The Bobbed Brunette

It's official!  My 9 month journey with braces is over.  There have been good days and bad days, and today I'm sharing everything.

So let's start from the beginning...

I never really noticed that I had crooked teeth till about 18 years old.  Funny thing, it was a little kid who pointed it out.  He told a friend of mine that I would be a 10 if only I got my teeth fixed.  What a little SHIT.  Ever since that day I became super aware of my smile.  As the years past, the shifting and crowding got worse.  I started blogging and I became SUPER aware of my teeth in photographs.  Not to mention that my dentist would always bring up the "have you thought about braces" talk every time I visited.  That's when I realized  enough was enough.  If this bothered me so much, it was time for me to do something about it.  I went to my dentist and asked her to quote me for Invisalign.  She came back with a quote of $3000+ and over a year of trays.  Around this same time, my husband and I were getting ready to move overseas for 3 years.  So, I decided to wait until we got back to finally do it.

Fast forward to 2018.  By now I've heard of all these different companies that cut out the middle man and made getting clear aligner braces so much easier AND cheaper.  When we moved back to the US, I was going to do that.  Easy peasy.  Then I realized I would have to take a mold of my teeth myself and mail it in.  Me?  Yea, I didn't trust myself enough for that.  And where were the professionals?  Enter my sweet husband and Smile Direct Club.

One morning,  I woke up to Angel telling me that for our anniversary he made me an appointment with Smile Direct Club.  I was still a little hesitant until he said that I was getting a free 3D scan.  Now that I could trust!  The appointment was so easy, informative, painless, and actually fun.  I asked ALL the questions, told them my key concerns, and signed up that day.  About a week later, after sending my scans to their orthodontist, they sent me an interactive video of how my teeth would look during the process and at the end of 9 months.  Let me tell you, it was accurate!  Six weeks later, I received all 17 clear aligner trays to my door. (Plus whitening!)

My journey included 17 trays to be worn for 2 weeks each.  My major concerns were the crowding I had top and bottom and the overlapping of my two from teeth.  A  baby snaggletooth if you will. 😆 

Want to see a before and after?  Of course you do.  Here goes... 🙈

Before...

Their customer service is incredible!  Everyone is extremely friendly and happy to help.  There are a ton of videos online to help and they provide a tone of information.  I never felt helpless.  They have a bunch of offices popping up nationwide which makes getting to an office and speaking with "real people" that much easier.  A licensed dentist or orthodontist reviews your smile plan and works with you remotely from beginning to end.  They also have a patient portal that is super helpful.  They keep track of your journey and text/email you when it's time to change trays.  

Now for some questions:

How did/do you feel about not having an orthodontist to see?  I was a little nervous at first.  I thought computers were going to do everything. "What if they miss something?"  What I didn't know was SDC does actually work with dentists/orthodontists.  I was shown my orthodontist's credentials at the time of my appointment.  They actually help with your plan.  I even had to send in photos via my patient portal, so they could keep track of my process.

If this isn't too nosy, did you pay out of pocket or did your insurance cover some?  Ok, so the total price for every customer, no matter your smile plan, is $1850.  You can pay that up front and be done.  Or pay a $250 down payment and $80 a month for 24 monthly payments.  You end up paying a total of $2170 (an extra $320) at the end, but it's a great way of financing it.  Plus no credit check.  I did neither, kind of.  I chose to use Care Credit, a healthcare credit card.  I paid the $1850 upfront with Care Credit and I pay monthly equal payments for 12 months, interest free.

Did you have any pain or were you sore at any point of the treatment?   Ugh, yes.  There was no pain but there was definitely discomfort and sensitivity.  Especially the first 3-4 days wearing a new tray.  I could tell which teeth were moving. LOL  What I hated most was the constant need to swallow saliva.  😑  Your mouth's natural reaction to having something in it is to produce saliva.  And your lips get dry quicker.  And you sometimes make weird sounds. LOL

Did you have to give up certain foods or drinks?  You don't have to give up anything!  Mostly because you have to take your trays out every single time you eat something or drink anything that isn't room temp water.  So, win lose.

Is it weird to french kiss with the trays on?  I was a bit awkward at first and a little embarrassed.  But you honestly can't even tell.  Kiss away!

Do you have to wear a retainer after your final tray?  YES!  Wearing a retainer after braces is very important.  I can't tell you how many people have told been that their teeth have shifted back because of not wearing their retainer.  I am currently waiting for mine in the mail.  You can buy them straight from SDC for $99.  Each set lasts about 6 months.  Until mine come in, I am wearing my last tray while I sleep. 

I hope this answers any questions you had.  It was fun experiencing this with you guys.  If you're interested in seeing if you're a candidate for Smile Direct Club, visit my link here.  It'll give you $100 off your kit. (PS - Every customer gets a referral link.  This is not sponsored, unfortunately. 😜 )

After 31 years, I have straight teeth.  Moral of the story, you are never too old to do something you've always wanted.

XO