Invisalign

[MelonBoy]

Searched a few threads but they were all pretty old..

Assuming a few of you guys actually went through with the invisalign. Anyone recommend me a ortho?

From my understanding, I can shop around and get assessments before actually going through with the treatments?

I'm planning to try get a assessment in a few places and bring it back to my actual dentist. Just to run it through with him and see how what he thinks.

[miss_crayon]

I never tried invisalign myself but my orthodontist did (and still) offer it. He's Dr. Ritchie Mah Burnaby Metrotown Orthodontist | Ritchie Mah DDS | Metro Pointe Orthodontics BC V5H 4M4 The building is across the street from Staples at Metrotown.

Granted, this was 15-16 years ago when he was my Dr but he did a wonderful job on both my brother and I. I still see him once in awhile when we bump into one another at dimsum (he's a younger guy..probably in his 40's now...well..I guess "younger" is subjective) and he still remembers us. Our family dentist still refers their patients to him as well. Not that this is important but since I'm giving a small review...the office was Clean and up to datewhen I was there, so I'm sure he still keeps it that way.

Just wondering, is getting braces an option? Or are you very firm on the idea of invisalign?

[MelonBoy]

Thanks!

I'm pretty firm on the invisalign. Mainly cause of my age and lifestyle/habits.. but cleaning and maintenance work for braces don't sound very appealing to me.

If you don't mind me asking, why do you ask that?

[BraedenDA]

Ive had mine for about two months now and am so glad that I went with invisalign over braces. I go to Dr. Chow at Panorama Orthodontics just in Surrey.
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[DaFonz]

Originally Posted by MelonBoy

Searched a few threads but they were all pretty old..

Assuming a few of you guys actually went through with the invisalign. Anyone recommend me a ortho?

From my understanding, I can shop around and get assessments before actually going through with the treatments?

I'm planning to try get a assessment in a few places and bring it back to my actual dentist. Just to run it through with him and see how what he thinks.

See the problem with Invisalign and braces is that after everything is done, you're still not guaranteed straight teeth. You may have to do multiple treatments which many orthos don't tell you.

You should absolutely go to a couple of orthodontists. Once you decide on one, then negotiate the price with them.

I'd also do some due diligence and read about other people's experiences with invisalign... one example site:
Interviews with Braced People - New York Orthodontists

[tiger_handheld]

what's the retail on invisilign? I've heard 5k+

@MelonBoy - if you get some prices pls post.

[miss_crayon]

Originally Posted by MelonBoy

Thanks!

I'm pretty firm on the invisalign. Mainly cause of my age and lifestyle/habits.. but cleaning and maintenance work for braces don't sound very appealing to me.

If you don't mind me asking, why do you ask that?

Ahh I see. I only asked because I was curious. If I had the choice back then I probably would have chosen it too but of course...it was really up to my parents since they were paying for it. However, I understand the price and convenience of braces was more appealing.

Having a younger kid using invisalign wouldn't be ideal because they would probably take it out and forget about it if a parent isn't around to remind them to keep it in. Having braces guarantee it'll be working 24/7 for the next 2 years whereas INVIS might take a longer process if you're not diligent enough with it.

Anyhow, I think if INVIS appeals to you, you should definitely give it a go. Having a better smile may not seem super important..but I can honestly say that it was a confidence booster. I use to close with my mouth closed when I was a kid cause I was so embarassed of my teeth...but after the process was complete I always smile with teeth. It may seem like something so little but a little goes a long way.

BUT, like someone said. Braces and INVIS isn't going to make your teeth straight/fixed forever. Although my process was 100% complete and successful, my front tooth naturally shifted outwards over the years. It's not noticeable at all, but if you inspect it (like...super up in my face kinda thing) you will see a little shift. It will never twist or shift to the point where I'll need braces again or anything though!

[racerman88]

Originally Posted by tiger_handheld

what's the retail on invisilign? I've heard 5k+

@MelonBoy - if you get some prices pls post.

That is the ballpark figure

[PJ]

Originally Posted by DaFonz

See the problem with Invisalign and braces is that after everything is done, you're still not guaranteed straight teeth. You may have to do multiple treatments which many orthos don't tell you.

This.

I had braces when I was younger, but over the years, a couple teeth started to shift again. I would imagine Invisalign has less of a long-term effect than braces -- so it depends how much straightening your teeth need. If it's extreme, I recommend you do the braces first.

A friend of mine is on Invisalign, and he said having to take them off before every meal/snack/drink-that-isn't-water, and having to brush your teeth before putting them back on gets old fast. It's a pain especially when you're out, or at work. He has to carry a toothbrush/toothpaste in his jacket all the time. So if you're someone like me who eats and drinks all the time, you have to make sure you stay diligent.

That said, I'm considering trying it out as well. There are only one or two teeth that need re-straightening, so I probably would only need the shortest program.

[Manic!]

One word Awesome.

I have had mine for about 6 months and it has been great. My teeth were pretty bad but they are looking a lot better now. When a get a new set it only hurts for about a day and it's not that bad. My third set was the worse but the rest have been a pretty easy.

[marc0lishuz]

Got a quote from Ocean Dental across metro for $4500 (under 1yr treatment). Might go for it since it's the cheapest I've seen.

[instantneedles]

It's a love/hate relationship with my invisalign... I've had them for a few months now but if you're willing to go to the trouble to go through the process of pulling them out/putting them back on after every single meal, and having to clean it every so often, I'd say go for it...

I experienced a bit of discomfort in the initial few days of wearing them, but nowhere near the pain i've seen being experienced by people who wear regular braces..

5k is more/less a reasonable price point to expect for invisalign, but if you have decent medical insurance, money shouldn't play too big a factor

[LanEvoMR]

Originally Posted by marc0lishuz

Got a quote from Ocean Dental across metro for $4500 (under 1yr treatment). Might go for it since it's the cheapest I've seen.

cheap doesn't always mean good

[MelonBoy]

Alright, went in for a consultation & x-rays today at
Braces and Invisalign Vancouver BC, Surrey BC, Langley BC
(Elite preferred provider)

Ill try explain what they told me so everyone can have a general idea of my situation vs theirs..
They explained how my case was a bit of a complication but I wont need to do surgery..
My procedure will cost $6450
Step 1 (about 6 months)
- I have a cross bite or something, meaning my front top teeth is a over bite but my sides are to even (they should be overbite too)
- Ill have to get a metal press thing under my top teeth (on top of my tongue)
- What that does is push out my top teeth, making it a overbite for my sides
Step 2 (about 15 months)
- After my cross bite is fixed, I can start the Invisalign..
- I was told I dont have any extra or missing teeth
- Mainly fixing some gaps and overcrowding..
- Also ill need to use elastics

Pro's
- It was around my estimated price range
- Friendly & very professional service (I felt really comfortable there)
- Financing: I was given option to pay a down deposit & spread the rest for 20 months (interest free)
- Elite preferred provider/Top 1% of North America Invisalign Providers (Guess thats good, since they have more experience?)
- iTero - This provider offers iTero® impressionless scanning;no more trays and putty impressions. (Better tech, I noticed the other ones I'm going to dont have this)

I have another 2 appointments coming up.. Ill write down what I think later and then compare with my regular dentist. Which one I should go with..

[JLC]

I did Invisalign for a few months prior to my wedding. My teeth are generally pretty straight and I was only fixing a small gap that got bigger and bigger over the years beside my front teeth. I only had to do 7 trays so it was a short treatment.

But my experience with it was awesome...Would never do anything different.

Looks like you're in Vancouver. I did it thorugh my dentist who is also trained and licensed to do Invisalign. Kits Family Dental close to Arubutus on Broadway. I know the dentist there fairly well now after having gone there for quite a few years now so I could provide a referral...might help with bringing the cost down slightly.

Shes a younger dentist and runs her own practice and she's pretty cool...
Worth a visit to her if its a convenient location for you.

[Ikkaku]

I've had this done a while ago, but I think it was a good decision. My teeth were really bad, and this made it significantly more presentable. It's not perfect by any means, but at least my teeth are now relatively straight.

One thing I will mention is to not expect celebrity-perfect teeth. Teeth are different for everybody, whether it be shape or the size. What they will try to do is to either a) make it more presentable and/or b) provide a better bite. I think my dentist opted to go with a better bite.

Also your gums will be quite tender when you change your tray. Expect a bit of discomfort at first, and slightly wobbly teeth. Don't worry, this is normal. Change trays right before you sleep, and most of the pain will be gone by the next morning.

As for the hassle of brushing your teeth after each encounter with food, there is a reason a lot of people refer to this as the invisalign diet. It really is a hassle. For me, I just opted to either drink water, or use one of those breath sprays. I don't know why I enjoyed the latter so much

[miss_crayon]

^A lot of celebrities get veneers. It's almost impossible to get super bright, white, AND straight teeth like that.

[MelonBoy]

ClearView Orthodontics
Invisalign - Vancouver BC - ClearView Orthodontics
(Premier Preferred Provider)

2nd consultation, was a total opposite of what the first place told me!
The person said my procedure for invisaligns would be very basic and not complicated at all. The recommended work was quite different.. not sure who's trolling me.
Procedure cost will be $6850
Step 1 (about 12 months, may need a few extra tray's after if I'm not satisfied with the results)
- I go straight to invisaligns, use about 24 trays through out the whole thing.. After the treatment I will get veneers for 2 of my teeth from my regular dentist.
- Main difference, this orthodontist said my teeth weren't that bad overall..
- Pointed out: my front teeth is about 1/2mm in front of my bottom (ideal would be 1mm)
- Did not comment/suggest anything to do with pushing my side teeth out more to create an over bite.. instead she said they were well aligned, the teeth fit nicely together on my left side but my right is a touch off (aka we will leave them as be)
- Didn't mention the need of elastics or anything but said I was a good candidate for Invisaligns because my teeth weren't complicated

Pro's
- Instead of having a assistant explain and go through everything. This orthodontist actually did it herself! (made me feel more confident about what she was saying and she wasn't just sprouting shit outa her mouth)
- Examination & Explanation felt very thorough, she did the quick examination with getting her assistant to write down notes. After she went through everything slowly explaining what she can see & what she recommended
- Friendly & Professional
- Procedure is quite a bit shorter, seems to be in line of what I actually want to do (I prefer not pushing/expanding my upper jaw/teeth..)
- Location is great, outside of downtown and not to far away
- Overall experience in the office was great; the reception area was comfortable, spacious, had a old school pac man machine, free keureg coffee, tv, and usual amenities. One thing I couldn't help but notice was every client was Caucasian.. I felt oddly reassured that this was a good place because of that.. Lets be honest now.. caucasians have legit teeth and the overall clientele seemed wealthier.

Con's
- Price is a bit more expensive (even though the other place seems to need to do more?!)
- Financing: $2000 downpayment, the rest roughly breaks down to 350ish a month into its fully paid off
- Traditional putty mouth action, so no fancy impression less scanning..

One more appointment to go! Depending on how that goes, I may try to ask this last place to lower/match the price of the first place.
(I'm leaning towards this place but the price is a bit eh.. for me)

[SB7]

Went for numerous consultations with orthodontists and dentists in Richmond to figure out whether or not to go with invisalign or braces.

If you haven't gotten your wisdom teeth removed and they are impacting your teeth then you should get them taken out before getting anything else done. You can also get x-rays/pictures of your mouth/teeth which any dentist/ortho can refer you to.

Make sure to get at least 2-3 different quotes for both invisalign and braces, the scans of your teeth will really be able to reveal the best and most efficient method of fixing your teeth. You can also just email different dental offices and ask for a quick quote/recommendation. Some won't answer unless you go in for a consultation (which they charge about 30-50$) but you can also request over email or phone to have that fee waived.

I ended up getting many different quotes, ranging from 5000-6000 for braces and 5500-6500 for invisalign. My family friend is a dentist and I ended up going with her and she charged me 4500$ The lowest quote I got for invisalign was 5500$ since I have a more complex overbite and crowding in both the upper/lower and a misaligned bite. This is over 3 years by the way

Anyhow:

tl:dr -

Went with braces because my case was more complicated and I wanted more precise movement, even though invisalign was only slightly more expensive and the methods have really improved over the years (according to my dentist)

[MelonBoy]

Viva Orthodontics
Vancouver Orthodontist with offices in Langley, and near Surrey, BC
(Premier Preferred Provider, i think)

3rd Consultation, once again different opinion on my teeth (its in between the last 2)
The orthodontist told me my case wasn't is borderline becoming complicated but will qualify for invisalign but preferred braces for more control.
Procedure cost will be $6728
Step 1 (18months, straight to invisalign)
- Talked about my overbite, I mentioned the other ortho saying they wanted to push my top teeth out but he suggested otherwise because I am to old. His main concern was if we did that it would just relax/shift back into place
- General procedure was about the same... straighten bottom teeth, fill in the gaps at the top, and veneers for 2 teeth after from my dentist
- Overall he said what the clearview person said (less detail)

Pros
-Orthodontist did most of the explaining himself, an assistant helped explain the finance for me after
- Friendly & Professional
- Location is outside of downtown, parking was very easy
- Overall the experience was ok, I was running late and went to the wrong place but they still allowed me to come in! (though i had to wait a bit)

Con's
- Price is same as clearview (a bit more expensive then the first place)
- Location, a bit further away then the clearview place (I drive so that doesnt matter but for some of you who bus..)
- Financing is about the same..? $1180 down, $360 monthly payments for 15 months
- They orthodontist & assistant both came off as Aggressive/Confident/Cocky/Pushy.. Even though I told them I am comparing them to a few other places and would talk to my normal dentist to see his opinion. They talked to me as if I was already going to pick them (ex. the assistant said would you like to book your next appointment now or later?!) That was right after i told her I'm going to consult with my dentist lol..

[MelonBoy]

After bringing all the information & having my family dentist look around at my teeth.
We both decided ClearView Orthodontics was the best choice!

For these reasons
- Dr. Sui was the most detailed in explaining the procedure, seemed to care about my oral health the most, took her time & had the most detailed examination, very relaxed & didn't feel pressured at all
- Only one who brought up the concern about my back teeth grinding, also recommended a easy solution to this would be a night guard/retainer after my Invisalign's (my family dentist picked up on this even before I told him, one of the main reasons why he told me to go with her)
- Her recommendations were more on the lines of functional & natural look
(Other 2 orthodontist, seemed to be more concerned about the over look rather then functionality. They came across to me as wanting the Perfect Teeth)
- Overall she seemed to have catered to what both my family dentist and I wanted. Which was for a natural smile and having functional/healthy teeth.. The word my dentist used was Functional Occlusion?

Hopefully this helps anyone who is looking to get Invisaligns.. ill dig up this post later on when my procedures are done! Let you guys know how it went

[vancitylove]

Did you go through with it? I'm also thinking of going with invisalign and would be interested in your experience.

[jnesss]

when you're done your treatment, i would recommend having a permanent wire put in place behind your teeth. i've seen lots of people go through years of having braces, only to have their teeth shift back to the way it once was due to not wearing retainers enough.

i've been wearing a wire behind the upper 6 front teeth for at least 4 years now. the only issue was that one of the brackets broke recently, so i had to get it bonded again. yes you can still floss through em, a bit annoying, but knowing your teeth won't be moving around AND not having to wear that nasty retainer after shelling out thousands of dollars is definitely worth it.

[MelonBoy]

Originally Posted by vancitylove

Did you go through with it? I'm also thinking of going with invisalign and would be interested in your experience.

I dropped my 2.4k deposit a week ago. Waiting for my cases to be made, which will take a few weeks.

Originally Posted by jnesss

when you're done your treatment, i would recommend having a permanent wire put in place behind your teeth. i've seen lots of people go through years of having braces, only to have their teeth shift back to the way it once was due to not wearing retainers enough.

i've been wearing a wire behind the upper 6 front teeth for at least 4 years now. the only issue was that one of the brackets broke recently, so i had to get it bonded again. yes you can still floss through em, a bit annoying, but knowing your teeth won't be moving around AND not having to wear that nasty retainer after shelling out thousands of dollars is definitely worth it.

I wont be getting wires but ill be given night guards to use for the rest of my life to keep'em straight lol.. not a bad deal. Throw'em in before I sleep and take'em off after.

[Trevor Benster]

I know a guy in Surrey Vancouver that does a good job with Invisalign. Invisalign Surrey