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November 11, 2006
Call me "brace face"
I'm 41 years old and this past Wednesday, I did something that's usually the purview of 12-year-olds: I got braces for my teeth.
I signed up for Invisalign, the clear plastic braces. They are almost undetectable by other people and so far no lisp, an occasional byproduct of covering your teef in plaftic.
My dentist said the whole process would be sooo easy: No retro metal in my mouth, no geeky headgear. A movie-star smile in less than a year. But holy hell, Day 2 was a Nightmare on Mouth Street: Prying the braces off my teeth to eat or brush wasn't easy. The braces make me salivate like a perpetually panting dog. I have sores from the sharp edges of the plastic rubbing against the inside of my cheeks. And there's an unwavering pressure on my teeth. I guess they're really moving. Funny how the dentist didn't mention any of this before I plunked down some big bucks and left her office with my stack of clear retainers.
That's why I felt better, karmically at least, after finding this online community of Invisalign wearers. They reported many of the same issues I've been having; I was relieved to learn most of the problems dissipate, more or less, after the first week. These unpaid and unsung Invisalign customer service reps helpfully provided a list of recommended items I should keep in stock: Anbesol, dental wax, Efferdent, Advil PM, emery boards and fluoride wash. Another thing my dentist didn't mention.
A number of my new friends in the online community say they couldn't have gone through the months of wearing braces without the support of the group. In post after post, people explain in real-world language their progress, the tricks they've improvised to improve the experience and then the real money shot of praise: the before-and-after pictures. Like good dentistry, many of them say, it's totally worth it.
The value of their contributed content is exactly the type of testimonial I would drool over (literally, now) if I were the Invisalign marketing chief. It's real-world content, devoid of marketing spin. You won't find anything like it on the Invisalign website. The company doesn't even have a online bulletin board, but it's not too late. If I were advising them on straightening their marketing program, I would suggest:
Build an online forum on the Invisalign site and invite existing community members to join.
Ensure that company experts are regular community participants. Many questions about the products are asked in the existing, citizen-created forum so there's a plenty of speculation about what the real answers are.
Encourage customers to blog their months-long product experience using photos and videos. Naturally, some people are already doing this. Links to their blogs and videos on the Invisalign site would extend the networks of word of mouth.
All of this, of course, would hinge on Invisalign ceding control of what people say, especially about the occassional pain and inconvenience of having braces. The experience is what it is, and the real-world honesty would help dentists with the detached, objective advice they're beholden to provide patients. An online community would help Invisalign provide the type of affordable customer support that's only possible with peer-to-peer networking.
Well, only 8 months, 3 weeks and 5 days left 'til these things come off.
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I had just read a blog entry by Jackie Huba and her latest experience with braces. One of her comment leavers had a link to Archwired.com a website for adults with braces. So, I clicked through to see this web marvel. As I was clicking around, I found thi [Read More]
» Opening-Up Your Product to Online Scrutiny from LandingTheDeal
In this case, the product is braces. Invisalign braces, to be exact, on the soon-to-be lovely teeth of Jackie Huba over at Church of the Customer. Jackie says that one key to getting her through the experience of getting braces... [Read More]
When I (at age 27) needed to get braces, I found a similarly helpful community at www.Archwired.com . The forums there have had input for orthodontists answering questions for people too.
Just one month ago I got braces (age 28), but due to having such crowded teeth, the invisalign option was not available to me. So, I have the classic tin-grin. But, I completely understand the sores in the mouth, the salivation extraordinaire, and yef...I haf the lifsp. Maybe next year, will be better.
Jackie - good for you!
I've been thinking about doing that for years. Once my last two are out of their braces (12 and 14) then maybe it will be my turn.
It is amazing that Invisalign doesn't have some kind of community function of their own. Participating would also be a great source of product enhancement ideas!
Good Luck!
Thanks for the useful information. Many dentists do not educate their patients
hey =) .. i signed up to pay for the 4 thousand dollar plastic retainers as well to straighten my teeh and well after a while, it did straighten my teeth alright and it also caused me to have a gap in my two front teeth which i never had one in my life before using invisalign... im going to go back and have them make more.. this will be my third time doing so now. my teeth werent terrible to begin with and they do look better.. that is ..if youre not looking at the small gap. i quit wearing them so they will naturally go back to how they were before=)
I'm 58 and I had Invisalign for almost 2 years and I finally figured out how to clean the aligners so they are like new every night you put them in (wearing at night now) Soak in diluted hydrogen peroxide!!!!!!!! wish I would have thought of this sooner, no amount of scrubbing gets them this clean so easy too. Also there's a tool to remove them now that works so great, called OUTIE, find it at www.outietool.com
I'm so glad I did it!
