Quarter Life Commitment. Ortho Stuck It out Too. - Connecticut

Great braces alternative BUT: 1. You Must be committed and disciplined; 2. Be vocal & persistent if they don't fit properly. 3. Make sure your sales contract is all-inclusive, from crooked to straight no matter how long or how many molds it takes. I never NEEDED braces, but wanted them for aesthetic reasons (one front tooth back farther than it's partner, general crowding and canines overlapping neighbors). I finally got the go-ahead from dentist after my wisdoms were removed . . . As I was starting college. My parents knew how self conscious I was about my teeth, were sick of my non-smiles in pics, took pity on me and coughed up the 6 grand. I was supposed to have them for about 2 to 3 years. EIGHT YEARS later, I'm about to enter my (supposedly) last year. The first mold-- on which about two years worth of aligners were based--was inaccurate. I continually reported the braces being curved/bent so if I bit down with my front teeth, the back portion would pop off and vice versa. At first, my ortho & co. just kept saying "well, they're not supposed to be comfortable" (neither helpful, nor The Point) so I shut my mouth and kept going with the same set. Eventually, when my teeth weren't moving at all, I finally got more correctly fitting trays--but never exactly right. After experiencing a perfectly- fitting retainer set which was made in-office while waiting for new invisaligners to be mailed in, I very emphatically requested the manufacturer be told they needed to be extra careful shaping the trays. That, plus additional attachments were key. Progress has been MUCH more steady since then. HOWEVER, I've since moved out of state and you can't change orthos like you could with a traditional braces --so choosing a reputable, honest, knowledgable orthodontist is SO IMPORTANT. Ultimately: my teeth aren't perfect, they can't replace an expander, but I'm SO much more comfortable flashing a wide teeth revealing smile than I was originally and after almost a decade my ortho has stuck with me w/o seeking add'l payment. Last comment: make sure you wear them as much as possible. I put the new sets in before bed, so I'm asleep for the most uncomfy hours while teeth get adjusted . . . Mostly like heavy sinus pressure and almost itchy. I talk with a bit of a lisp for first few days of new sets too--so it's tempting to not wear them in public. But you have to. It goes away. And, really, attachments aren't a big deal, likely will seem more obvious to you. I had on my 4 front teeth and no one even noticed (whereas I almost shed tears when I first saw). Wow. That was long.If youre late to the braces party as I was, just get em. The confidence in your smile you'll get is 100% worth it. . Just do it. Will add pics soon.