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Oh- and the rubber bands were probably way more noticeable to me than anyone else. And I would choose a few weeks of being self conscious of them over years of being self conscious about my teeth. You can take the bands out when in work meetings and things like that, but you have to remember to put them back in.

My sister was not a candidate for invisalign, as well. She had braces as a preteen (and was soooooooo happy to get them off at 16!), but found she needed them again at 25 because her teeth had shifted. She opted for the "clear" braces (which were extra ... and she had to brush 4x a day to ensure they didn't yellow) but she only had to wear them for 11 months. She, now, only wears a retainer at night (similar to an invisalign) and has gorgeous teeth!
Good luck!

@Mrsbells: Definitely, go for what you are able to and what is easiest for you. It appears you know your options, so go from there. Neither my sister nor brother regret braces a bit later in life.

I had braces in my early teens and then again in my mid-twenties to fix some shifting that had occurred... I was never great with my retainer, so my bad... They cost around $5000 the second time around, but I do think it was worth it for a perfect smile. I had hoped to go the invisalign route, but my orthodontist insisted that traditional braces on the inside of my teeth (rather than the outside) would be a better option. I googled them, and I think their technical name might be Lingual Braces? Anyhow, They were completely hidden from sight which was great. The only downside is that I spoke with a lisp the entire time I wore them... slightly embarrassing, but I did get used to it after a while. I highly recommend them if they're an option for you.

I’d get a second opinion.

DH had braces as an adult. His was an issue where the set of his jaw and the movement of teeth over time was putting pressure on his front teeth- and chunks of teeth were breaking off . So we had to get them done. He did not love it but I think it’s worth it if you have always wanted them. His teeth look even better now even though they were fine before.

I’m 35 and I started the process of braces a year ago, I’ve only had them on for 6 months. I have a narrow arch so I needed a quad helix expander to move my teeth out before getting braces on. In my case, I have a severe underbite but the way my teeth were, you couldn’t really tell until the braces straightened my teeth. I will ultimately have surgery to fix my jaw as I have other things going on too.

As for appointments, I only go every 6-8 weeks. Only in the beginning did I have multiple appointments over a week or two to get spacers and then the brackets. Most of them are pretty short, just changing the bands out. It can be challenging with kids, when I get new wires my mouth hurts and I’m cranky. But it only lasts a day or so.

I’m paying around $14k, mainly because I needed the expander and I will have surgical stuff going on too.

@Mrsbells: aw, I can commiserate... I had braces, head gear, lip bumper and all that crap when I was younger... for YEARS!! It was terrible.... I finally got my braces off my SR yr of highschool and my teeth were sooooo pretty and perfect, def worth it BUT two months later we got into a car accident and my teeth got ALL MESSED up and have never been the same since I am not a self conscious person or anything but the way my teeth are now really bother me.. probably bc of all the pain and work I went through only to have it all messed up.

My mom continually tells me to do it all again and I just can't.. I can't

I did braces as a child and adult (Invisalign). And honestly I don’t think I should’ve done Invisalign. Go to a real orthodontist. It’s Always a lot longer period of time than you think. I have zero regrets. I am so much happier having straight teeth - so I actually like my smile in pictures. 5k is pretty typical. But see if there is a different dental plan you can switch to next time you have open enrollment...

@Mrsbells: as far as I understood Invisalign is better for people who need to shift their teeth sideways, not up and down. Like when I had braces as a kid I had lots to pull down in my top as well as adjusting the space. But, you WOULD get used to putting them back in, ifthat was your biggest concern. Just like you remember to brush your teeth, it’s something you get used to doing. I’m sorry it sounds like now it isn’t going to work out. That is such a bummer after you got all excited and prepared for it.

@Mrsbells: @Meso: my husband had a permanent retainer put on when he got his braces off in high school, on the back of his front upper teeth. It popped off literally almost 20 years later, and within a year his teeth had shifted slightly. He did Smile Direct club for about 6 months and got them fixed again and a new retainer and it’s fine now. But I was shocked that after that long they still shifted again.

I wore braces as a young adult- just out of college- and loved it! Seeing an adult with braces is such a novelty that it was a nice conversation starter.

My ortho office set me up on a payment plan- larger down pay, but I paid $100/mo during my expected course of treatment. $3k sounds about right for total out of pocket expenses including extractions.

I really had fun with my braces and chose different color bands each month and sometimes coordinated with the holidays/ seasons. Changing out the bands that go from top to bottom of your teeth to facilitate movement was no big deal. I don’t remember having to do that multiple times a day, but likely I would have to eat.

A couple things I wish I understood more before starting treatment. 1. your teeth will shift and leave you with smaller roots. This means you have little opportunity for additional cosmetic changes. 2. your teeth may become sensitive due to the root shift. I now use a sensitive toothpaste in order to eat cold foods and I barely drink anything with ice in it. 3a. braces may not be your total oral care solution. For instance, after my braces came off I did some other work to perfect my smile/ profile and now per that doctor’s order I get my teeth cleaned 4x/ year. 3b. Your teeth may shift. I also have permanent braces attached to the interior of my teeth because wearing a permanent retainer wasn’t good for my teeth.