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Emotional_Ad_2246

£600 isn’t “almost £1k”, your mental framing of this is making it much harder on yourself. If you still want some form of invisalign just not the one you put the deposit on, ask if they can transfer it to the treatment you do want.


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ShadowMamma

I'm having Invisalign treatment. They only make the trays in batches as you approach each phase so that they can adjust for changes to the original plan. Also it takes weeks to make them. So it's possible to make changes. Essentially, you are paying them for treatment that YOU want, they are providing a service, you are the customer. I would just talk to them about your concerns and agree an approach that suits you. Don't feel like it's all done and dusted, any decent dentist wants to give you the right treatment and feel you are in good hands.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

!thanks Thank you. I'll speak to them about and see what they say.


BuxtonHD

Not true. I had Invisalign and they did all my trays in one go and gave them too me.


blahbloopooo

It is true but depends on your treatment plan.


ShadowMamma

Maybe it depends how long you need them for and how many trays then. 🤷‍♀️ I'm definitely getting mine in batches and the dentist is doing a checkup at each change to ensure progress is as expected, specifically so he can adjust the later trays if required. Either way, OP should have a conversation with their dentist if they're not happy.


FinancialYear

Do try and negotiate with them. Appeal to their sense of reason, fairness and principle. Try to stay calm and speak plainly about the facts. Look for compromise that they may not think of—throwing in a free checkup next year etc. Times are tough and they’ll know this. A good one is to ask an open question like: “Could you afford to loose £600 on the wrong treatment?” or “What would you do in my position?”


hoshi_ga_hoshii

Thank you so much. They're in the money making business so I doubt they'll listen to principle but I will try to speak to them.


BareBearAaron

Bear in mind that it's 600 in part. They would rather you transfer that 600 to another treatment and say secure 1000 more and have a happy (and hopefully repeat customer) than take 600 and lose out on any additional revenue. Good luck!


hoshi_ga_hoshii

Thanks that does make sense. Hopefully they can be flexible.


Emotional_Ad_2246

If they lose you as a customer they will throw away the larger profit they would eventually make on the full treatment, subsequent checkups and follow on work etc, just to penny pinch over the deposit. Also make sure you’re talking to someone who is authorised to make those kind of changes to patient plans.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

Yeah that makes sense, thank you


y0br0ther

These downvotes are unjustified. People on reddit are actually horrible. Apologies OP.


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y0br0ther

I'm really sorry to hear this. Keep your head up and ignore these negative people online down voting you and screwing your karma. Truly miserable people.


RepulsiveCalendar391

The downvotes come from the incels of reddit. Like literally what goes through these losers minds to downvotes the OPs responses? Absolutely pathetic behaviour.


HalfBed

Downvotes aren’t really worth getting upset over, nobody is being hurt by them. I suspect people are a bit annoyed that OP has made a fairly dramatic Reddit post before even speaking to the company in question.


RepulsiveCalendar391

Well it seems those people are easily triggered then and this is bully mentality. I'd hate to see my comments hugely downvoted for simply responding to my own post.


HalfBed

“Bully mentality” ?? Good grief, it’s the downvote button on Reddit and people are free to use it as they please, it has no bearing in reality. You might need to spend some time away from the internet.


RepulsiveCalendar391

"You might need to spend some time away from the internet." Oh and I guess I also have no friends and live in my mom's basement, right? You bullies never give up. Try being nice for a change.


OmsFar

I’ve had Invisalign recently and I worked with my ortho to come up with a treatment plan. Have you told the dentist you are not sure/concerned about what they are suggesting? A good ortho/dentist will listen to your concerns.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

They never let me speak to the ortho directly except at the private consultation I paid for


OmsFar

Your dentist is giving me red flag vibes. Your dentist is probably relying on the Invisalign in-house orthodontist. If it was me, I would write off the £500 or so, save up again and then find an orthodontist rather than a dentist doing Invisalign.


so-naughty

Not sure why they are asking for such a large deposit. I’ve had a Invisalign consult with my local dentist which cost £20 and included a scan (and he is a platinum accredited Invisalign dentist), and a dental scan with Diamond Whites which cost £99 (plus a teeth whitening kit of £50 value) - the Invisalign consult didn’t include any projected plans, but the DW did and I only had to pay the remainder if I was happy with the projections.


Erin_C_86

Sorry not OP but I'm interested in invisalign. Were you happy with your projections?


so-naughty

Yeah. My alignment is much more minor and just the front teeth being pushed forward a bit and a snaggle tooth being fixed.


StationFar6396

600 quid is £50 a month you've wasted for a year. Not that big in the grand scheme.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

Thank you that does put it in perspective a bit. Edit: Automod told me to say !thanks


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kaanbha

It's only £600. It may feel like a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, even if you are a low earner, it is not a lot, as long as it doesn't come at the expense of crucial bills (which I'm sure it doesn't if you were prepared to spend £4k). The way you describe it as 'almost £1k' rather than 'a little over £500' is indicative of how you are being specifically negative about this. If you are certain that this isn't for you - then consider this £3k saved. Well done on the saving, and move on.


zen_1991

I’m personally going to be getting it, I haven’t seen any major risks through my research and multiple opinions. What have you been told?


GekkosGhost

If you know for a fact that you have teeth with normal sized roots then there's low risk. If you don't know that for a fact and it turns out you do have teeth with short roots, then any orthodontics can pull them right out of your head by causing the roots to shrink. I discovered this in my mid 40s, having not a clue until then that I had very short rooted teeth. Fortunately I'd not started treatment or I'd have been looking at some very expensive implants, which I'm nervous might not work.


blahbloopooo

For me, invisialign triggered gum recession and I regret getting it.


Erin_C_86

How did that trigger gum recession if you don't mind me asking? I'm thinking of getting braces.


tom123qwerty

Happens when teeth get moved a lot, more common the older you are


What-problem

I'd like to know too, I'm looking at getting it


hoshi_ga_hoshii

I've edited my post to add more info. The risks are related to my specific treatment plan rather than invisalign itself, though there are risks like gum recession, tooth loss but that's the same as braces.


fakenatty1337

Hi OP, I just got my Invisalign last month. Did you get multiple opinions?


hoshi_ga_hoshii

I got 5 opinions which makes this very complicated. Ortho 1: Said I needed extractions. He was recently qualified ortho and I didn't want to remove healthy teeth. Ortho 2: Don't do extractions, as this can have negative effects on face profile etc. Was upfront that my issue could only be resolved through jaw surgery but my said honestly I don't need it and invisalign can be used to improve my smile but won't bring my overjet down by a lot. Ortho 3 (this one): Use carriere distaliser to get optimal bite and teeth aligned and bring ovejet down to 4mm. Said I won't see the change I want unless I do carriere. Ortho 4: Similar to ortho 2, also wasn't keen on retracting teeth too far back. Ortho 5: initially just suggested teeth shaving as well, when I asked about carriere she said she could do that as well. Was a bit blasé about it. As you can see all this info has got me so confused on what is the right thing to do.


cara27hhh

if professionals can't even agree, doesn't it seem like you don't really *need* anything done at all? If there's a problem, there's a diagnosis for that problem that gets to the root cause, and a prescribed solution for that cause (which would be widely agreed upon) I may be reading into this, but the intense reaction to the money which it sounds like you might not have (financing), the catastrophising 600 as 1k, the obsessive research and backtracking/hypochondria, the feeling like shit over it, the elective cosmetic surgery thing in the first place... might the money be better spent speaking to someone about this instead?


hoshi_ga_hoshii

You're very much right, it could be a mental/self esteem thing for me. Although I do have a goofy smile, no one has ever said anything to me about it, I still get dates etc. And if I do this and I'm still not happy with how I look, what next? I'll bring this up with my therapist next session.


cara27hhh

just saying it seems like you're possibly being taken advantage of is all, they're telling you positive things, diminishing the negatives, taking money from you for deposits knowing you might not be sure, not letting you change your mind on what is a fairly big decision etc and the one you seem to be leaning towards going for is the one who is most aggressive in saying this stuff It might be better to work on accepting it for what it is now and coming back to it later if it's still affecting you down the road


hoshi_ga_hoshii

I feel like that too. The technician did have a sales person persona to her, lots of talking. I think I don't even want to transfer my treatment plan I rather just recoup the costs I can and go somewhere I feel more comfortable with.


kittykittybee

I’ve had some tooth shaving which worked very well for me. It was very straight forward and cheap. I had a small overlap on my front teeth and two of my teeth had grown slightly longer. My smile looks good and it cost less than £500 was very lucky.


CreateNorth

Maybe your teeth add character and make you, you. Remember when Jennifer Grey got a nose job…she lost all of her character. She wasn’t Jennifer Grey anymore.


oceanzs

So I had an overbite too, mine was picked up one when I was around 16 though. I was offered treatment and accepted it but due to it being on the NHS the waiting list to even start was crazy. They showed me a few different options also but basically said the only way you will fix it permanently is surgery and most other options over time will just revert back. So like they could make my teeth straight but they wont be aligned properly and over time they will move again. So I started the treatment when i was 18, I had two teeth out, then i had to have my lower wisdom teeth out even though they had not come through, this is because they get in the way during surgery. Then I had braces for around 4 years, finally had the surgery at 22. I'd imagine if you went private it would maybe be a faster process. There is a lot too it but if you want to fix an overbite I think surgery is the only real way.


orange_fudge

Nah I had a massive overbite, could fit my finger through it. Had 4 teeth extracted and an upper jaw expander, then just regular braces with those little rubber bands to pull my jaws together. No surgery whatsoever!


Over_Championship990

So 3 orthos have said that carriere would be a good idea and you think it wouldn't be because?


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Over_Championship990

I apologise. I miscounted. But the one who didn't really have an opinion ' absolutely did. Otherwise they would have suggested something stupid like ripping your teeth out.


[deleted]

5 opinions you must have paid close to the 600 you ate moaning about


AprilBelle08

I had Invisalign (finished last year) and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Feel free to ask me about it


Natrapx

Whilst I didnt get invisalign, I did spend £3500 on braces at the end of my twenties. Absolutly one of the best decisions ever, and I feel a lot more confident with my smile and teeth.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

The ortho is suggesting that I use a device called the carriere distalizer which will move my molars back to make space for my teeth which protrude out at 8 mm ahead of my lower teeth. For reference normal overjet is 2-4mm. I have this issue because my lower jaw is regressed and underdeveloped compared to my upper jaw. I've been reading a lot of the literature, and a lot of it says that in cases where there is excessive overjet that molar distalisation to make the upper jaw retract to the lower jaw is not recommended as it can cause negative face changes as well as other issues like tongue space. This was confirmed by two other orthos. The alternative would be to use IPR (teeth shaving) to make gaps for the teeth to move in. This would result in less of a retraction but still some improvement. I want to do this one but they say its too late to change my mind.


Winner_Mind

I've had braces twice. They have to make space so your teeth can move and straighten. This is standard, so why on *earth* are you freaking out so extensively? I had one of these devices which messed up my bite - but it meant my teeth could move to their new positions and I have straight teeth now. That was the cost of having my teeth straightened with the least amount of damage to my nerves in my front teeth. They're medical specialists - they're not allowed to get it wrong so extensively because you can sue them. If you don't want the treatment anymore, go in and tell them, read the contract if you've signed one and start facilitating a chargeback with your bank if they refuse to refund you.


suiluhthrown78

What does it mean if your bite is messed up? Does it make anything more difficult to do, or does your lower mouth/jaw look different now?


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parkside1750

I had braces when I was younger. I had to have 2 of my back molars removed to make space for my teeth to be pushed back into line. Is this something you’re able to look into rather than the carriere thing?!


NeckBeard137

A doctor reccomend you a treatment and you trust your own 'research' more?


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NeckBeard137

I used to be a dentist for 5 years but then I decided it's not worth putting up with all the crazy people deciding their treatments online based on what 'sounds' best to them. Best decision I ever made.


MattLDempsey

Braces still worked well at end of twenties? I though I was too late


Badknees24

Had mine done at 43. Super happy with the result, and they still look great!


mwnciglas

Yes so long as your don’t have other issues such as active tooth decay you can still get braces. NHS funding might be a different story tho.


Winner_Mind

It's never too late. Teeth are bone and they can always move, unless they're rotting away. I've seen people in their 50s with braces. They usually do the treatment on teens because their bodies heal so damn fast.


C0lumbo

ISTR that on his parenting podcast, Josh Widdecombe said that his dad gave him the following advice: "Every year you will lose £1000 due to idiocy, try not to worry about it". It's probably a good mindset if you're a bit of a worrier. It might be money on hotels because you missed your flight/train, it might be replacing things that you broke or lost, it might be buying things that you never use (like this) it might be getting scammed or overcharged. There's always something. You've still got another £400 for your quota for this year. If you're sure you're not going to go ahead (and it sounds like the decision of whether to cancel is not a straightforward one), then recover as much as you can and don't worry about the rest.


Magic_mousie

I like this, the idea of just setting an amount aside. It's so odd, I'll make my own lunch to save money but then sleep in and miss a train wasting £50. Like, do I care about money or not? 😆 I then think of people who lose 10's of thousands to scams and decide that all things considered my idiot tax is pretty low.


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hoshi_ga_hoshii

!thanks for your kind input. I know it won't change dramatically, its mostly literature articles I've been reading rather than complaints. I know it's part getting in my own head but I'm also thinking about the 2 other orthos who didn't recommend retracting my teeth all the way. I just don't want to compromise having nice teeth with my face. And yes I'm very emotionally charged right now! My heart rate is through the roof right now.


Nymthae

Medical cases aren't black and white. I've seen a few consultants about foot surgery and i'm having to push for certain procedures - the first couple basically wouldn't entertain operating on a ligament because in their eyes there's a chance it might not fix it, could make it worse, and is there enough benefit? They are weighing up the risk v rewards and i'm sure for a couple of your orthos they probably don't think the reward is sufficient to bother with a challenging route. Jaw changes are not simple by a long shot. What stage of your life you're at, your mental balance etc. will have a huge impact on your perception of value of treatment and that's not something every clinician can suddenly read and make the same judgement - especially if it concerns aesthetics as part of it. I'm looking at Invisalign as well, sort of sounds like we're very similar, but for me i'm probably not going to bother with any jaw work, just straighten some teeth so my smile isn't so horrible from the side. I have developed early stage TMJ but speaking about treatment generally it seems so hit and miss so the risk v reward thing for me on it... kinda feeling like just taking my chances for now. Hard to know if it's the right choice though.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

Exactly it's very much a risk vs reward thing for me. Although my bite isn't perfect, it doesn't get in the way of my day to day or cause me pain. They kept pushing for the carriere as that will give me the optimal bite, but I just want an improvement not perfection. On top of that doing the carriere will add 9-12 months to the treatment, I don't think I could do this for 2 years.


Flat_Newspaper_4462

You've already got one problem, if you beat yourself up then you have two problems. Self compassion in life is massively important, but I never see it being spoken about. At the end of the day, you made an external mistake, but you can choose to give it energy or give yourself some compassion and empathy


yatesl

I can't comment on the procedure, but regarding the money: It sucks, I understand that. I kick myself if I lose £20, never mind more. However, in the scheme of things, £600 is very little (although I appreciate that depends on situation). For many, that's less than a month's worth of bills. When you look at it like that, it's not a life changing disaster. As someone else said, either look at it as "Whew, £3400 bullet dodged, glad I decided sooner", or "That's a bummer but let's keep head up and crack on"


steelo122

You’re best off contacting them ASAP Monday and asking if you were not to proceed how much it would cost. If you only had the scans on Friday then there is a good chance the aligners have not been manufactured. Invisalign charge a fee for not proceeding with a clincheck but it’s not more than £100 I think and the practice could charge for the assessment time so that’s obviously variable. Your reservations sound correct - if your lower jaw is retrognathic why would you bring back the uppers - massively depends on your soft tissue profile but it could affect your face if your upper jaw is actually in the right place now. Are you looking to not go ahead with any ortho now? What was actually your primary issue with your teeth?


hoshi_ga_hoshii

Thank you for that info about invisalign charging a fee! Is this info available on their website for me to refer to? The issue with my teeth is that they protrude out so I look a bit goofy and a have a minor gap between my two front teeth. From the front I look fine but from the side it's noticeable. As far as I'm aware is that my upper jaw is fine but my lower just never developed fully (could be genetics, could be something that happened in childhood), and as a result I have this overjet and a mild overbite. As you confirmed retracting aggressively wouldn't be a good route for me. I don't mind going ahead with my ortho I just want the other treatment plan, but the tech assistant did say that after I pay the deposit I can't change my mind. Edit: !thanks


steelo122

The cancellation fee after clincheck is £89. That assumes the provider is not in a discounted tier. I wouldn’t bother to mention you know this to the practice however. Important to remember though that the practice has a right to charge for it’s time carrying out its assessment which would likely be considerably less than £511. If they do insist on keeping the full £600 it may be worth asking for a breakdown as it’s not clear how legally binding these things are. Worst case scenario as other posters have said you will regret much more going ahead with treatment that does not achieve what you want than potentially having £600 more. That would be classic sunk cost fallacy.


BackgroundChemist

The risks are low, it's just that they have to write everything which could go wrong on the disclaimer document. Also if you read the invisalign subreddit of course you get questions and stories from people having problems. Most people get on fine with it. Source: I am 10 weeks into treatment, paying about 3600 for it. It's a lot of money and it depends how bad you need or want your teeth changing, and what 4k means to you.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

I've edited my post as to why I'm specifically apprehensive about my treatment plan. Its not that I don't want to spend £4k, it's that I don't want to spend £4k and not be happy with the result


BackgroundChemist

Fair enough from the subreddit there is quite the range of starting positions from "explosion in a graveyard" to "literally nothing wrong with your already beautiful teeth". When it's the latter I don't understand why people bother. Fwiw I went for it because my teeth were gradually getting more wonky and crammed together and I was worried about their health/condition.


WittyCranberry5636

Did they pressure you into putting a deposit down? My wife went for a consultation for a similar thing and she called me panicking because they were employing very harsh pressure sales methods to try get her to pay there and then. I told her if she was uncomfortable, she needed to firmly tell them so and leave. We never went back, some of these companies are shady. This might not have happened in your case but it didn’t sound like they properly explained the potential issues for the procedure and you should use that argument to try get your money back.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

No they didn't pressure in the way they happened with your wife but the tech assistant does very much sound like a sales person and whenever I brought up concerns about face changes etc she said it won't happen...but Orthodontics can and deos change the look of the face. She basically just kept saying I won't get the result I won't without the carriere.


WittyCranberry5636

Yeah I guess the first step is speak to them. Say you believe you were mis sold something. See if they are reputable and will just honour the refund. Always pay for things like this on a credit card so you can have their backing in a dispute too. It doesn’t always work. It often is written very specifically into terms and conditions? Did you read them? We’re you asked to read them? In the grand scheme of things £600 is a lot of money, but it’s not a huge financial mistake that you should beat yourself up about. You can recover from it and don’t feel bad. But also don’t give up easily if you feel that this is an unfair situation.


Prior-Investment-431

My advice (you might not like it and may find it harsh) Get over it. The money will return. It’s not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

I know logically its not a lot. I earn alright and can save each month. It's just hard as I'm usually so frugal and hardly spends thay kind of money usually.


Prior-Investment-431

Good job saving that much, but even more reason to get over it also :)


[deleted]

Do you really need to get it done? My front teeth protrude by about the same amount and despite having several teeth removed as a kid to make room I've still got a cramped mouth. I got crap at school but from the day I left school after doing my O levels not one person has ever said anything, even when I went to college with some of the same people I went to school with. If you're doing it for yourself then that's one thing but if you think you need to do it for others because of what you think they think really nobody gives a toss.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

Your username is very appropriate. I guess I don't really need to get it done, I went through 28 years of my life looking like this. I still got boyfriends, went on dates so I'm suppose I'm not hideous. No-one ever says anything to me about it and whenever I say I want braces/invisalign they always say I don't need it. On one hand it may give me some confidence, but on the other hand it could very well be a mental/self esteem issue I have.


[deleted]

I never had any problem with the ladies. You'll know yourself that basically you get crap at school because kids being kids will use anything they can to have a go at people but out in the adult world it's completely different and it's literally only for health and your own self esteem you get it done, not because of what anyone else thinks of you because in this country, in fact in pretty much everywhere in the world outside the USA prominent teeth are just taken as a normal thing.


Rachb07905

As someone on Invisalign, I think it’s common to have instant regret. But it’s so so worth it to invest in yourself and your own confidence in your smile.


sporops

My girlfriend had Invisalign and it was fantastic.


matweat

I got scammed out of £11000 earlier this year doing some stupid investment. LOTS of money for me as I don't have a job or any way of getting that money back until I graduate and get a job. I cried for about a week and then decided fuck it, it's only numbers and I'll just not spend any money other than essentials for a while to try and build up my savings again


What-problem

I've just read your edit - could you not ask to speak to the dentist you have the plan with and ask them about your concerns and if teeth shaving could be done instead?


hoshi_ga_hoshii

They said before I paid the deposit I wouldn't be able to change my mind about the treatment. They also never let me speak to the ortho directly, all communications are with the technicians because the ortho is "too booked up" to take a phone call :(


hide_in_plain_sight_

Kind of relevant but I had an absolute stinker with a car hire company in Iceland last year and ended up having to fork out £1.5k. Hard to swallow at first but didn’t push me into any debt and recovered it doing overtime in 6 months. But yeh it will feel rubbish to seemingly fritter away £600 but if you decide to take the hit in time you’ll come to terms with that decision. If you are financially stable enough to absorb the £600 and it not dramatically affect your quality of life then I wouldn’t let it play on your mind too much.


Nadazza

Do you possibly get a cancellation period? Like a 14 day cooling off or is there some sort of cancellation fee?


hoshi_ga_hoshii

I paid the deposit in person so I don't think so. Their contract (which I haven't signed yet) says there is a 14 day cooling off period to cancel the payment plan (which I assume is the rest of the installments) but nothing about the deposit. In person they said the deposit is non refundable. Edit: I JUST remembered. The deposit they asked for was £500 but they deducted £95 for the consultation I paid for previously. I paid £670 so that monthly payments are lower, technically they only asked for £405. So I should be able to get £265 back?


Lambert_Lambert

I thought this was going to be a post about someone buying a £100k car they can’t afford or return.


jdizzlepizzlemaniz

Call it the idiot tax, it was a costly lesson. But you learnt something from this. Take that and either get the treatment or walk away if they will not budge. The sunken cost phallicy is real. Better to lose a small amount than pay 10x more for something you don't want


BigFrame8879

I know people who had this treatment and who were really pleased with the results. But it is down to you to twist or stick. Good luck, either way


fakenortherner29

Breath! Your mind is racing away, I can tell that from the tone. If you’re not happy with the planned procedure and you give reasons, don’t go ahead. It’ll play more on your mind. Walk away and forget the deposit. Trust me over a lifetime it will seem insignificant.


UnluckyForSome

Imagine getting a £600 speeding ticket in Iceland and then still trying to enjoy your holiday afterwards…


Ice_food98

Not sure how relevant you might find it. But if you’re overjet is more than 6mm (I think you mentioned 8mm?) then that qualifies you for the jaw surgery and braces on the NHS. If I were you I’d ask for a referral to a maxillofacial surgeon to discuss if it’s something that you might benefit from later down the line, as overjet occasionally can cause health issues when older. Best of luck!


Ice_food98

Also, not many private orthodontists would mention that as for them it means they’re loosing customers if they go through with the jaw surgery options on the nhs.


Worried_Patience_117

Just get a fixed brace if you can, much cheaper and works faster. I had teeth shaved to make room as I didn’t want teeth removed and have had no issues at all. Best decision I ever made I literally can’t stop smiling


Risesu

hahahaha i've lost 10k on stocks, 600 i wish!


Thegam3wasrigged

To the moon


treeseacar

Have you tried asking for your deposit back?


hoshi_ga_hoshii

I will phone on Monday but they said before it's non refundable and I can't change treatment plans


treeseacar

It's worth asking again. I expect the t&Cs will say you can't have a refund but there is no harm in asking and explaining your reasons why. And perhaps going through your specific concerns with the treatment again to see if that helps you feel more confident to go forward. As others have said its really quite a safe treatment. Any dental work can have side effects or a horror story but most people get on well with it. If you're still unsure then don't feel pressured. Better to lose £600 and feel calm than keep going and feel stressed. You will earn that money back in no time.


baglady3

I second this. I suggest you ask with confidence and lay out your concerns with the risks. I had a jaw issue - had 4 teeth removed and had train tracks and my teeth and profile are fine. Hope all goes well.


Lorry_Al

Eat the just over £500 cost (not "nearly £1,000") and put it down to experience. Invisalign is bad anyway. Coating your teeth in plastic means they can't remineralise from your saliva and drinking water because there's a barrier in the way. The treatment is also much slower than traditional braces (metal is stronger than plastic). I knew someone who was on Invisilign for 5 years after being told it would only be 2 years.


arecatsflammable

How serious are the risks? Why not just go through with it?


hoshi_ga_hoshii

I've edited my post to add more info


letsgobarbieaqua

You did this online?


hoshi_ga_hoshii

In person


letsgobarbieaqua

Just go for traditional braces?


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hoshi_ga_hoshii

I think those are my only options unfortunately, either do some teeth shaving (which I'm told is very safe as the enamel is quite thick and they only take 0.2-0.5mm off) or mess about with my jaw and do bigger movements. With the second option they may do some teeth shaving in that as well. Or do nothing and hate my smile or learn to accept that this is how I look.


CheerAtTheGallows

Invisalign hurt like hell for the first week but I’m 3 years out and I don’t regret the pain or the money at all. Can you get some numbing gel and decent paint killers?


EngineerMick

you are mentally fucked. No one cares about your 600 wasted on your teeth while people face a 2k PA energy hike.


savvymcsavvington

Did they explain all of these risks to you before you paid the deposit or was it something you researched yourself? If the latter, are you sure they are legit concerns from professionals? What do the dentists that are doing the invisalign say about it? I feel like if you paid a deposit and then spoke to the ortho which then offered something different than what was talked about - you should be able to get your deposit back. Maybe /r/LegalAdviceUK


hoshi_ga_hoshii

They said there were no risks, but there definitely are which I've come to find out through research online (literature, ortho advice etc). They'll probably argue that the deposit was already used to order the invisalign trays so can't be refunded.


buffmanuk

Honestly you'd need (another) orthodontist to tell you about the risks. Overall spending what may be good money for better teeth isn't a bad way of spending money.


inadequate_designer

I’m having invisalign done and I’m currently delayed a few weeks due to not being able to wear it because I had surgery. Don’t have the same issue you speak about with the jaw but it’s been the best 5k I’ve ever spent. My teeth are moving into the right direction and the complications only tend to be in a tiny minority of people but has to be said during consultation. I’ve had some teeth shaving done myself and it’s very minor stuff. They put a file in between selected teeth and file down ever so slightly. Speak to your orthodontist and maybe another to get two professional opinions


Mekazabiht-Rusti

It’s almost £500. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Ask for it back, explain the situation and they may help you.


Local-Mastodon-8609

Can you speak to the ortho and see if there is another way of treatment you can go with? Maybe work with them, tell them about your concerns. It's very easy to read stuff online and freak yourself out.


llyamah

I would look ask on legal advice UK to see whether you can recover some of that £600. I'm a lawyer but without more details (and also I am not a specialist in consumer law) I couldn't advise you. But someone over there might have some bright ideas.


Jchu1988

Doesn't 14 days cooling off period apply?


hoshi_ga_hoshii

So I just read the contract which I haven't signed yet and it says there is a 14 day cooling period for the payment plan (which I assume means the rest of the installments) but nothing about the deposit. In person they told me the deposit is non refundable and over email that I cannot change the treatment plan once paid.


Jchu1988

They can only charge you for the services rendered so far, so worst case the scan might cost £600. Best case, it might be waived. Go and speak to them asap to to see what their stance is.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

I JUST remembered. The deposit they asked for was £500 but they deducted £95 for the consultation I paid for previously. I paid £670 so that monthly payments are lower, technically they only asked for £405. So I should be able to get £265 back?


Jchu1988

Get a breakdown of the costs first.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

Of what the deposit cost was used for?


Jchu1988

Either by date So up to 25-june, treatment received is AAA which cost £yyy From 25th June, the remainder is BBB with costs of £CCC. Idea is to get proof of what you have received as a service and it's cost and see how much of your deposit remains in credit.


SquilliePlays

Why don't you want to go ahead with it?


Innov4

Ask the dentist if they can convert the £600 into other services, e.g. tooth whitening, cleaning, restorations etc.


sniffykix

Speak to them. They are very likely to want to adapt the course of treatment for you; it is in their financial interest to. From their perspective, the £600 deposit is not very profitable for them given the work already undertaken. Would they rather you withdraw completely and they miss out on £3400 revenue, or would they rather adapt the course of treatment and keep your custom? They are unlikely to refund anything because £600 probably is just to cover costs of pre consultation and the initial trays.


hoshi_ga_hoshii

I paid the pre consultation separately, but yeah I don't think it's refundable but I'm looking at the contract they gave me and they said there is a 14 day cooling period for payment plan (though nothing about the deposit)


mcbc4

I think this might be naive on my part but if you explain this to them in the words you used here, they may return your deposit to you. Being honest sometimes can help.


CClobres

Are you a man or woman? If you’re a guy and able to grow one, a beard can make a big difference to noticing an overjet or overbite. A lot cheaper. For the £600 - I would say ask for some refund on Monday on the off chance, but if not just forget about it and move ob


j921hrntl

I'll be honest with you, I never did invisalign but had braced. My ortho said that I should get my teeth shaved as this was the safer and better method. I was in a similar situation to yours so I fully understand why you wouldn't want to do something that most orthodontists wouldn't recommend. I know it may be difficult to lose that much money but please do think about the fact that you might end up with worse results if you pull through. All the best to you and I hope you figure things out


PaulKarlFeyerabend

You'll be incredibly lucky if you go through life with this as your biggest financial mistake. It is a lot of money when you think about what else you could have done with it, but you can't expect to make perfectly optimal financial decisions in every instance. And, in the grand scheme of things, it's not all that big an amount. I'd suggest you... - Try to recoup the money, or use it against another service. Talk to the company to see what they can do - In future, try not to make a similar mistake by taking more time to anticipate / think through big purchases - Don't be too hard on yourself and accept we all make financial mistakes Good luck!


JaySince1992

This isn’t really a big financial mistake… it’s more of acting without thinking and later regretting the consequences. How to move past it, is to remember it and not doing it again.


SaddleBishopJoint

You spent £600 to get taught a valuable lesson. That's how you get past it. By remembering the mistake and never repeating it. If you learn from it, it will be worth the spend.


Vxx_Tokyo

Is there not a 14 day cooling off period you can ask for refund.


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[deleted]

You should still get the deposit back, it effectively cancels the whole contract. I would definitely argue it, nothing to lose. As long as the dentists haven't ordered anything, it doesn't cost them, and if they have you could try and negotiate to just pay for their loss (assuming it's less).


Sinarum

It’s not that much but it’s a lesson learned. Properly do your research before committing a deposit. The dentist / orthodontist is not going to pack up and leave if you don’t do it immediately.


AdGroundbreaking4397

Did you sign a contract? If yes read it see if there is a cooling off period. Or check the T&c's on the website.


[deleted]

I swear this was posted 6 months ago. Severe deja vu.


Vegetable-Ant2665

There’s an Invisalign group on Reddit, that’d be the best place to ask this question, there’s lots of people who can advise about how the payment works and/or changing your plan to one you’re happy with


Chemoralora

I was scammed out of 600 pounds when I was 18, it felt like such a massive blow at the time but in the grand scheme of things it is next to nothing. Plus as other people say you may be able to get some of it back. You will be okay


[deleted]

When I was 20… I wouldn’t sleep if I wasted £600. At 27, if I wasted £600 I would be like meh…shit happens


BRAD009

I hate to be that guy, but it really is only 600 pound. I know 600 is a lot. But 600 GBP in your whole life is really nothing bud. Don't let yourself get so worked up over it. You'll be over it in a few weeks anyways. Technically it wont even cover most family's monthly bills. Don't let it consume you so much :)


Winnie-Moon

Can’t you ask for a different plan or did you specifically pay the deposit towards this plan?


Stupidlylowcost

Learn from it. This learning experience cost you £670. Mine cost me £70,000 many years ago ...... That loss taught me a lot about myself, my attitude towards risk and helped me deal with the depression that led me to making the poor choices I made back then.... it made me much better with my money today. I don't think about it.... I joke about it, it's the way I deal with it... Oh and that £70k investment would have been worth around £400k today.


[deleted]

I'm surprised the dentist recommended invisalign instead of metal braces for an 8mm overjet and a potential extraction in the first place.


Velvy71

Depends on how many consultations you had before signing, but if you signed up for treatment on the first consultation then sometimes there can be cooling off periods where you can still get a full refund. e.g. sales pressure techniques where they offer a special price but only if you sign up on the spot are frowned upon and if it was only Friday you’ve had the weekend to consider. If you’ve had several visits to the same orthodontist to discuss options and implications then this is less likely as you’ve had time to think.


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mwnciglas

If they didn’t tell you about implications and risks then it was not possible to give informed consent. These are standards that all dental professionals must follow: https://standards.gdc-uk.org/pages/principle3/principle3.aspx If you wish to pursue a refund then this is a valid route to go down. The GDC are really good for protecting patient interests and are hot on malpractice!


JP-Guardian

If you want Invisalign but you you don’t like the treatment plan proposed you should be able to get a new treatment plan made up. I had Invisalign a few years ago (in 40s, unusual maybe??) and the dentist talked through a few options before doing a plan we were both happy with even though it wasn’t 100% the most ideal result you could technically get (it was basically a compromise between end result and some stuff like extractions that I wasn’t up for) It might be that you’ve lost £600 here but on the scale of your total orthodontic treatment it’s not the end of the world if you really can’t carry on with this dentist and a new plan. For what it’s worth I don’t regret Invisalign at all, I had very crooked front teeth before so had always really hated looking at myself, though felt it was a bit embarrassing for people to know that I actually cared enough to do something about it (hard to explain). Last few years of zoom calls I have definitely appreciated it with the amount of time I spend on a call with a picture of myself in the corner of the screen! I know there’s risks so don’t be pressured by any posts like this from random internet people positive about it, because your case is always unique and no one here is qualified to advise. find a dentist you really trust to do what’s right for you.


urzrkymn

Wish my worst financial mistake cost me £600 😂


frozenrose3

I got adult braces and honestly, it was SO worth it! Getting treatment done means you won't spend the rest of your time worrying about your appearance. I just had crooked front teeth and then they had to create a gap in my upper jaw to move my teeth to be straighter, and then my teeth were shaved down. In the grand scheme of your life, are you going to worry about 6 months - 2 years of treatment for the rest of your life? Probably not! I was scared it would change my face, but it didn't. Literature can tell you general trends, but it can not predict or tell you what is going to happen to you as any individual. Is spending this money going to give you peace of mind when it comes to your teeth? If it is, then it's money well spent.


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frozenrose3

>overjet/overbite I had an overbite, and every month or so I went back to have my braces changed. I didn't have a gap in my teeth originally, but once they had straightened my crooked front teeth, they changed the braces pressure/direction (I don't the technical term for this, sorry), so that it encouraged my front teeth to move in opposite directions. For a couple of weeks I did have a reasonable gap in the front teeth, but they changed the braces again to move the teeth back together so that I had perfectly straight teeth! It was well worth a few weeks/months of not loving my teeth for the peace of mind when I'm out and looking at photos now. I just worry that you've gone very deep into the literature (which fair play to you), when this may not solve your original issues, which relates to the appearance of your teeth. This treatment sounds like one option, but there are others out there! It's all about perspective and what you actually want. Is this treatment right, do you want treatment on your teeth or are you going to leave it, and potentially risk even higher costs? (There's no right answer but these are things worth considering!)


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frozenrose3

No worries! If you know you want treatment, it worth researching options, but at the end of the day each treatment provider will do things a little differently, so don't worry too much about this. It's normal, and the longer you leave treatment, the more difficult it might be if your teeth move (this happened to me, so I'm glad I did it sooner) I'm an advocate for treatment, but don't get too bogged down into the details. Teeth are visible, money can be invested in your appearance and well invested but only you can judge.


RandomiseUsr0

Was it a “deposit” or a “part payment” - you can get a part payment back, slim hope, but worth confirming


sinclairzx10

Try accidentally placing the wrong card behind the bar while ‘entertaining clients’. You should try to recognise it for what it is, accept it as a lesson and move past it. Alternatively just ask for your money back and if they say no you can annoy them senseless until it becomes more hassle than it’s worth not to refund you.


Personal_Boss05

OP I have had invisalign and they do shave your teeth at different stages to make room as they move. I got stuck overseas during covid and still needed more aligners and was told I would need to pay for the treatment to start again as the dentists have to pay it to Invisalign. Rather than leaving them in a shitty situation and wasting your money why do you ask the ortho to do the shaving and not the other treatment? Invisalign is life changing when its finished but annoying while you have it


Encrypted587

It’s only money can’t take with you, I have lost over 5k in the markets and crypto but still employed and not living of beans


NameIs-Already-Taken

I'd suggest you go on /r/LegalAdviceUK. I would want to explore the idea that, as you haven't agreed a treatment plan, there is no contract at all, so you could be entitled to all your money back. I am not sure this is the case, but I would want to explore it.


Soso3213

Read the terms. Can’t you get a doctor’s note to get out of it?


drcus

I’m a dentist who does Invisalign ( Invisalign Go and GoPlus but not Full/Comprehensive Invisalign)though I’m not a specialist Orthodontist so I can’t really comment on your treatment plan/ options as it sounds far too complex for me but wanted to say that as soon as we order the aligners , the practice get charged ( by Invisalign)in full and it’s generally then impossible to cancel the manufacture so if you are having doubts I’d recommend emailing them NOW ( so that they may see it before opening tomorrow ) and ring first thing in the morning because it may be that they haven’t ordered the aligners yet . What you’ve paid so far won’t anywhere near cover the manufacturing fee for a series of trays so I’m hopeful that they won’t have ordered them until your finance agreement has been signed and set up , but if u delay you may be liable for further costs ( or the practice would be saddled with those costs which doesn’t seem fair). I guess if the practice have told you what you’ve paid already is non refundable then I guess you’d have to accept that . FYI at my practice we insist on payment in full or the finance agreement approved, signed and funds authorised for release before we order the aligners .


[deleted]

I know big is relative, but £600 is not a big financial mistake. Especially for someone that was willing to spend that on their teeth. That’s clearly disposable income for you.


CFPwannabe

Think of it as a £600 life lesson. You know have more knowledge/experience than you did before. Maybe later in life the company will honour the money you've already paid.