[Zoso]

Originally Posted by Mini

I just had my consultation a few days ago. I am going to get ceramic braces for a few reasons. One is the cost. I think it is too expensive to get Invisalign. Another is that invisialign takes longer for the treatment. The main one for me though, is the fact that you can remove invisalign. It may seem like and advantage, but you have to be complient and need to keep them on. I think that if they started to get uncomfortable for me, I would just take them out. But with the ceramic braces, you can't take them out whenever you want to, so your only job is to go in and see the orthodontist. So I think ceramic braces are better for me. But, some people are better with directions and are more complient than me. So if you think you could keep them in during points in time where you have discomfort, then I think invisalign is a good alternative for traditional braces.

You show a lot of self-awareness, Mini. You're definitely right that using Invisliagn, or indeed any other type of removable appliance requires self-discipline on the part of the patient, and some of us have it, but others don't ... some of us have a lot less of it than we'd be willing to admit, even to ourselves! But anyway, this is one reason that many providers remain fairly reluctant to use Invisalign for teens (not saying you are a teen, of course) even after all the adult teeth have fully erupted.

Another, somewhat related reason that some people opt for fixed appliances over Invisalign is that Invisalign needs to be removed to eat - even snacks - and they are concerned about getting enough hours of wear/day without changing their eating habits drastically. Usually it is possible to fit in a normal routine of meals and snacks, and the appropriate cleaning, but then still, some people feel this is a bit of a hassle, and fixed braces do paradoxically seem easier for them.

Then, of course, without a doubt, there are simply cases that Invisalign will not be able to handle well, or with any acceptible degree of predictability of success.

Originally Posted by Sunny

If you have staining on (in) your enamel, tooth whitening/bleaching will make this appear worse. Tooth whitening affects the surface and does not allow for mottling of the teeth.

I'm not sure why you'd say this, Sunny. Surface staining, obviously, is readily removed by a routine hygiene appointment. True whitening, of course, treats the tooth to a deeper level. And more than one dentist has told me that it's impossible to predict whether whitening will accentuate or whether it will even out the appearance of white spot lesions that some people experience due to inadequate oral hygiene while in braces.