<p>
I’m sure it does. Plus, it will depend on how much “work” your teeth need. When I got my braces, we were living in Fairfield County, CT – very high cost of living. I don’t think my teeth were a complete mess, but the price tag for Invisilign for me would have been substantially more than $4K.</p>
<p>A friend got estimates ranging from $3.5K to $8K for her kid’s braces from several doctors in the area.</p>
<p>Do go ahead with the braces. I had mine done at 43 and I am mighty glad I did. My teeth were getting in worse and worse shape by the age 43, and they contributed to tooth decay, bad breath and shame to show them when laughing. It cost handsome amd demanded patience. But I knew I would be living many more years and I now know I have done the right thing.</p>
<p>As for cost, my orthodontist let me pay in installments. You could ask…</p>
<p>Bumping up this thread since my 19 year old daughter said to me last night, “mom, you really should get invisalign”. I have been thinking about it for a while too. Wondering what worknprogress decided to do? I think I am going to make an appointment for a consult and see what the orthodontist has to say about my teeth.</p>
<p>If you can afford it, do it. By the way, check your dental insurance if you have it. Mine covered about half of it. We have a lifetime per person allowance for it.</p>
<p>No dental insurance at all here. DH is a self-employed small business owner. We can afford the procedure/process but I am wondering if it is worth the pain, embarrasment and time. I am 49 years old, is it worth it at my age?</p>
<p>Well, how much do your teeth bother you? I was very self conscious and they were getting more and more misaligned. I feel much better about my smile now. It also makes you look younger because the younger generations are partly identified with straight, white teeth (although I find EXTREMELY perfect teeth to be a bit boring). Crooked, yellow teeth age a person. So at 49, you might end up looking 39 :)!!</p>
<p>Also, you get over the embarrassment. There are many adults getting braces these days. i see more and more every day. There’s no shame in caring for yourself.</p>
<p>Worknprogress here. Unfortunately, I had to postpone my appointment to discuss options because of DH’s unscheduled trip to hospital. </p>
<p>I need to reschedule, but things have been a little too hectic. I did put away more money in my health savings account to help cover the anticipated expense. So - this is a good reminder that I need to get on this.</p>
<p>“I am wondering if it is worth the pain, embarrasment and time.”</p>
<p>If you do Invisalign, there will be no pain or embarrassment. The time is going to pass whether you do it or not. For me, braces were not only a matter of appearance but also of health. It was absolutely one of the best decisions I ever made. Incidentally, I was right around 50 when I started.</p>
<p>My orthodontist told me he put braces on an 85 year old woman who had always wanted them but couldn’t afford them.</p>
<p>^^and then she had her Bat Mitzvah :p</p>
<p>Seriously, I can add constructive points to this discussion based on personal experience. </p>
<p>When I reached mid-40’s, I had to have only the bottom teeth repositioned as one tooth pushed back and really hurt my tongue. Owee. Teeth are dynamic! Like one poster above, I got the permanent single-wire installation rather than a take-out retainer following the big fix. It’s a moderate challenge to keep clean around a permanent retainer, but there are products over-the-counter to help. There was no Invisiline then, or if there was I ruled it out for cost or newness, can’t recall.</p>
<p>I found that with only the bottom metal braces as an adult (l year), nobody noticed. Perhaps then you might save money if you go Invisiline for the tops, and metal for the bottoms? It’s worth a question, perhaps.</p>
<p>I occasionally meet adults with the Full Metal Jacket, top and bottom. I think “good for you, how smart, how brave…” all positive thoughts.</p>
<p>DD just finished with her invisalign and it came out great - just in time for her senior picture… It was about 9 months and was covered 50% by our insurance - and then the Ortho put us on a payment plan for the rest - about $1500 as I recall. So total was about $3000.</p>
<p>H had always disliked the large space between his front teeth, so when the kids were finished, I suggested he be next. He was a little hesitant but decided to at least have an initial consultation. He turned out not to be a candidate for Invisilign (space too big), but decided the benefits would be worth the 18 months in full braces. He is soooo glad he did it and now has a beautiful bite and smile. We know several other adults that have also undergone orthodontia and I can’t think of one who isn’t thrilled with the results.</p>
<p>Count me in as someone who had braces (metal ones) as an adult. No big deal. Invisalign was not an option because I was missing teeth (tell your kids to never go “traying” headfirst down an icy hill!). Our insurance does not cover braces for adults, so I went with a 2 yr payment plan. My upper braces were not metal - they were clear plastic, so the only metal part was the wire connecting them. Many people would not even notice them! And being a voraciuos eater, I learned to eat everything (corn, steak, carrots, etc.) without messing up my braces in no time! The end-result was better than expected. So if you can afford it, I highly recommend going with braces!</p>
<p>I had braces as an adult – got them taken off about 2 years ago. I had also had them as a kid. My teeth didn’t appear crooked, but I had bite problems. I say go for it. Once I had mine, I found it amazing how many people came out of the woodwork and indicated that they’d either had them as adults or were contemplating getting them. I was more conscious of it than anyone else.</p>
<p>My 20 year old is on her third round of braces. After two rounds of orthodontia, 7 thousand dollars and 5 years of braces we are on the right track. Six months ago she had her wisdom teeth removed and two days ago she had othognathic surgery. Her bite was so bad there is no way it could have been corrected through braces and it worsened as she went through adolescense. Finally we are on the right track. She will be in braces for six more months and then on a retainer, perhaps for life. Her bite problems caused mouth breathing, jaw tension, dry mouth and snoring as well as undo wear on the 2 teeth that were able to meet. Visually her chin was small and recessed, and although we didn’t persue this for cosmetic reasons the cosmetic results were astounding, putting aside the swelling. I will drive my car until it leaves me on the side of the road for this but without it orthodontia was useless.</p>
<p>Goodness checkbook, what a saga. I am so happy for you that it is almost finished. Do you know if your orthodontist will be able to install a permanent retainer on her bottom teeth? My eldest had two rounds of braces because a regular retainer wouldn’t hold her bottom teeth in place. After the second set, she got the permanent retainer which has worked great. After her experience, I insisted that her younger sisters both get the wire attached and I did it too after my Invisalign. It takes about a day to get used to it so it’s not a big deal.</p>
<p>Ok, I have made an appointment with the orthodontist (for a consult) for the first week in January (after the kids go back to school). I will let you know what he says (about if I am a candidate for Invisalign, the cost and how long it would take).</p>
<p>My sob story - I had braces on my uppers three times before I was done in high school and once on my lowers. I have a cleft palate and, of course, that created havoc everywhere in my mouth. Over time, some of my back teeth began to tilt inwards and I had another consultation as an adult several years ago about getting braces again. However, due to my cleft palate, it is not feasible at this point and I was devastated. It would require some rather major reconstructive surgey to my palate in order to facilitate the movement I wanted, and honestly, the teeth you see when I smile are pretty straight. However, I guess after all those years in an orthodontist chair and dentist chair, I felt entitled to have a perfect smile and so I had the consultation. I figured any orthodontist would look at me as a good chunk of change and take my case, but I was wrong. Like I said, I’d love to be in any of your places and have the choice to get braces again.</p>
<p>Luckily, it was also discovered that I clench my jaws at night when I sleep, so I did qualify for a night guard, and have been wearing it for several years now. It almost functions like a retainer as it will keep my upper teeth from any further shifting at this point. If I happen to miss a few nights of wearing it (like when I have a cold or something and I just don’t want to wear it), when I do put it back in, it’s tight, so I know my teeth are still trying to move. </p>
<p>I’d say with all gusto, go for it!</p>