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Im in my early 30s now. Back a few years ago when i went to another country in Mexico, I thought about getting invisalign there because i figure if im there an extended amount of time and because i heard dental was very cheap there compared to the US, i should do it. I have no health insurance at all. I'm from New York as well. So when i went there, i had teeth cleaning done at a dentist that was recommended. He said because my teeth was very bad, cleaning it once wasn't enough. I remembered that i had to go him each week for multiple weeks because he had to clear each quadrant of my teeth, from quadrant 1 to 4 etc. Then after he did this, my teeth was cleaned. Then i recalled i asked him about invisalign. He told me he didn't do it but there was another dentist that did it. That orthodontist who was there visiting the doctor took a look at my teeth and asked me questions. They asked me if i smoke or drank much and i said no and they were surprised since my teeth were very bad and yellow. I recall telling them i did drink lot of sugar free red bull and ate granola bars but dentist didn't think that meant much. I also had teeth whitening done and he had this teeth thing that i put over my teeth that was designed specifically for me. Im sure you guys know what im talking about? You had to pour this gel from these little tubes in it and then put it on your teeth for 1 hour i believe or x minutes.
Well the orthondontist told me that they first thing was the cost of it was going to be like 4500 us dollars i believe. I dont remember how much exactly but he said it was between 4000 to 5000 usd. Again this was a few years back so prices now has increased. Thats quite a lot of money for me but i was willing to pay it. However, i was shocked because i thought if that cost that much in the US and much more since im located in say New York, i would have thought invisalign would cost half the amount etc. So that got me disappointed. The main thing however was when i asked him how long would this process take though... he said well it depends on each person but he said judging from my teeth, i believe he said it would take 2 years. I think he said the shortest time would be 1.5 years but it was range from 1.5 to 2.5 years i believe. But i think it was more like 2 years. At the time to me, that was a very long time. I had thought if it took 6 months, i would do it immediately. If it took 1 year, i would think about it for a bit but do it pretty soon. If he said 1.5 years, i would think about it but very uncertain because i wasn't sure how long i would be in Mexico for etc. But since he said 2 years, i thought... thats a very long time because i don't think i would stay there that long. I really doubt it. So i then told the orthodontist i would think about it.
Then i googled online about what happens if you have to travel or move from country to country while on invisalign and people seem to say don't do it because if you do it for 6 months or 1 year or anything less or even more and have to go to another country, that orthodontist would have to transfer all the information to the other orthodontist. So i believe people said you would be paying almost 2x the cost of it. But its more like 1.5x since the new orthodontist probably wouldn't charge you full price? Well i wasn't sure of the answers but because of that i decided to not do it. However, i was in Mexico throughout all those years and had i done it, my invisalign treatment would have been already done already as its been years.
The thing is im getting older. I thought few years ago when i was in Mexico or before when i went there, i thought im going to have good teeth by the time im 30. Well that did not happen and my teeth seems to get worst. My teeth even when i was younger was bad. My 2 big teeth are not straight and my bottom teeth, one of them is pushed back really back. It looks very ugly and unsightly. Thus if i had just done the invisalign treatment a while back, i dont have to think of it anymore. So another question i have is this. Was my logic bad that okay he say it take 2 years, then dont do it if you are not going to be in the country for at least the time? Because now that i think of it, i thought well.. it would improve each month right? Thus every few months you would notice improvement? And the other thing is what would happen if you dont complete the full treatment? Like it takes 2 years and after say 6 month or 1 year you dont do it anymore. And say you go to another country but do not have the money to finish the treatment? Does that mean your teeth is going to be worst than not doing procedure in first place? Also i believe when you first do the treatment, you have to pay the entire amount at the beginning right? I remembered the orthodontist talking about having to pay 4500 dollars or 5000 dollars at the beginning, then every 2 week or so i go and get new retainer etc. Thus i have to visit him every x week.
Right now i want to do invisalign. However my main issue is im pretty close to certain i would not be in Mexico for at least 2 years. I don't think i would be there for even more than 1 year or say 6 months Im in the US now and heading back to Mexico not very long. Of course if im in the US and stay in same location for a while, then i could do it. But if i were to move to another state, is the issue the same like with Mexico and the US? Like imagine i get invisalign in New York but few months later i go to las vegas for a few months? Or do it in vegas and then after 6 months go back to New York etc. Because the only places where i would stay at beside Mexico would be New York City or Las Vegas.
Also thoughts on braces? I know they are cheaper but in general do they take faster? However, i would not want to do it because when i was younger, i had braces on for maybe 2 days and then i had it removed because i hated the way it felt and also because i was younger and didn't like other ppl to see i have braces. Of course had i done it, then i have no issues now. But i can't imagine myself wearing it in my early 30s as that would just be hard for me to do. Also because i heard invisalign is much more comfortable.
What is the shortest/longest time you heard someone on invisalign? So if they say 2 years, could it be possible its done in say 1.5 year? I assume for people with not that bad teeth, 6 months would be enough? Some people maybe even shorter? Also what about if you only do the top or bottom? That still would take the same time? I have issues on both the top and bottom. But my main issue in the top is my 2 front teeth on the top which i always had problems. But the bottom main teeth in the middle, there is one tooth that is pushed back very back that i was afraid it might even fall off etc. So when the orthodonist in Mexico told me 2 years, i figure he has to be pretty accurate because he said my teeth were pretty bad.
Does anyone here have advice on this? I also do not want to pay for the treatment twice as 5000 dollars now is already a lot of money for me. Thus 10000 dollars would be way too much. My main issue is i really dont think i would stay in a city/location for at least 2 years. Im not even sure if 1 year or not. So because of that, does that mean i cannot do it then?
I know a lot of people are looking into the Smile Direct Club vs Invisalign because the smile direct club is advertised as cheaper but this article says it is a not a good substitute. If you are considering braces they take just as long as invisalign so probably not worth it. I have heard of people getting out of invisalign in as few as 7 months. You can always go to a new orthodontist half way through if you move, your current ortho will be able to send your dental information to the new orthodontist and I dont believe they will charge you for braces twice but I am honestly not positive that is a question you could call and ask.
I just googled smile direct club and seem to have very bad reviews. Anyone here done invisalign can chime in? I would like if someone did it and actually had to change doctors due to them moving etc and how that would go etc. Because if you speak to an ortho on this and then say you will probably be moving not that long, well they probably wouldn't suggest it right?
I had Invisalign at age 30. I had braces as a child but my teeth shifted. I had Invisalign for about a year and half. The last couple months was just making small changes. I actually was moving out of state but finished my Invisalign treatments prior. My orthodontist said its very costly when you change doctors during and I was happy with my orthodontist.
You can't rush the Invisalign because your teeth are moving gradually and you won't fit in to the next I'm not sure what they call it but trays I think. Then after you must where your retainer or your teeth will shift
I think its so important to go to an orthodontist who does a lot of Invisalign. You can go on the website and put in your zip code. Then go for a couple opinions. I don't think going the cheap route is wise.
I had invisalign for about 9 months and it was a breeze. My teeth are nice and straight now. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the actual process of invisalign.
How bad were your teeth though when you did it in 9 months? Where are you located? How much did you pay? 9 months is pretty fast. So i assume your teeth wasn't that bad?
My wife had very crooked teeth with one in front being sideways and after her 2 year long procedure with Invisilign they now look great. She still uses them at bedtime to maintain keeping them aligned.
She still uses them at bedtime to maintain keeping them aligned.
So they don't stay straight if you stop using the invisilign? That seems like a waste then.
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