Help! 6th month or traditional

[straightwhite]

Hi there,

If I am going to do this, I should do it well. I see great reviews and results with braces for 6 months, but this is my face we are talking about and it seems using a real orthodontist who will do things properly would be better. I like the one I consulted with today, but she said braces will be 14 months minimum. Not sure I can do that! I am 36 and job hunting. Does anyone have a feel for using cosmetic vs conventional orthodontics? The price on both is the same, and I also feel this is a bit of a money making scheme for dentists who only go to a weekend training for 6 month smiles. Any feedback on this matter much appreciated!!

[SinkFullOfDinner]

It seems a bit like you've answered your own question when you said "should do it well," "real ortho who will do things properly," etc. If you saw an ortho, and she said your case would take 14mo, that probably means you have about 14mo or so worth of work that's needed, and the dentist will do about the first 6mo of it...or worse, take 9mo to do 6mo worth of it. I doubt that weekend of training provided some insight that was missed by the 2-3 year ortho residency program. And the two plans are the same cost? Would you rather pay the kid next door to paint the trim on your house, or the same amount to a painting service to paint your whole house, including the trim? And maybe they'll replace any warped or rotted boards they find, as well. Ok, maybe that's an extreme example.

But, about the interviewing timing, I get it. I can also relate to your "can't do that" comment. I literally said those exact words to the ortho at my first consultation when I went in thinking that my dentist was exaggerating and I might not even need ortho work, only to hear him say 24 mo and braces. I just couldn't picture those 2yrs. I spent the next three consultations trying to find the right ortho and plan that could fix all of the things that ortho #1 and my dentist said needed to be addressed, but in the most discreet way possible.

Have you thought about doing a couple more ortho consults, but just starting the work after you're settled in your new gig? Or, try to find a top 1% Invisalign provider and see if they're confident that they can deliver the results. If your case is really 14-ish months, I guess I'd be surprised if it were too complex for Invisalign with an experienced ortho. That way, you could get started and just pop the aligner out whenever you're walking into an interview. Or focus on ceramic bracket options with an actual ortho. Those 6MS systems are just ceramic brackets in the hands of a dentist, and then add a white-coated wire. Not much aesthetic difference, imo. I'm sure you'll find the right solution, but think carefully before dropping the same coin with a dentist for a supposed 6mo solution to your 14mo case. Good luck!

[Nozzelnut]

I've heard some not so great reviews of the 6 month smile kind of braces; not happy with results, longer than expected, shifted back...

I went with a regular ortho because he had additional TMJD training. It's been a bit longer than I hoped but they're doing everything I ask as far as my teeth are concerned; these aren't lining up right or this tooth needs to rotate or need more width....

As far as other people caring about your teeth; they don't!

[atrixa]

The more I read about 6 month smiles and fast braces etc, the more skeptical I am. As far as I can gather, they would either move the teeth too quickly, so the roots can't catch up, or as Sink says, they would just do 6 months worth of work when 14 is needed. I would go for traditional. If you're worried about job hunting, have a go at ceramic, maybe?

[godutch]

To add to what the people above wrote: the beginning is the worst, the first days/weeks are terrible, after that you adjust, you learn and you cope. So if you do 6 months instead of 14 you experience 80% of the discomfort but less only 40% of the results (because of a slight malocclusion I had developed a class II2 with crowding, the crowding and the resulting traumatic occlusion (with front teeth breaking) was the reason the start considering ortho, the crowding was gone after 3 months but now the rest of my bite needs to be corrected and really things are looking much better, I got a better profile, more class 1 than a slight class 2, slightly less clockwise profile and a much wider hollywood smile instead of looking like mr Ed laughing and my teeth fit left and right)

[BlondeCam]

Like many have said, I researched the 6 month braces as I just needed the front few teeth straighter back up from not wearing my retainer as a teenager. Also read some reviews that people ended up with buck teeth ... that scared me and I decided on traditional treatment but am going to an Orthodontics School. Saved money by paying all fees up front. Chose ceramic for a slightly less in your face look. Have only had them for a few days now and people don't seem to notice or care. Good luck