Sarah's Question #2: To Invisalign or Not to Invisalign?

Little dark this time! Welcome to my gloomy kitchen. Also I realize that I yapped for over three minutes again. SUE ME. Actually, don't. I won't have the money to pay you and that crackerjack lawyer of yours if I lose.

Also, I know that in the video I said that I'd add links to who else was talking about my previous Facebook question, but I did a crappy job of bookmarking them and sort of lost interest after my tenth glass of wine. Kidding! Sort of. Want to help?

Comments

[Andrew Robinson]

I say go for it. I had braced for near 18 months and even though I didn't have any real issues, personal, physical or social by having them I still feel that whichever one you want works for you.

It must be a pain though to continually take out the things and brush and floss each time you have to eat. Sounds more like retainers than real braces.

I personally was a bad retainer person, I stopped using my retainers after only a fortnight. And now I live a normal life pretending that my teeth are perfect, when I'm sure they have gone slightly downhill since I took of the braces, but definitely not enough for me to really care.

My question for you, to end this entirely longer than I expected comment, is are you a bad 'invisaligner'? Meaning do you ever find yourself so annoyed that you just take a couple hours without having them in when you should or whatever? If no; do you think you will be in the forseeable future?

[bret]

Go for it, nothing wrong with wanting your teeth to stay straight and "presentable", especially with the fact that your on screen a lot. I will get something like that soon if I can. My teeth are fairly in good shape now but like you said, its future proofing.

[Tim]

I just lost my job and had to cut my food budget to pay my bills. Nice to know someone has the time to blog about elective dental work.

[Rob]

First of all, I think you are hot and I like your nose. As far as your braces, it is your teeth and who cares what other people think. I hope to meet you in person someday.

Your Fan
Rob

[Dustin]

Well, if your teeth are moving then it is best to get it fixed right away. Yes, it is cosmetic, but really, who wants screwed up teeth? That's why a lot of people get braces. I had 2 phases and my teeth are looking pretty good (just wish they were whiter).

The whole production of taking them out, eating/drinking, flossing/brushing, putting them back in sounds kind of a pain.. but no pain no gain right?

[Michael]

I live in the UK and the braces you are wearing are the standard to wear here and are not considered a "cosmetic" thing at all really and Britain have terrible teeth haha so u go girl! lol

[Joseph Pierandozzi]

My mother always said (or I'm merely attributing this to her because it's "motherly" advice) "If you don't like something about your life you can either learn to live with it or change it."

Pretty obvious observation (almost tautological) but she makes a good point. If you are bothered by something (whether for completely vain reasons or legitimate medical concern or some grey area inbetween) you can either suck it up and deal or take the steps to fix or alter the situation.

Plus, in your line of work there is a different standard for dental quality than for everyone else. If you, as a web/television personality, are concerned about the look of your smile then you should alter it if only to protect your main source of income, i.e. your looks/character.

The only danger lies in a runaway sort of "Oh my god I'm hideous and must surgically alter every part of my body until I am perfect" mindset. That's where the outside opinion starts to matter more. Then again, you will be the worst judge of whether or not you're going a bit nuts, so I guess the danger won't be apparent until it's right on top of you.

Either way, good luck with the Invisalign. Have fun brushing your teeth like, a billion times a day.

-JP

[Greg]

If you can afford it then I say do it.

[Joey]

I also had retainers. I was not good myself. I alway mistreated them and constantly got yelled at by my dentist. That is beside the point.

As for yourself, I say go for it, as you know it is not forever.

[Eric]

I don't think there is anything wrong with it, if you dentist says that you need it then I wouldn't go against that.

[trevor]

Non-surgical enhancements are the following: Invisalign, tatoos, braces, hair coloring and hair waxing.

They are all services that are provided in clean environments (hopefully) by licensed professionals. I don't see any problem with any of them (I just received my invisalign two weeks ago) as long as people are willing to pay for the service.

In the case of invisalign and braces they can be very necessary for complete dental hygene. The marketers of Invisalign and braces are marketing to our vanity, so we are manipulated in that respect. I don't feel bad(either should you), Invisalign or braces would help me and I don't want to look like a teenager with braces again!

[Dave]

Great comments from all the other posters. I'm inclined to agree with everyone else here. If it's something about yourself that you don't like and you have the means to change it; there's nothing wrong with it. However, I think in some cases, i.e. Joan Rivers, people can become fixated on something they don't like and it becomes an addiction. Also, as others have said, your dentist has even suggested this as your teeth are moving. I had actually never heard of these until visiting this site. I believe I'm going to look into these for myself! Thanks for the info!

[ChadLee]

Yes, I think that hot chicks have an obligation (out of respect to their hotness) to do everything possible to stay as hot as possible for as long as possible. Now, I don't know if your teeth aren't already perfect (objectively), so it is difficult to say whether these tray things are more for your teeth or for your psyche... Anyway, after you're done with these trays you will also be obligated to smile constantly -- but not so much as to promote wrinkles, it is a delicate balance.

[nicktherat]

i think you should start smoking weed. best physical enchancer i know of =)

[Jennifer]

I think it's fine to make enhancements that help you to feel better about yourself and more confident, as long as it doesn't become an obsession or endanger your health. I get my hair highlighted and it's now colored red, I wear makeup and jewelry, definitely feel better when I go out in public with my "face" on. I had a slightly crooked front tooth that I never got braces for (it wasn't as common when I was a kid to get braces for minor flaws), but then as I got older, my teeth moved more and my front tooth started turning even more. I didn't think I could deal with full braces (no invisalign option for me) so I got veneers on my two front teeth. I'm happy I did it and may do more teeth in a few years but sometimes I wish I had gone with braces.

If your teeth are moving, they are definitely going to keep moving so even though I think your teeth look great, if you only have to have invisalign for 5 months, it's worth it. My husband had his for 13 months and his teeth are much better. He still has to wear his trays every now and then like a retainer. The benefit to having straighter teeth is that they are much easier to keep clean, which leads to better dental health, less bone loss, etc. I think having to brush and floss more frequently could be a good thing too - it was for my husband.

[Luis]

Invisalign are great! I got mine first about 4 years ago in the tenth grade. Yes, they were expensive and I had to take them out while eating and such but I felt it beat not being able to eat certain foods. I'm really not going to give up soda. :)
I don't know if your schedule is similar to how mine was but I had to change retainers every two weeks. Those first days with new retainers are PAINFUL! I know. Usually one Motrin tablet helped me through the day when I really needed it (Really bad the first set! It gets better!). Right now, I'm past the initial phase and just have to wear nightly retainers for the rest of eternity haha. My teeth look like they could go right back where they were if I don't.
As for cosmetics, I do believe Jason said on yesterday's TWiT to invest in yourself during this economic downturn. I'd say braces fit this!
Best of luck!
Oh, and for cleaning them I got these really great tablets from my orthodontist. I'll find out the name and website (you have to order them) and post another time!

[Betsy]

I totally think you should do it. I actually elected to get braces four years ago. I had braces as a teenager but my teeth were not fixed correctly. Both times I had the traditional kind of braces (not invisalign). I was terrified of getting braces as an adult -- afraid it would seem unprofessional or that no one would want to date me. I laugh at that fear now because I can see how rediculous it is but at the time it was very real. Anyway, the happy ending is that I am absolutely thrilled with the way my teeth turned out and wish I'd done it sooner!

[Marco]

Hi Sarah,
First time I have visited your site just kind of ended up on it from reading the cut backs going on at Revision3. Sorry
Very Interesting that you posted this question because Im debating that same question for myself. I'm a 30 year old spanish guy and have what most would think are good teeth but about two years ago started getting some crowding on the bottom row of teeth and I can't stand it... So I went and searched out Invisaligns still haven't decided whether I'm going to go through with it...Every time I ask somebody they look at me like I'm crazy...I will probable end up getting Invisaligns and I applaud people who take pride in their appearance of course without letting it run their life.

http://slapadenko.com

[Cindy Sal]

Well, what would Suze Orman say? With the economy the way it is and without a job it may not be the best option NOW, to go ahead with the mouth guards. But it does sound like if your teeth are moving you do need them. My teeth are loose and I need a night guard at $500.
But do it if it will save you more money down the road. good luck, I already miss you!

Cindy

[Jeff Garlick]

I just wonder if "Tim" feels badly about ragging on you for elective dentistry in light of today's news - hope R3 is giving you an extension on benefits!

I see NOTHING vain or ridiculous about preventing costly or expensive work down the road - I never thought your teeth looked bad but if they are going to go bad on you in the future, DEFINITELY take action NOW! The best offense is a good defense!

Plus, how cool is it to have a selectable lisp! LOL! Honestly, no vain woman would point out dental appliances let alone remove them on camera!

You're in my thoughts and I wish you a VERY short turnaround! Move to the next gig and go get em'! :-)

[Ed Dyer]

How concerned are you about a future problem with your teeth alignment? Can you afford Invisalign?

You do look great now, but being in the media does mean that, whether you like it or not, your appearance is likely to have some impact on the work you get in the future. The cost of Invisalign might be justified in that respect.

If you have to make some financial sacrifices to buy Invisalign than it would be worth while to think twice about.

If you were constantly using appearance and physical enhancement treatments than that could point to an underling emotional problem. How many boob jobs, tummy tucks, etc have you had. :)

[Tiffany]

If you want to do something for your body that will make you feel better- do it. Of course it's a dangerous activity like anorexia, no one should be advocating it. But measures like these that are safe and not affecting a person's health are far better ways to raise self confidence that if left unattended could result in some sort of harmful behavior. It can really be just an alternative or solution to psych-ache.

Is it vain? I don't think so. It would be a lie for us to say they were not aware of our appearance. We are consumers and make decisions on all of our purchases, thus we have no choice but to think about why we pick a shirt in this shade of blue over that shade of blue. Even if it is based on solely price, you still are analyzing options to an extent which encompasses the application of the product. In regards with clothing- you by default take things like fit into consideration because it's purpose is to be worn.

Really all of this is about what makes us feel more comfortable, more confident, and more who we want to be. Who else should care? No one is affected by your choice to wear invisiline. Or get breast implants.

Even the "purist," the nature-loving, not-self-absorbed feminist who seem to be most opposed to things like this have a certain look. Dreadlocks and flowy skirts anyone? Criticism of any kind will always be hypocritical because we are all consumers.
So eat it.

PS
This is the first opportunity I've had to use the word "psych-ache." Thanks!

[Rene hasp]

Hmmm.. Now I want braces!!! :) , I personally think that since you are on TV and in showbiz you should do what ever it takes to keep your prettiness. In all reality you body, brain and face are your tool just like a computer is my tool for work.

And if it makes you feel more confident well then that is a major bonus!!!

Please don't stop interacting with us.... Were still here for you...

[punterjoe]

It's time to raise the threshold of what's considered vanity. Little things that make you feel better should not be considered vanity. If it becomes big neuroses that end up sending you to your savings account for cosmetic procedures, then reconsider the vanity questions... but little things like cosmetic dentistry, lasik or whatever.. if it makes one feel less self-conscious, and bolsters their self confidence and comfort level, that isn't vanity. That's personal investment that pays dividends with everyone you meet.

[Mr.wonderful]

Lay off the man juice Sarah and your teeth will remain perfect.

[Brett]

I posted on your previous vid about moving your teeth with Invisalign and am getting them in January. My dentist wants $4500 for them but my dental insurance will pay the first $2000. Then I'm funding my Health Savings Account with the remaining $2500. I get to use that to pay the $2500 to the dentist right away in January and then it reduces my gross pay like putting money in a 401k retirement plan on a pre-tax basis, so you basically get a discount of whatever your tax bracket is.

Essentially it's gonna save me 15% on the $2500 out of pocket which is $375. Plus, I'm using a credit card and getting 1% back, so there's another $25 back. All in all, my Health Savings Account will reimburse me the $2500 to my bank account in order to pay the credit card bill and then I pay back the $2100 over the course of a year through my paycheck.

Keep us up to date on the pain, any cleaning advice, etc as a coworker said she had them and took several Motrin a day for the pain and it ruined her stomach lining.

[Rottiemum]

I do not think getting Invisalign in your line of work is vain, its an investment. You are also doing it now to prevent future issues. A person's smile is one of the first things we notice. If I had the extra $/insurance, I would invest in Invisalign. Much thanks for your "review" of it too!

Regarding vanity: I started going gray (very gray) at the age of 27. For the longest time I just accepted the fact I was going to be silver haired early. But around 33, I would look in the mirror and my reflection did not match how I felt or my appearance otherwise. So I started coloring my hair its original hue. I felt more energized and confident. People think I'm 27-28 and I'll be 35 next week. Is it vain, well, its relative. Does it make me feel good, hell yeah.

My opinion, as long as a person is not making inhancements solely on behalf of another person (like boob job for the boyfriend) and they spend money on the necessities of life first, then go for it!

[ash]

how long do you need to wear them?

[Chris S]

Do what the F you want. No different than spending money on nice clothes, cars, etc... If it makes you happy do it.

[Gypse Boxten]

If your teeth are moving, best to put the brakes on them.

[Jack]

I say go for it. In your line of business, I see Invisalign as a business expense, just as a combine is to a farmer. We all love you're smile and it would be a shame to lose it.

Hang in during the transition. And knowing it will be beautiful, keep on smiling.

[Rollo]

I don't think there's anything wrong with a little vanity. I went the Invisalign route myself a few years back on top of getting a few porcelain veneers. Sure some might call it vanity, but look at it this way; it can also be very cost effective since you would end up spending thousands more down the road if the situation worsened.

Plus, it's hard to put a price on feeling confident.

[Mandy]

There are things that insurance plans won't cover if considered cosmetic or unnecessary. The fact that a dental plan with orthodontics included (usually limited to a lifetime maximum per person amount, mine was $1500) covers braces and Invisalign tells us that there are valid medical reasons for them.

[MediaMisfit]

I was a freak before I got braces. Seriously, I had like two freaking teeth sticking out of my upper grill so I think that it is TOTALLY cool to get something like this done. Especially if your still single. If your married then your trapped anyways so who cares. Get fat and let yourself goto crap.

Just kidding!