My main worry is about having to wear a retainer for life, even if only 3 times a week. Iām not sure Iād be able to keep up the habit, it sounds like a pain in the arse, and I donāt fancy having something permanently in place. Iām also not sure Iād get used to the feeling of having wires in my mouth from a sensory point of view. Anyone got any experience of wearing a retainer long-term?
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@Gnometorious @Petagno (and anyone else whoās done it)
How did you find having the aligners in your mouth at first? Iām a bit worried my gag reflex will say no.
On the dentistās advice Iāve ordered a cheap mouthguard to test it out, put it in my mouth before fitting it (you have to put it in hot water and mould it) and had to take it out straight away. Iāll see if itās any better once Iāve moulded it but not optimistic. However, itās much thicker than invisalign aligners so they might be ok?
Those cheap mouth guards are awful and not comparable to invisaligners. Made me gag when I tried one. Invisaligners are so much thinner, and I got used to wearing them quickly.
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Wire retainers did not work for my teeth, so I have just gone on wearing liners as my retainer. No issue since I was already so used to wearing them. My top liner is slightly thickened to also work as a guard for grinding. One problem with this is that they will eventually wear out, and Iāll have to get them replaced at some point.
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No gag response here. By design, they are ultra close fitting so very different to a bulky him shield 
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Yeah I thought it was a good idea when the dentist said it, but then when I actually tried it Iām like, this is probably quite a useless exercise as aligners are much thinner. But I canāt think of any way to test if Iāll be able to tolerate an aligner!
I donāt think it would be a problem. They sand down any edges that might be uncomfortable.
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Quite interested in this thread. Have an appointment with an orthodontist next week to discuss the various options. Have been on the NHS list for nearly three years without any sign of treatment so ready to give up and go private. Great system and lovely country thank you England 
The aligner is nowhere near my throat so donāt know why it would trigger the gag reflexā¦
I got used to wearing them very quickly. Like anything, it feels a bit weird at first and some sets might give you a bit of a lisp while youāre wearing them but for me itās definitely worth it.
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Mine is triggered by anything touching my tongue towards the back so Iām concerned about being able to feel them on my back teeth with the sides of my tongue. Eg those little squares they put in your mouth when they x-ray a tooth make me gag. Can you feel the edges of the aligner with your tongue much?
Ah I see! Hmm, Iām not sureā¦ Iāll try them on for you when I get home and report back 
(only wearing them at night at the moment cos waiting for my second set)
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I just looked for a local place that offered invisalign and booked an appointment.
It sounds like youāve not been for a check up for a while so you can always book one at your old place and then ask the dentist while youāre there if there is an orthodontist or course of treatment they would recommend
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Okay I had my consultation this morning. My options are, in order of effectiveness:
-
break and reset (and extend?) my lower jaw, then 18-24 months of braces then night retainer after
-
just 18-24 months of braces, then night retainer
-
some kind of Invisalign type retainer
I think 2 sounds most realistic, but it costs Ā£4k! What the absolute fuck. I donāt know if I can bring myself to spend that much money on something I am fundamentally opposed to, and for mainly cosmetic reasons
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Iām not sure how common it is but I think reasonably common for private orthodontists to offer payment plans with no interest
Mine would be up-front payment of Ā£1k then x number of monthly Ā£395 payments
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Went to a consultation at Sensu near Bond St at the weekend oddly enough. The TV is seriously considering and I tagged along and did one out of curiosity, might see if works for her and take the leap in a year or 2.
Hers are fine tbh, but wants to future proof whereas I had braces that were removed too early and paired with not wearing my retainer enough have caused a bit of movement on 1 or 2 teeth.
Both advised for the middle range even though I have issues and she doesnāt have anything major.
Well under Ā£1k, only retainers at night and over a longer period of time would be my ideal packageā¦, but donāt think a thing exists.
How did you go about this if you donāt mind me asking? Did your dentist refer you or did you arrange it directly with the orthodontist?
Not at all. I just looked online for an orthodontist near me that offered as many different treatment options as possible, and booked a free consultation to discuss my options. I had spoken to my dentist before and all they offered was Invisalign treatment and was very keen for me to go down that route - so I wanted as unbiased view as possible.
Not sure where you are located but if itās near Manchester I can let you know the place I went to.
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Thanks, thatās great. Iām not near Manchester but Iāve been trying without success to register with any of the dentists nearby without much success. Best Iāve had is one telling me to try again in Aprilā¦ So if I can cut that out and go straight to an orthodontist then that could speed things up but would probably have to query it with them first.
Appreciate it!
No worries. As part of the treatment (option 2) I would need to be referred back to my dentist to have two teeth removed to create space for the bridge, and for the front teeth to move back into place. So I imagine that potentially cause an issue if you needed similar dental work but werenāt registered with a dentist? Iām sure an orthodontist will be able to advise if this is the case though.
Would definitely recommend finding an ortho that offers a free consultation to discuss your options, if possible. Good luck!
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Thank you. Yeah I think Iād like to get the ball rolling in some sense even if itās in a roundabout way. Probably wouldnāt mind paying for any dental stuff privately if the orthodontist can outline whatās required (within reason)