Invisalign vs Braces – 7 Reasons to Choose Traditional Braces

Is it just me or have you also noticed more and more adults are wearing braces (including me)? I may be wrong, but I think due to the popularity of social media and the increase of photo sharing everyone wants that picture perfect smile. If you’re contemplating about getting braces and can’t decide between Invisalign vs Braces – well, I’ve tried both! Today, I’ll share with you 7 reasons to choose traditional braces over Invisalign.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to “fix” my smile. As a child I can recall having a large gap between my front two teeth and a slight overbite. As I got older, that gap started to close and for a long time my somewhat imperfect smile never crossed my mind,  plus in pictures it was hardly noticeable. Then all of sudden in my 30’s my teeth started to shift, maybe due to the removal of my wisdom teeth. I began noticing several gaps on the top and bottom that were seeming to get larger and larger as time went on.

By this time, clear braces known as Invisalign were introduced and they seemed like the easier choice especially for adults. Around 2010, I decided to inquire about Invisalign but at the time I was discouraged by the cost and even though traditional braces were cheaper I was turned off by the idea of being “metal mouth” – plus I had heard several horror stories.

After 5 years had passed I became very unhappy with how my teeth looked. I finally decided in 2015 to purchase Invisalign. After 6 months of wearing the trays I realized Invisalign just wasn’t for me and switched to traditional braces in July of 2016. Only 10 months later my braces were removed and the process was over. I actually wish I would have chosen traditional braces first because I would have saved a lot of time and money. Here’s a few more reasons:

Based on advertisements, Invisalign is a carefree product that can straighten teeth using clear removable aligners that are very discrete, but is that really true? For example, a woman is seen on television commercials wearing Invisalign while living every day events such as going to work or hanging out with friends. She is shown enjoying food and drinks while wearing Invisalign and straightening her teeth without being obvious to her friends. After experiencing Invisaign this seems very misleading. They fail to mention:

• the soreness and rubbing that occurs that is similar to traditional braces
• the constant removing of the trays throughout the day since they must be removed before eating and teeth must be clean before putting back in
• the awkward mouth guard feeling and speaking with a lisp
• the mandatory 22+ hours the trays must be worn to be effective
• the attachments and “buttons” most people need to move teeth properly in addition to wearing the trays

The day I picked up my first set of trays, I was very shocked to find out small attachments would be placed on my teeth. The attachments are tooth-colored dental bonding or filling placed on teeth to help direct them into the desired position. The shape and placement of the attachments vary and are predetermined by Invisalign, and will also match the trays. The attachments can be very pointy and sharp which creates a lot of difficulty while chewing and trying to avoid cutting the tongue or jaw.

I had several spaces that needed to be closed, but no teeth to turn or in awkward positions and I still needed 20 attachments. I wish Invisalign and dentist offices would be more upfront with this product. I feel I may have picked traditional braces in the beginning if I would have known what I know now.

When I decided to purchase Invisalign a mold of my teeth and x-rays were taken and sent to them to create my trays. At that time, all of the trays that I would need were created. It was determined that I needed to wear 1 tray every 2 weeks for 15 months (30 trays). The amount of trays and time needed varies significantly from person to person.

After wearing traditional braces I realized the limitations of Invisalign. With traditional braces my Orthodontist had the liberty of adjusting the metal brackets as needed to modify how and where my teeth moved. Every 6 weeks my progress was examined and my Orthodontist made the necessary adjustments or made a decision if I needed to wear elastics (rubberbands). However with Invisalign, I felt somewhat stuck with how the 30 trays aligned my teeth.

I think Invisalign allows for one additional modification at the end but even with that I definitely feel traditional braces allows for better results since progress is being monitored and adjustments are easily made.

Moving teeth is definitely a slow process, however I noticed much faster results with traditional braces. The trick with Invisalign is they will only work if you wear them and you must wear them 92% of the time. The only time trays should not be worn is while eating and drinking. As soon as you are done eating, teeth must be brushed and flossed and trays should be put back in. I found this to be very difficult when at work or at work functions, and just away from home period.

Wearing the trays 22+ hours per day for my lifestyle seemed very unrealistic. On a good day where I tried to be very conscience about wearing my trays I probably only wore them 18 hours at the most. I would normally where them all night and all morning and not remove them until lunch time around 1pm (yes my eating habits were definitely affected). I would probably put them back in around 4pm and wear them until dinner time and then put them back in at bed time (if I didn’t fall asleep first).

When it was time to change my trays I could tell if I hadn’t worn them long enough because the new trays would be too tight and not fit correctly. When this would occur I would wear the old trays another week or so which just added more and more time to my completion date.

After I decided to switch to traditional braces, within 7 months my teeth were corrected (17 months sooner than my Orthodontist predicted). With Invisalign one of the perks is that they can be removed, but isn’t this really defeating the purpose since they don’t work if you’re not wearing them? With traditional braces, you don’t have the liberty of removing them but there’s also no doubt if they are working or not. With Invisalign, you have to be beyond determined and disciplined – to me it’s just not worth the hassle.

While wearing Invisalign I found it very difficult to speak and smile as I normally would and it never got easier. When at work meetings, I was very embarrassed to speak while wearing my trays. The trays made me speak with a lisp and I never felt like I was speaking clearly, especially over the phone. While talking large amounts of saliva would collect in the trays and I was always self conscience about people noticing. Even though I’m over 30 with traditional braces, I never felt self conscience while talking or felt I was hard to understand.

As I stated before, the Invisalign trays must be worn 22+ hours per day and should only be removed to eat or drink. In comparison to traditional braces this is a huge inconvenience. When wearing the trays I spent a lot time in public restrooms brushing, flossing and rinsing (can you imagine dropping your trays in a public restroom sink – disgusting right). After a few months maintaining Invisalign started to become a chore. While out to eat I dreaded that moment when drinks and appetizers would arrive and I had to be excused to remove my trays. With both carrying a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss is required but with Invisalign it is mandatory.

With Invisalign or traditional braces there will definitely be some discomfort – moving teeth is definitely not a comfortable process. However, I found the discomfort with Invisalign to be much worst. The first 2-3 days wearing a new tray would almost be unbearable. I would find myself removing the trays for some relief. Even trying to eat after removing the trays would be painful. My teeth would be very sensitive – trying to eat anything hard like an apple or biting down into a sandwich would be very difficult. With traditional braces in the beginning I experienced some rubbing and some tooth sensitivity after my braces would be tightened, but after a few months I was used to it. I never got used to the discomfort of removing and putting the trays back in. The sharpness of the plastic seemed much worst than the metal brackets.

The cost of Invisalign can be $1000 – $2000 more expensive than traditional braces. Based on my experience, I don’t think the extra amount of money spent is worth it.

To conclude, now that my braces are removed I am beyond happy with my new smile and the results. Now in pictures I’m not afraid to share my big smile and I can tell it has definitely changed my confidence. For anyone who wants to adjust their smile this is my advise – with any process that corrects teeth it takes patience, diligence, discipline, and commitment to achieve success. If you want to save money and time, or if you have a lot of teeth to adjust I say go with traditional braces. If your budget is somewhat flexible, your corrections are minimal, and you definitely don’t want traditional braces choose Invisalign. This is just my recommendation based solely on my personal experience. Always do your research before investing your money, plus there’s always new/easier products being introduced that may better meet your needs.

With either choice, after the process is over its really not over. Be aware that you will still be required to wear either a tray at bed time or a retainer to maintain your new smile. If you don’t, your teeth will most likely shift to their original position.

Here’s a few of my favorite products to help maintain your braces:

The WaterPik water flosser is a big time saver when flossing plus your mouth is left feeling sparkly clean. Even after my braces were removed I continued to use this product. You can find this product almost anywhere including Walmart and Amazon for between $49.99-$99.99. Click image below for details.

Plackers Orthopick Flosser for Braces is a must have to carry in your purse or your travel case with your toothpaste and toothbrush. The flossers fit between braces and is much easier to floss with than traditional floss. You can find these at most drugstores or online for under $20.00. Click image below for details.

While wearing braces you definitely need to protect your teeth and keep enamel strong. The Phos Flur rinse by Colgate was a favorite, plus it helps keep teeth white. It can be found at most drugstores and Walmart for about $12 – its a little pricey but definitely worth it. Click image below for details.

Lets talk! Are you considering braces but not sure what method is best for you? Have you tried Invisalign or Traditional Braces? What’s your preference? Thanks for reading and please follow me on all social medias at @parishartdotcom!