I started Invisalyn in 2002 and used it through 2005, when I had ceramic braces put on for five months. By that point, my ortho was frustrated with how little Invisalyn was able to accomplish in my situation and I was just relieved to have my teeth look better, even though I didn't want braces in the first place.
I didn't mind the braces too much; unlike wearing Invisalyn, they're just there -- there's no need to put them in, take them out, etc. Plus, Invisalyn can't pull down teeth; at one point my ortho had me wear a rubberband hooked onto a hook over my invisalyn aligner to try to bring down a tooth. After months of that, it didn't work and braces were the only option.
On the flip side of things, I don't know if I would've felt comfortable getting braces without first having the Invisalyn -- by that point I did see SOME improvement and I didn't feel like I was drawing as much attention to my crooked teeth as I would have had traditional braces gone on first.
FYI, only two people noticed when I had ceramic braces; the others either didn't acknowledge it or didn't see it. I think a lot of it had to do with the latter.
Unsuccessful Invisalign
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