Clear Correct vs. Invisalign

[Mar]

Both these products are great, but are there any other systems out there that can give me the same results? I see the trays and feel I can just make these myself and save a lot of money.
If anyone has any tips it would be greatly appreciated.

[Sunny]

The aligners are made with a huge amount of skill and scientific expertise going into the process. They need to design the amount of movement for each tooth at specific times. Too much one way or another, and the treatment will be affected. Also if teeth are moved too far too quickly, you risk damaging the roots of the teeth and the possibility that the teeth will fall out.

To do this work requires many years of study ... and some of the people completing this study do come up with new idea, that give great results.

Unless you're a trained orthodontist who also had training in the making of aligners, I doubt you'd be able to make these trays and achieve the results they're designed to achieve. Instead of saving money, you'd more likely spend much tryinig to save your teeth.

If you want to find out more about 'what's out there?', make appointments to talk to some orthodontist's and ask each one you consult with this question. They're the experts, and they're the people you need to talk to about the precise science of moving teeth to get results.

Good luck!

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

You're right that and aligner tray isn't that hard to make. It's the planning into how each tray is supposed to move the teeth that is the difficult part.

Other systems offer 3 to 5 aligners but without allowing the doctor to plan the movement. This means a lab tech is deciding how your teeth will move. Moreover, 5 trays isn't going to provide you with much movement at all.

See an orthodontist to discuss what options might be available to you. Best of luck!

[Rosieee]

Make the trays yourself? Aaaaaahahahahaha...Can you please try and let us know how you get on?

[mikeg]

Make the trays yourself? Aaaaaahahahahaha...Can you please try and let us know how you get on?

LOL

I'd stick with the leader in this field.. Invisalign.

[leevshan]

This is the funniest I've read so far about Invisalign. :lol:

[Mosweetthang]

When i asked my dentist about Invisalign he told me that i could get Invisalign or Clear Correct and that they are made by the same company. He said that Clear Correct was a bit less expensive but nevertheless the same thing as Invisalign. The only problem i've noticed is the edges on my lower tray are a bit sharp, but after a little filing done by the fiance, the tray is perfectly fine. ^^

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

Clear Correct and Invisalign may have trays that look the same, but that's not what drives the treatment. The treatment is directed by the doctor and with Invisalign, there is a 3-D imaging program that allows the doctor to clearly define how the teeth should move. I do not believe this is the case with ClearCorrect unless something has changed.

Good luck with your treatment!

[myhollywoodsmile]

Make your own Invisalign? Interesting idea! Have you seen a tray close up because I honestly can't imagine how it would be an easy thing to construct at home. Then again I struggle with cupcakes...

[SoxFan]

The totally non-practicality of this aside. It's actually a very simple process if one has the right tools, equipment, and experience.

I've done it a course I took on forensic odontology.

All you have to do it take a negative set of molds, cast a positive out of it, and then use a vacum molder to make the plastic trays (the plastic is heated till is is very soft, placed over the positive mold on the vacum plate, the vacum is turned on and the plastic is sucked down over the mold into a perfect shape, then you wait till the plastic has cooled, remove it from the plate, carefully pry out the plaster/stone positive, and then trim the plasitc tray to fit.

I'm not sure if Invisalign is manufactured this way, but it is my understanding this is how most clear retainers are made as it is a pretty quick and accurate process.

Wouldn't reccomend doing it even if you had the supplies as the problem would be changing the tooth position on the positive mold so that the plastic tray actually moves your teeth rather than be an exact copy of what is there.

[Rosieee]

Ummm but how would you make the teeth move if you could only make a tray of the teeth at that exact moment?

[myhollywoodsmile]

All you have to do it take a negative set of molds, cast a positive out of it, and then use a vacum molder to make the plastic trays (the plastic is heated till is is very soft, placed over the positive mold on the vacum plate, the vacum is turned on and the plastic is sucked down over the mold into a perfect shape, then you wait till the plastic has cooled, remove it from the plate, carefully pry out the plaster/stone positive, and then trim the plasitc tray to fit.

only a vacuum molder? Sounds easy! An at home job then

[Sunny]

You could make your retainers ...

[Richard M.]

Greetings Dr. Tam,

I just began my treatment with clear correct, when i spoke with my dentist and inquired about invisalign we did the molds for the upper and lower teeth and he took various pictures and xrays and sent off my package. a week or so later he called me to inquire whether i would be interested in going with clear correct. He said the cost was the same and the products where the same, with the exception that clear correct would replace a tray if i happened to lose it and the results where the same.

Granted it's to late now to change companies, but do you feel that invisalign would have been a better choice then clear correct? why or why not. To give you some back ground, i'm 30 yr male who had top braces when i was younger, and need slight/minor adjustment of my top teeth (7th and 10th tooth are turned out a bit, and small gaps inbetween the back teeth). I never wore braces for my lower teeth, and have some crowding in the front, and never had my wisdom teeth removed on the lower jaw. I believe the term is impacted.

Any feed back you can give would be appreciated.

[robin8]

ClearCorrect should cost less than Invisalign. In order to compete with Invisalign and gain market share, ClearCorrect charges dentists significantly less than Invisalign.

[GoofyGG]

I'd never heard of ClearCorrect until I read this thread - looks exactly the same!

[ChicagoB]

I think I'll pass on this one. One false move and I may need to make my own false teeth.

[crtnyallsmiles]

well.. IF you had a vacuum molder at home you could make a RETAINER.. but NOT an active aligner. The plastic tray has to be "active" in order for the teeth to move

[synthetic]

Make the trays yourself? Aaaaaahahahahaha...Can you please try and let us know how you get on?

Ummm but how would you make the teeth move if you could only make a tray of the teeth at that exact moment?

Ugh, I know your kind. Unable to comprehend the relative and informative post previously presented and continuously presenting her own worthless half cent. You don't criticize a person for inquiring. It was exactly people like you who would have ridiculed Leibniz for his inquiries that lead to the binary system (this is the system of 1's and 0's that computer science is founded on, and ultimately, allows you to keep disclosing your lowered capacitance for thinking to the world.) If you don't have anything worthwhile to say, keep your mouth shut? The kid asked a technical question. Provide him with relative information or don't offer anything. Better yet, print this post out and keep it in your pocket with you at all times. That way, 5 minutes from now when you're about to offer someone else more shades of arrogance-caked incompetence, you will have step-by-step directions for abstaining dissemination of your mental capacity (and believe me, that is something you perpetually and invariably want to avoid.)

you're welcome.

[case4294]

I wanted to get orthodontic treatment in my early 20's for the first time in my life to correct some minor issues with my bite and a couple teeth that were not aligned.

I did not want to go with traditional braces, and at the time, the main product available was Invisalign. I was approved for Invisalign Express, which is 10 trays or less, because they determined it was a simpler case with only minor movement.

I wore the trays diligently exactly as directed, but after all 9 trays, the product still had not fully straightened my teeth. My dentist took new impressions and Invisalign provided a 'refinement,' which was 8 more trays. After the 8 additional trays, my teeth still had not moved correctly, so my dentist took another impression and Invisalign sent a 3-tray detailing, which is apparently the maximum they are able to send.

The trays were not moving my teeth like depicted in their online visuals! My dentist completely agreed and called Invisalign, but their customer service is non-existent! They pretty much said there was nothing they could do, even though they approved me for a certain case. When the trays didn't do what they claimed, they basically just said too bad instead of standing behind their product. My dentist even talked to the Invisalign territory rep, who also said they were not willing to do anything further.

I was shocked that such an expensive product would have non-existent customer service when there is a legitimate complaint. Fortunately, my dentist completely agreed with me and was willing to stand behind himself to help me when Invisalign wouldn't.

My dentist mentioned that a new product, Clear Correct, had come out and that they were supposedly much more customer friendly and accommodating. He offered to let me try Clear Correct for no additional cost to finish the movement Invisalign never achieved.

I have had 8 Clear Correct trays, and they have already produced significantly more movement than over 20 Invisalign trays did. The reason for this is because Invisalign never recommended shaving between some of my teeth to allow for necessary movement. All they did was suggest a few knobs.

Invisalign basically just shipped out the product all at once with no information. Clear Correct ships it in steps so your dentist can check in on the progress, and they have always been extremely responsive with any concerns or issues. Unlike Invisalign, they actually have someone you can talk to and want you to be satisfied with their product!

I am still trying to get the last few tweaks fine-tuned, and Clear Correct agreed to send out an additional phase without any argument or problems like there was with Invisalign.

Another big issue I had with Invisalign was that not only did you have to fight every time you needed a refinement, but when you sent them new impressions, it'd take at least a month before you'd hear back from them or even get trays, so you're basically waiting in between with no progress on your treatment.

Overall, the trays are going to be essentially the same, but what really matters is who is going to stand behind their product and work with you to make the product do what they say it will do for you.

I have the unique perspective of having tried both companies, and I can honestly say that the peace of mind of knowing that Clear Correct will work with you to make you happy with the money you spent is well worth it.

I am disgusted with Invisalign & so thankful I had this option.

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

The above is a bit misleading though I do not dispute that you have had an improved experience using ClearCorrect in your own situation.

Your dentist selected Invisalign Express. Your dentist approved your treatment. Your dentist gave you refinements and planned that treatment. Your dentist allowed Align to design the treatment for 3 detailing trays. You had to fight for the refinement because your doctor chose Express and does not include 3 refinements in the lab fee that other Invisalign products provide.

None of this is Invisalign's fault. Your doctor is responsible for your treatment. Align does not have a customer service line to speak to patients and they should not need that because you chose orthodontic treatment at your dentist. You have to view Invisalign as a technique, not a product. Your disappointment should be with your provider rather than Align.