<p>My teeth were very good as a teenager, but as I have aged they are getting so crowded. My wisdom teeth did not come in until I was in my twenties, so I am guessing that has something to do with the problem. According to my dentist, my bite is off and the crowding makes it difficult to banish plaque. I recently went to the orthodontist and next week I have an appointment to hear his recommendations. </p>
<p>So - I would like to hear your stories. I am especially interested in invisalign (sp) as that looks like a possibility to me.</p>
<p>H is just finishing with his invisilign. He didn’t have braces as a child (MIL claims his teeth were “perfect”), but thay have been pretty crooked since I have known him. The entire thing took about 10 months. The biggest hassle seemed to be when eating out as the braces have to be removed before eating anything and then put right back in. They weren’t cheap, but I think good dental care is worth it. As a teen, hearing a relative’s story of having all of her teeth pulled and dentures fitted made a big impact on me. I will invest a lot so that neither H nor I have to go through that.</p>
<p>I encourage you to do it now. I wish I would have gotten braces when I was in my 20’s or even 30’s. Due to an accident when I was young I have 2 teeth that are turned badly. I am not a candidate for Invisalign. Apparently it isn’t very effective when teeth are really out of line. I’m afraid to do braces because I don’t think my teeth are strong enough. I’m afraid when they try to remove the braces my teeth will break. I didn’t think the cost of Invisalign was that much more than braces, but I don’t remember the exact cost. Braces would have been quicker than the Invisalign.</p>
<p>Also, if your bite is off, your teeth might wear down more quickly in some areas.</p>
<p>I have a former colleague and a student who have done invisalign. In both cases, I was able to perceive a clear change in their teeth over the course of the treatment. Both are very happy with the results. Both reported minimal difficulty in mastering speaking skills with the plates in - within a couple of weeks, they sounded just like themselves again.</p>
<p>As for eating, my colleague was absolutely religious about only having the plates off for 30 minutes to eat and clean her teeth before popping them back in. My student, on the other hand, would take them off in class, eat her snacks, and put them back in without cleaning her teeth first. Maybe the rules have changed a bit over the years, or maybe my student was just starving.</p>
<p>I never had braces either, but my teeth really were great when I was younger. I really didn’t need braces. I looked at some old photos and the difference is significant. As I said, I don’t know for certain why they changed, but they did. Ten months sounds terrific to me! I was told I have moderate crowding. You know, if I thought they wouldn’t get any worse, that would be one thing. But I don’t want to look at them 10 years from now and regret I let them get worse. </p>
<p>One of the lessons from this for our kids is that they should use their retainers, otherwise teeth will shift and they will be kicking themselves when they are my age. Not sure if my DD’s will get the message, but I can only hope!</p>
<p>By the way, if I do this, I will follow all instructions. If they say 30 minutes out - it will be 30 minutes out.</p>
<p>I had them as a young teen and it was a flop,just didn’t work. Went back and got braces again at 19 and had better results. My youngest just got his braces off and is now wearing Invisalign to finsh things off and likes them. I say go for it if it’s something that will make you feel better and that you really want!</p>
<p>I got braces when I was 38. I had exactly the same problem. My teeth were getting more and more crowded. I attributed it to late wisdom teeth and grinding and clenching in my sleep. I never regretted it. My husband thought I was nuts but supported the idea because it was important to me. I still do wear retainers to bed and my teeth have shifted a bit but they told me that was normal. When you get braces as an adult, your bone has more “memory” so your teeth really want to go back to their original position. I had to wear retainers 24/7 for six months after getting the braces off. Good luck! I say go for it. You’ll be glad you did.<br>
By the way, No invisalign for me. I had to have metal on the bottom teeth but was able to get the clear plastic on top. I was a knock out!</p>
<p>I’m kicking myself for not getting braces or Invisilign when I had great dental coverage a few years ago. I was a teacher and thought it’d be too weird to try to talk. But now, my teeth, like yours WnP (I love your name) are getting all crowded and one is even starting to jut out. Everyone says they’re expensive. About how much are they? Good teeth = good health</p>
<p>I survived 2 years in regular metal braces as a 40+ yr old adult I was not a candidate for Invisalign because I had a couple of missing teeth. It is doable, and you should go for it. And the colored rubber thingies around my braces allowed me to show off my Huskies or Seahawks spirit My treatment was $4K (no insurance) paid over 2 years; I’ve heard that it pays to shop around. BTW, you can get clear plastic regular braces, so the only metal pieces on your teeth are the wire and the metal ties holding the wire and the braces together.</p>
<p>One disadvantage to the clear brackets is that they don’t stay clear for long. They stain easily from coffee, tea, etc. One time I ate a hot dog with mustard and had yellow brackets for a couple of days until it faded a bit. Another great perk is that it is so hard to eat at first when you are getting used to them that you inevitably lose weight. My slim figure almost compensated for my mouth full of hardware (well, okay, not really).</p>
<p>With braces, I got pretty diligent about brushing after every meal (I still have a toothbrush and a tybe of toothpaste in my purse) - I hate stuff stuck in my teeth! Braces did not help me a bit with weight loss - I figured out how to eat everything, even the hard stuff like apples and carrots, in no time :D</p>
<p>Adult brace face survivor here! As a child my teeth were excellent. Even though I had my wisdom teeth out in college, my teeth shifted as I got older. (My ortho said this is normal; it happens to almost everyone.) About 4 years ago I saw a brochure for Invisilign, which prompted my investigation into braces. My ortho gave me 3 options/price points: Invisilign on top & bottom teeth, Invisilign on top & ceramic (clear) on bottom; ceramic on top & bottom. Invisilign was the most expensive option, by far, PLUS, my ortho said he may not be able to do the final adjustments with those and would need to put the regular type braces on at the end anyway. So, I went with the ceramic, which were visible, but not as bad as the regular metal braces. It ended up taking almost 2 years, but it was worth it. And yes, I lost 15+ pounds since I really couldn’t eat. (The bad news is I’ve regained all the weight, but it was great at the time.) Wearing the retainers at night is a must.</p>
<p>H was just told yesterday that he would have to wear retainers for the rest of his life. </p>
<p>About retainers: I had braces for two years as a teen, then was given a top retainer only. Don’t ask me why but this was in the 1970’s and its all changed now. Anyway, I wore my retainer for several years and my top teeth still look great. My bottom teeth, however have shifted badly. The good thing about this is that when D got her braces off she was supposed to wear retainers (top & bottom) for a year, but wore them for three years. She was freaked out by my teeth. The bad news is that dentist has recommended invisalign for me. I am willing to do it but at this point with H just finishing his, S in braces and D in college, it will have to wait a few years. But it will happen.</p>
<p>My mom had braces put on when she was in her 60s!! Her teeth had always bugged her and she just went for it. Her teeth were never really that bad but she had a touch of an overbite and it always “bothered” her. She’s now in her 80s with no overbite.</p>
<p>I also had braces as an adult. My top teeth were always pretty straight and the bottom ones were always a bit crooked. The bottom ones got worse over the years and my dentist recommended that I talk to an orthodontist. He strongly recommended braces to “provide better support for your face as you get older.” In other words, my teeth were caving in. Once I heard that I was a candidate for Invisalign, I signed up on the spot. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and I am thrilled with the results.</p>
<p>A few bits of advice:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Don’t believe the initial estimate of how long it will take. When I complained to one of my daughters that it was taking longer she told me I was a sucker and that if they told people how long it would take, nobody would do it. She couldn’t believe I fell for it.</p></li>
<li><p>If you get Invisalign (and I hope you can as it is amazing) it is very important that you scrub the trays clean the minute they come out of your mouth - not before you put them back in. If you never let your saliva dry on them, they will stay sparkly clean. If not, they will essentially get plaque and be crusty and smelly (delightful, I know).</p></li>
<li><p>If you can, at the end of your braces, get a permanent retainer behind your bottom teeth. It is a thin wire that is cemented to the backs of your front teeth. It sounds weird but it only takes a day or two to get used to it and it keeps your bottom teeth in perfect position forever. I wear my invisalign top retainer at night but never have to put on the bottom one (I have it in case the permanent one breaks).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I hesitate to tell you but my Invisalign took almost two years. Even so, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>Can someone give an estimate on the costs for invisalign? I’m looking into it for my son, but want to have some idea before I broach the subject with my husband.</p>
<p>A topic somewhat dear to my heart. Had 4 teeth pulled + full headgear + full mouth at age 12/13 and my teeth came out PERFECT. 6 months later I stepped on (and broke) my retainer and was afraid to tell my parents. By my senior year in HS my teeth had moved to the point that it bothered me a bit. At age 25 I went back to an orthodondist who was very pragmatic. We only did the uppers for cosmetic straightening, not striving for perfection. This time I paid for it so I am still wearing my retainer at night 30 years later (yes, the same one). And my message to any kids is: ALWAYS WEAR YOUR RETAINER!!!</p>
I was not a candidate for Invisalign because I had a couple of missing teeth. It is doable, and you should go for it. And the colored rubber thingies around my braces allowed me to show off my Huskies or Seahawks spirit