please explain the whole process of invisalign?!

All of my friends have had different experiences, so I put stars at the end of paragraphs where things vary from individual to individual.

The process lasts between a few months to over 2 years, depending how bad your teeth are, and therefore the cost will depend on that.

Before the process even begins, you may be shown a video with a diagram of your teeth and how the retainers plan to move them. This will let you know what the end result is supposed to look like and the change each individual tray makes. (* - some people were not offered this).

Before you begin you get a number of attachments glued to your teeth (they'll be on select teeth, most likely the ones that need moving most, and could be behind or on the front of your tooth. It varies how many each person needs but there should be no more than 10).

Then, you are given your first set of trays, each one that you wear for 2 weeks. You will then be given an appointment about 6 weeks-2months later just to check how your teeth are doing, and to receive your next set of aligners. You will keep getting regular check-ups, where your orthodontist will check everything is going to plan and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions or replace any attachments that may have come off.

After your set course, you will talk to your dentist and tell them if you are happy with your teeth. You are allowed one free 'refinement' - this is where, if there is anything you are not happy with, you will begin on a second, mini-course where you can readjust that particular area, and they provide you with a new set of attachments and trays. (* - the refinement was not offered to some as free, but definitely exists as an option.) That course is a lot shorter, and can be a couple of months, or more - once again, it depends.

At the end of your treatment, the attachments are taken off and you are given a set of retainers, which you will need to wear all day every day in your mouth for a certain period, then every night, then gradually decreasing how often per week you wear them. Your retainer period can last around 3-5 years, but they recommend you keep putting them in for the rest of your life to keep your teeth in shape. The reason their advice is so extreme is because Invisalign is so new that they have not had enough time to study the best course of action to take with retainers and how long the results will last before its no longer risky to go into relapse - i.e your teeth moving back to their original position.

Hope I cleared some things up for you, and if you have any more questions feel free to e-mail me :)