
Hope your treatment goes well.
Hi – thanks for your blog, its really interesting. I won a makeover contest here in the UK and am having Invisalign treatment – I’m on top tray 2 of 29, my bottom ones start at tray 14… I am finding it night on impossible to keep these things in for the required number of hours due to my diet coke habit! and have exactly the same probs with the school run in the morning, suddenly they’ve been out 1hr or more without me realising… am going to try better though since reading your blog as your results are fantastic.
Thank you Patsy! I am glad to help anyone I can in making their decision. As I said to Rich above, I only wish that Invisalign had existed years ago so that I could have had these teeth before now.
Thank you again for sending me more readers!
Hi
Thanks for doing this. I’m a dentist in the states that uses Invisalign and I refer my patients to your website. Really insightful!
Hi Rick,
Thanks for reading! Glad to hear that your teeth are going well too. My Orthodontist told me that he has patients in their 60’s having Invisalign. Reassuring to know that braces aren’t just for teenagers! I was thinking the other day that I wish that I had done this years ago, but the truth is I don’t because I couldn’t really have done it before and been as happy. Invisalign didn’t exist then and I’m sure metal braces would not have been half such a pleasant experience as this has been.
Anyway, good luck with your treatment and thanks again for reading.
Best wishes to you! I too have invisalign…on #9 right now. Been using them since about august ’09. I’m 47 and decided i’m finally tired of crooked teeth! So far, so good.