Are Teeth Aligners Worth Cheaping out on

AmbiguousMilk65 on 11/11/2022 - 11:02

I've been through several consultations with orthodontics and have been quoted for 8-9k for clear aligners (from Invisalign or Spark Clear Aligners) where in my case my teeth are considered mild severity. This is a bit of a set back for me financially, however I think if I'm eventually going to do it, I should now. I also have private health insurance which will subsidise a bit of the cost.

However, I've been seeing other brands for aligners which are substantially cheaper (e.g. byte
or ezsmile) which just require you to come in for a 3D scan. The dentists have told me to avoid these brands, but has anyone had experiences with them? Any advice would be appreciated.

Health & Beauty Dental

Comments

  • Crow K on 11/11/2022 - 11:05
    +6

    I wouldn't bother listening to what dentists have to say about your teeth. I reckon that cheap stuff is fine, go for it, what's the worst that could happen, yeah? /thread

    • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 11/11/2022 - 15:59

      what's the worst that could happen

      That you unnecessarily have to pay twice by the cheaper option not going to plan and then you need to spend the 8K anyway.

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 11/11/2022 - 11:15
    +4

    The poor man pays twice.

  • Cluster on 11/11/2022 - 11:21
    +2

    EZSmile has been caught telling lies: https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/ez-smile-pays-penalty-…

  • bobbified on 11/11/2022 - 11:43

    I just wouldn't cheap out on medical stuff. Especially anything that can have a longer term impact on your life. Yours is mainly to do with appearance and, even though it's 'mid-severity', you obviously care enough to want to do something about it. So, unless there's absolutely no other option, do it properly with something that's tried and tested.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 11/11/2022 - 11:48
    +1

    i got quoted high 8 but offered low 7 if paying up front for invisigline, mild severity with outlook to do the treatment over at least 3 years.
    private health helps but not really any meaningful amount imo .

    despite the subjectively high cost im still going to go for it - when it comes to teeth i think its just not worth cheaping out.
    literally a lifetime investment.

    • lewislardboy on 11/11/2022 - 11:49

      How often do you need to wear it? I've always considered this, but never followed through

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 11/11/2022 - 11:51
        +2

        Ideally 22-23 hours my dentist said.
        Practically just the time you're not eating.

        I guess the upside is it's going to be a forced diet, im REALLY bad at stress-grazing junk food all day at work.

        energy drinks
        pepsi max
        farmers union iced coffees
        all random lollies (a LOT of chuppa chups because of ozbargain lmfao)
        all random biscuits (mostly biscoff because it's KING)
        chips etc

        • psyren89 on 11/11/2022 - 11:56

          You can leave them in while drinking, you just can't chew with them in.

          • Jimothy Wongingtons on 11/11/2022 - 12:00
            +2

            @psyren89: ah that makes it a bit easier to swallow

            • knobbs on 11/11/2022 - 12:58
              +1

              @Jimothy Wongingtons: I was told drinking clear liquids only, if it has colouring it will discolor your retainer that is meant to last years once you finished the initial couple years.

              • Jimothy Wongingtons on 11/11/2022 - 13:20

                @knobbs: makes sense but i was also told in the initial phases you get a new retainer thing every few weeks

                • knobbs on 11/11/2022 - 13:21
                  +2

                  @Jimothy Wongingtons: Yeah you usually get like every fortnight I was told, I was trying to refer to the one you keep for months/years after that when I said

                  once you finished the initial couple years

              • Adredocto on 11/11/2022 - 13:34

                @knobbs: Yeah water only and no hot drinks with them in. Stains is one thing but also sugars and bacteria. Youre creating a perfect container for all that stuff to grow

  • FirstWizard on 11/11/2022 - 13:29
    +1

    I went through smile direct club several years ago. Total cost was $3.5k for a 1yr program, mild. I love the outcome.
    They pretty much use the same software/equipment as all the other doctors. However, a technician does the scans, and the Doc appointment is telehealth — you never see them, just emails. You know who they are, their prescriber number AHPRA reg no etc. too.

    I did some research before going with them. The main point I got from the research was going to an actual dentist and getting x-rays etc. to confirm that you're a suitable candidate for the type of aligners you want to use. As the technician may not be qualified to do that evaluation, and the remote doctor might not see inside your mouth in full detail from the videos/pics taken. Most horror stories are from people with hidden cavities having their teeth broken when the aligners are putting pressure on teeth.

    • Adredocto on 11/11/2022 - 13:36

      Dont know if was in ye you were using them but smile direct have outsourced their customer service arm from US based to standard international call centres. Heard any post sales support is almost non existant now, inc ever seeing money from a refund.

      • FirstWizard on 11/11/2022 - 13:49

        Oh right. It's been years since I finished (2019-2020), support was great back then., especially as I had a cold sore outbreak the second week.
        My GP reckoned it could have been from the stress induced by the aligners.

        I'm still wearing nighttime retainers every night since then. Every 6 months they charge my credit card and post me a fresh pair.

        I guess I was lucky as mine was very mild in severity. and at my actual face-to-face consultation with a real doctor, they assured me that I have enough space in my mouth and that any teeth augmentation was not necessary.

        But I do agree with what you mention.

  • Adredocto on 11/11/2022 - 13:32
    +1

    I just did 6 months with invisalign. Really glad i went that route with a dentist instead of online.

    Seriously considered smile direct and even got the scans but once u dig into reviews beyond the initial showroom sell you find so so many neg reviews and ongoing issues.

    Invisalign was more expensive but includes monthly check with dentist to follow progress and additional things like filing teeth to create space for realignment and putting adhesives on teeth to ensure snug and consistent fit.

    Some ppl are lucky going online but just not worth the risk. Fixing dental problems is not cheap so why risk doing it twice? Remember you will need to wear a night retainer forever after or have a permanent wire put in.

  • ddvy on 11/11/2022 - 15:35

    Seriously dont go online aligner it will ruin your mouth and you end up with a dentist with more expensive bill to fix it.

  • Swaggy on 12/11/2022 - 01:05

    Just remember that the retainers are a long term commitment. Especially if you night grind. After correcting my alignment and (admittedly) not using the retainer, I've ended up chipping a number of my teeth. I'll probably get a night guard made up some time

  • AussieDaddy on 12/11/2022 - 02:59

    I've been thinking about Invisalign for a while now as I have big gaps between my top front teeth and canine teeth (both sides). Also, I have a big overbite, which was getting worse over the years. Other than cleaning, I never had any other dental work done before. I'm in my 40s and was kinda put off by the huge cost of it. I thought if I had those gaps during my younger years, is it really worth it to pay all that money to fix it now? I'm still on the fence, but definitely would have done it if it hadn't been that expensive.

  • haha45 on 13/11/2022 - 20:22

    This research journal article is worth a read. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7391059/?report…

    It's a survey, so not the strongest evidence but it discusses how the costs of correction afterwards can be massive (>11k for one individual).

    It also found that those people who receive a refund for bad treatment outcomes usually have to sign an NDA to get the money back. So you won't see the worst case scenarios in reviews because people can't talk about it.

    Orthodontic treatment comes with risks and in a worse case scenario if your teeth are moved too quickly the roots will break down (and your teeth can fall out).

    Google 'orthodontic resorption' if you want to see some interesting x-rays.*

    • Note that this can happen with regular aligners too (very rare), but it's much more likely to happen with 'DIY' aligners like ezsmiles because you're not being monitored regularly by the orthodontist/dentist and because the 'DIY' aligners are more likely to move the teeth too quickly. The quicker the teeth move, the higher risk of this happening. And because you don't see a dentist regularly during the treatment (it's all online), you don't know if it's happening until your teeth are already wobbly.
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