X-Rays and Impressions

The first step in a course of Invisalign treatment is to take lots of X-rays and impressions of the teeth. These are then sent to Invisalign HQ in California where they do a 3D simulation of how the teeth will move around the mouth. Once the orthodontist agrees the treatment plan, many sets of aligners are made. Each set is slightly different to the last and is to be worn for 20 hours a day for two/three weeks before moving on to the next set. They are made of plastic rather than steel, but because they put pressure on the whole tooth, rather than just through one point of contact, they can be as effective as steel braces.

I fly to Budapest on Friday morning for an afternoon appointment with Dr H. I have several X-rays taken - a couple of involve staying still inside a machine for 45 seconds. The machine is too small for me so I have to crouch over and try not to move - very uncomfortable. The worst part though is taking the impressions. This involves biting hard into a quick-setting foul-tasting plastic gel. It's really important to cover all the teeth and not get any air bubbles so this takes several tries. Eventually Dr H is happy and I am released into the spring sunsine.I get a call over the weekend from Dr H to ask me to come back in Monday to retake one of the impressions as he is not happy with it. Fortunately I am booked in on Monday lunchtime for teeth whitening so this is not a problem.

Swapping emails with Dr H

I have been thinking about Dr H's advice. I really respect the fact that he has not pushed Invisalign even though he knows it is the only course of treatment that would make sense to travel to Budapest for (reasons given below). I am just about to resign myself to lingual braces in London when Dr H gets in touch to say he has been to an Invisalign conference in New York where new treatment protocols were introduced which makes it possible to treat me using Invisalign. I am delighted with this news. He proposes that the treatment will last just over a year and quotes a price of just under 5,000 euros. This is quite a lot less than I was quoted for treatment in London, but it will involve at least ten trips to Budapest. I love visiting Budapest so if I think of this as the same price as London with lots of breaks in Budapest thrown in, it makes sense. If you were thinking of having Invisalign in Budapest solely to save money, I don't think it would work. I also rate Dr H more highly since he seemed to give a lot more thought to what was possible than the London orthodontist I saw.

My First Trip To Budapest

I book a cheap flight to Budapest on SkyEurope (unfortunately no longer flying the London-Budapest route) on Friday and arrive just after a snowstorm. I find the surgery just off Déak Tér where the three metro lines intersect and meet Dr H for the first time. He examines my teeth and takes photos and goes away and thinks for a bit. When he returns, he gives me the disappointing news that he doesn't think Invisalign is a suitable method for my teeth because opening the overbite and straightening the teeth is too big a job. He recommends lingual braces which I had decided I really didn't want - because they seem harder to wear and because they require more frequent check-ups and emergency repairs. I really can't commit to coming to Budapest every five weeks at the moment and it would certainly work out more expensive than having the work done in London.

Hungarian Orthodontists

I have looked at websites of orthodontists in Budapest and emailed a couple about Invisalign treatment. My concerns are that the quality of treatment should be as good as I would get in the UK and that there should not be a language barrier. The fact that Invisalign is an American company who work with the orthodontist to form the treatment plan and that they make the aligners themselves is reassuring.
The most sensible reply comes back from an orthodontist at a clinic in the centre of town. I have explained to him that an orthodontist in the UK has recommended Invisalign. I suggest we meet on a Friday and, provided I am a suitable case for treatment, they take the X-rays and impressions needed to make the aligners on the Monday. Before I go, I have to see my own dentist to make sure the teeth and gums are in good health and to have any fillings done before the aligners are made as fillings can change the shape of the teeth.

First Thoughts

My first thoughts after the visit to the orthodontist are:

My teeth are not in too bad shape at the moment, but they are at a point of collapse where if I don't do anything, they may well get rapidly and irreversibly worse.

I am not sure if I can face wearing visible braces for a year or so. Being able to take the aligners off for cleaning and to give the teeth a rest is also a major point in favour of Invisalign.

I have friends in Budapest and love the city. I have heard also that dental treatment can be much cheaper there, so I decide to look into having the work done there.

A Trip to the Orthodontist

Last week, I visited the orthodontist here in central London. He agreed my overbite needed treating and my teeth straightening. He demonstrated three systems of braces. These were regular braces, lingual braces and Invisalign aligners. Lingual braces are braces on the inside of the teeth rather than the outside, so are much less visible but they can irritate the tongue. Invisalign aligners are aligners that fit completely over the teeth made of clear hard plastic, a bit like gumshields. The advantage is that it is not obvious that you are wearing them and that they can be taken off for cleaning and eating.

His quote has just come through - just over £5,000 for treatment with Invisalign lasting a year or so.

The Beginning

A visit to the dentist for a couple of fillings. He points out that because of my fairly severe overbite, my teeth are fairly misaligned. In particular, the lower front teeth have become crowded and crocked in the last few years and this will only get worse in future if left untreated.

He refers me to an orthodontist in the centre of London.