Beautiful, straight teeth without braces.
Achieve the smile of your dreams with one of New Zealand's leading Invisalign providers from as little as $50 per week.
Did you know that half of all adults are considering orthodontic treatment?
When I graduated over 20 years ago, if one of my adult patients wasn’t happy with their smile, there were only two options: veneers or metal braces. Not surprisingly, very few adults wanted metal braces, so they often chose veneers.
The challenge with veneers is that many times we need to drill away enamel to create the room we need for the veneer – not only is this invasive, but it is also irreversible – you have to have veneers for the rest of your life. Like everything in life, veneers don’t last forever. On average, you tend to get 10-15years out of veneers before they no longer look their best. If you’re 25 now, you might have 4-5 replacements in your lifetime. 10-15 veneers at $1500 each? It all adds up!!
Personally, I love the look of a smile where the teeth are entirely natural, and so when I became aware of Invisalign as an alternative to adult braces in 2008, I jumped at the chance, and my practice changed overnight. Fast forward 15 years and over 1500 patients, and I now spend all my time straightening adult teeth with Invisalign.
Invisalign versus Adult Braces to Straighten Teeth
Less Pain. Did you have braces as a child? Remember having your braces tightened! Remember the ulcers from the metal brackets scratching your cheeks? Ouch! In my experience, patients with Invisalign experience less pain in their teeth. We are using lower forces and breaking movements up into smaller increments. You might get the odd bit of aching every week when you change your aligners but generally not enough that you would consider Panadol. Ulcers are also rare.
More Hygenic. Cleaning around braces is a pain – you must navigate around wires, elastics, and metal components on your teeth. With Invisalign, you take your aligners out to eat and brush. Studies have shown that compared to braces, patients with Invisalign have less plaque and fewer problems with bleeding gums. And while we are on the topic – yes, with Invisalign, you can eat whatever you want!
More Discrete. Invisalign aligners are practically Invisible. When I graduated 20 years ago, I looked like I was still 15 years old – there was no way I would wear braces in a million years! I was already struggling to convince patients that, yes, I was a real dentist and not just doing work experience from the local high school. Over the years, I have had similar concerns repeated to me many times by patients. Nowadays, adult braces are so common – but there is no need to draw attention to the process. Let people wonder how your smile is magically getting better every week.
Effective. Gaps between teeth? Crowding? Crooked teeth? Overbites? Underbites? Open bites? Crossbites? You name it, and there is a good chance that Invisalign can be used.
Cheaper? Most orthodontists I know (and occasionally refer to) charge adults around $9500-10,000 for braces. For Invisalign, the fees they charge are often $2000-3000 more expensive. BUT HERE IS THE INDUSTRY SECRET. Invisalign has a loyalty program. For those of us who do substantial amounts of Invisalign, we can negotiate a significant discount with Invisalign. In my case, I pass the value on to my patients, meaning my maximum fee for a case is $8995. Details of prices and what is included are below.
