Don't make my mistake. I rushed into this decision, and have been $paying$ for it ever since…read more
I got two opinions for Invisalign. The first (free consult) was from a real orthodontist, at Great River Orthodontists in La Crosse. I was quoted $6,450.00. The second consultation (which cost $150) from Dr. Cowgill, was $3,900. I'm on a limited income, so I was thrilled Cowgill was cheaper. (Now I would gladly pay the difference to see an Orthodontist)
Dr. Cowgill told me three things at that consult: I was an easy case/most likely wouldn't need refinements at all after my initial 14 trays (Didn't come true, I was a patient for 16 months before I transferred to an Orthodontist), we'd keep going until I was satisfied with my smile (at my last appointment before I transferred he told me quite condescendingly there was nothing more he could do for me, and my teeth are just shaped the way they are), and I would like my smile in the end (Definitively untrue).
My first surprise was I was expecting Dr. Cowgill to see me during appointments. (In fact, there had been a brouhaha because I originally wanted Tuesday afternoon visits and Dr. Cowgill apparently takes that afternoon off each week.) I had a woman I had never met- I later learned via google she is a different dentist at the practice. I think I saw her 2, possibly 3 times overall, right in the beginning, and then I just saw a hygienist.
My second surprise was when I mentioned after getting my first tray I had purchased an Outie to remove trays and she (dentist) had never heard of them. I had learned of them after joining the Invisalign Reddit forum online. I found it disturbing dental professionals hadn't advised me on them, or even HEARD of them. I wasn't advised on Chewies, either, which most people on my forum seemed to have been advised on by their orthodontists.
My visits were about two minutes long overall. Again, comparing myself to the subreddit of people going through my same process, others seemed to actually have the orthodontist/ dentist physically look at their mouth to confirm they were tracking well, and compared their visits to ClinCheck videos. I was never offered to see my clincheck during visits, nor was I checked to see I was tracking. My experience has been a hygienist handing me my new tray and checking to see that I could put it on.
Another terrible surprise was learning I had signed up for Invisalign "Lite". Everything to my recollection was I was never told this was different from regular Invisalign. I was told I had a light case- I took that to mean "mild/easy to fix" When I got my first trays, I took a look at the bag when I got home. I thought it was weird that "Lite" was written on them, so again, I turned to google. I learned there that after my 14 trays were up, Invisalign would assign me a number of refinements. If my teeth were still crooked after that round of refinements, I'd have to pay out of pocket for further treatment. (Unlike regular Invisalign patients- they keep going until satisfied) Cue my panic.
(Another thing I learned on my forum was people often waited months to get started as their orthodontist and Invisalign went back and forth on the best treatment plan. This wasn't my experience. Invisalign dictated everything, I doubt the dentist ever questioned any of it. I got my trays as soon as they were first advised and created both times)
I felt dismissed whenever I brought up concerns to the hygienists, like my fear that I wasn't tracking. Any concern was basically answered by "it just takes time". I FINALLY saw Dr. Cowgill after I finished my 14 trays. He looked at my teeth and said something along the lines of "whoa, these still have a long way to go!" No crap, Sherlock. It felt so horrible to hear that. I KNEW I wasn't tracking well, and my concerns had been dismissed by the hygienists- no one ever went to get the dentist to actually confirm I was tracking properly. So aggravating!
Furthering my alarm, Dr. Cowgill then guessed I would need only three refinement trays and then he'd basically sand down my crookedness. Look, I obviously didn't go to dental school, but even I knew he was tripping balls if he thought three would do the trick. Invisalign ended up sending eleven, nearly four times his professional estimation.
After my fourth tray of refinements, I sent a picture of my top teeth on day one (5.5 months earlier), and the day 28 of refinements to my best friend. She guessed my day one pictures were me nearly done with treatment. I honestly to god cried when she said that. It was proof to me I wasn't crazy, I WASNT tracking properly. And if anyone reading this is thinking I didn't wear them properly-FALSE! I timed myself every time I took them out. I never took them out for more than 2/24 hours.
ok im being cut off for space...just spend the money for an Ortho, Cowgill is inept and rude. Ortho says she can straighten them for, C says it's impossible. I'll trust the Ortho.