Better to have Invisalign treatment with your own dentist?

baby_frogmella

Hi

I plan to start Invisalign next month but just wondering whether i should stick with my dentist whom i feel very comfortable with or go elsewhere to save money. I ditched my NHS dentist a few months ago and signed up to a private practice shortly afterwards. My dentist is absolutely brilliant, i can ask him anything and he always takes the time to answer. At end of every treatment, he spends 10-15 mins explaining what he did and i usually ask him a ton load of questions afterwards which he's always happy to answer...so no problems there. He's quite expensive (surprise surprise) but my corporate health insurance covers non-cosmetic dental treatment costs so not really an issue.

Now my teeth are severely overcrowded and overlap in places so on my last visit i asked him if i was suitable for Invisalign and how much he would charge. He said i'm suitable and quoted me 6k and said this would cover total treatment from start to finish...i nearly fainted! After a lot of haggling, i brought the price down to 4.5k but he wouldn't come down any more. I've also called other dentists in my area to ask about Invisalign costs and the price varies between 2.5-3.5k so considerably cheaper. Obviously it's very tempting to go elsewhere to save at least 1k but i'm really worried that the new dentist won't be as good as my current dentist. All the other dentists i've called require me to pay 75-200 pounds for an Invisalign consultation which is only refunded if i go ahead with treatment. Is it possible that other dentists could charge me nearer 4.5k (or more) once they see the amount of orthodontic work required? What should i do? Also i'm aware that an Orthodontist is generally speaking the best provider of orthodontic treatment but in my area there's only 1 and he usually has a 2-3 month waiting list to be seen (he has a lot of NHS patients i believe) so not really possible to see him as i'm away from home a lot.
Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

welshdent

Personally if I were planning to have my teeth moved I would only go to one place - an orthodontist.

ellies_angel

2-3 month waiting list is nothing in terms of the length of time the treatment will take, just "hud ya water" as my granny would say. Much better to go to an orthodontist for that kind of treatment, it is after all what they specialise in

welshdent

Quite often orthodontists no longer need referrals for private treatment so its worth calling a few up. I wouldnt specifically ask for invisalign as I would allow them to recommend your options based on what your need is. I would however inform them of what is proposed for you currently.

Toothsmith

What he said ^^^^^^^^

money_honey

Have you looked on the Invisalign website? You can search for a practicioner and it will tell you which of those near you are 'gold certified' etc which means they have treated a certain number of patients each year with invisalign. It could help you narrow it down anyway - if your current dentist hasn't treated many you might want to look elsewhere?
http://www.invisalign.co.uk/en/Find-Invisalign-Doctor/Pages/Search.aspx

brook2jack

You do know that the invisalign system has its shortcomings and if you are looking at spending this type of money you want to get the best possible result.

An orthodontist is trained in many different systems and types of treatment so is not stuck in using one system.

I would use an orthodontist for this very reason particularly if you have quite a difficult problem to solve to give you the best and most stable result.

I would also think that given the 4.5 k you have been quoted you will not pay any more, and possibly less, for a specialist to treat you.

Toothsmith

It might be as well to ask you dentist to refer you to an orthodontist, on the basis that if the orthodontist feels you are suitable for Invisalign, then the orthodontist will send you back to your own dentist for the treatment.

This sort of arrangement isn't as unusual as it might sound.

It is in the dentist's best interests to ensure you have had a full discussion of all the possibilities. It's all part of ensuring you've given 'informed consent'.

It would mean you'd need to pay an extra consultation fee, but it would ensure that you get the full range of pros and cons of all treatments, and still be treated by your dentist if that really is the best option for you.

baby_frogmella

Thanks for all the replies. Yes i've looked on the Invisalign website and for my postcode the only Invisalign provider is the dentist i'm registered with, no gold or silver stars

I guess i will need to see a orthodontist if i want the best treatment for my money. Where i live (Inverness, North Scotland) there is only 1 orthodontist but like i said he's always fully booked months in advance so will have to search further afield. Could someone recommend any orthodontists in the Aberdeen or Perth area? Also came across orthoworld.co.uk a nationwide ortho practice...anyone got any feedback for these guys? (they have an Aberdeen branch).

Also doing a search on bos.org.uk gives me Orthodontists in my local NHS hospital. Am i right in thinking the orthodontic dept in the hospital would only offer treatment on the NHS? (ie they wouldn't accept fee-paying private patients who want cosmetic treatment such as Invisalign).

welshdent

Try ringing the orthodontic practice and asking if they take private self referrals. You may be surprised by how quickly they can get you in. I know the waiting lists near me for NHS work is about 18 months to 2 years but its weeks for a private assessment

welshdent

and yes you are right about the hospital. If deemed severe enough then you may be referred in but no they do not take private initial referrals