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*Treatment results may vary
I first became aware of SmileDirectClub while on...
I first became aware of SmileDirectClub while on vacation late last summer. I saw the ad on television, and it caught my eye for a number of reasons.
I have a couple of crooked teeth, but nothing real bad. My bite could be improved, however. I didn't have braces as a kid mostly because I was self-conscious and was more afraid of being teased as a kid than I was of not having very straight teeth as an adult. Today, though, I wish I would have swallowed the pill and got braces. I know I would smile more when people are taking pictures of me.
I'm a religious dentist-attender, as I go every 6th months with good results. However, for some reason I'm not comfortable around Orthodontists, even my sons current provider (he has braces). Even now, my insecurities regarding my teeth lead me to believe I'm being judged by them, though I know I'm not.
So back to hearing that first ad about SmileDirect. Lower cost than braces or Invisalign, you don't have to see an Ortho, and treatment can last as little as six months. This literally sounded like a dream come true for me...
I live in Minneapolis, and we have a SmileDirect center close to do a scan instead of the trays. I drove up there on a whim one Saturday morning, and luckily, they were not busy. The attendants were young, and I believe were studying dental hygiene, but they were good at what they were doing. The scans went smoothly. Everything was done using and iPad and a fancy camera. Took about 10 minutes I would guess.
There was some pressure to pay right away, even though I didn't know if I was a candidate right away. I did not sign up to pay at that time because I wanted to see if I was a candidate, if my insurance would cover part of the cost since I have ortho coverage, and I wanted to get the flex spending discount.
It turned out I was a candidate for an 8 month treatment plan (took 3-4 days to find out) and my insurance would not allow me to use ortho benefits for the aligners. Because of this, I opted to wait until the first of the year so I could get the flex spending discount.
I called in early January and paid $1,650 for the treatment plan, which includes a free aligner at the end of my treatment. This was about a $300 savings over the retail cost.
My aligners arrived Feb 12th, and I began using them right away. I've just switched to my fourth set, and so far, things are going very well.
Here are a few lessons learned:
1. It's best to start on a weekend with a new tray as it allows for the tightness to subside over a couple of days before work starts (if you work M-F). I find that the first 2-3 days are the worst, and then it gets easier after that.
2. It's difficult to hit 22 hours a day. In fact, I bet I've hit that only once or twice. I talk a LOT at work for a living, and I've found myself taking my aligners out for meetings and presentations. Most work days I get about 17-18 hours of aligner time in my mouth, with the weekends being closer to 22 hours. Still, I can see the subtle movements of my teeth with each aligner and switching to the new set every 2 weeks has resulted in snug but good fit.
3. You brush and floss, a LOT! But, the benefit is a good checkup visit with your regular dentist. My cleaning just last week went great.
4. Get yourself an extra mouth guard tray. The kit comes with one, but I've found a 2nd is handy for having at work or anywhere else you may end up taking your aligners off with some regularity.
5. I've had no problems with exercising, sleeping, or anything else with my aligners in. In fact, most of the time I forget they are there.
6. I have a mild grinding problem at night that I didn't regularly wear a mouth guard for, and I've found my teeth feel better and less sensitive overall since I've started treatment.
7. Wearing your aligners is a great time to whiten your teeth! I've used the whitener that the kit comes with and purchased some of my own, and both work great with the aligners.
8. Your aligners will get a bit dirty and gross by the end of your two weeks. I don't think it's noticeable to anyone other than you.
9. At first, it was difficult to remove the aligners for eating. Once you get the hang of it, however, it gets much easier. Especially if you put new aligners in at night and sleep with them first, rather than wearing them for new for a few hours and trying to remove to eat.
So that's my review of my experience so far. I am very happy after six weeks, and I'm excited to see the changes that will hopefully continue to happen over the next six months.
I have a couple of crooked teeth, but nothing real bad. My bite could be improved, however. I didn't have braces as a kid mostly because I was self-conscious and was more afraid of being teased as a kid than I was of not having very straight teeth as an adult. Today, though, I wish I would have swallowed the pill and got braces. I know I would smile more when people are taking pictures of me.
I'm a religious dentist-attender, as I go every 6th months with good results. However, for some reason I'm not comfortable around Orthodontists, even my sons current provider (he has braces). Even now, my insecurities regarding my teeth lead me to believe I'm being judged by them, though I know I'm not.
So back to hearing that first ad about SmileDirect. Lower cost than braces or Invisalign, you don't have to see an Ortho, and treatment can last as little as six months. This literally sounded like a dream come true for me...
I live in Minneapolis, and we have a SmileDirect center close to do a scan instead of the trays. I drove up there on a whim one Saturday morning, and luckily, they were not busy. The attendants were young, and I believe were studying dental hygiene, but they were good at what they were doing. The scans went smoothly. Everything was done using and iPad and a fancy camera. Took about 10 minutes I would guess.
There was some pressure to pay right away, even though I didn't know if I was a candidate right away. I did not sign up to pay at that time because I wanted to see if I was a candidate, if my insurance would cover part of the cost since I have ortho coverage, and I wanted to get the flex spending discount.
It turned out I was a candidate for an 8 month treatment plan (took 3-4 days to find out) and my insurance would not allow me to use ortho benefits for the aligners. Because of this, I opted to wait until the first of the year so I could get the flex spending discount.
I called in early January and paid $1,650 for the treatment plan, which includes a free aligner at the end of my treatment. This was about a $300 savings over the retail cost.
My aligners arrived Feb 12th, and I began using them right away. I've just switched to my fourth set, and so far, things are going very well.
Here are a few lessons learned:
1. It's best to start on a weekend with a new tray as it allows for the tightness to subside over a couple of days before work starts (if you work M-F). I find that the first 2-3 days are the worst, and then it gets easier after that.
2. It's difficult to hit 22 hours a day. In fact, I bet I've hit that only once or twice. I talk a LOT at work for a living, and I've found myself taking my aligners out for meetings and presentations. Most work days I get about 17-18 hours of aligner time in my mouth, with the weekends being closer to 22 hours. Still, I can see the subtle movements of my teeth with each aligner and switching to the new set every 2 weeks has resulted in snug but good fit.
3. You brush and floss, a LOT! But, the benefit is a good checkup visit with your regular dentist. My cleaning just last week went great.
4. Get yourself an extra mouth guard tray. The kit comes with one, but I've found a 2nd is handy for having at work or anywhere else you may end up taking your aligners off with some regularity.
5. I've had no problems with exercising, sleeping, or anything else with my aligners in. In fact, most of the time I forget they are there.
6. I have a mild grinding problem at night that I didn't regularly wear a mouth guard for, and I've found my teeth feel better and less sensitive overall since I've started treatment.
7. Wearing your aligners is a great time to whiten your teeth! I've used the whitener that the kit comes with and purchased some of my own, and both work great with the aligners.
8. Your aligners will get a bit dirty and gross by the end of your two weeks. I don't think it's noticeable to anyone other than you.
9. At first, it was difficult to remove the aligners for eating. Once you get the hang of it, however, it gets much easier. Especially if you put new aligners in at night and sleep with them first, rather than wearing them for new for a few hours and trying to remove to eat.
So that's my review of my experience so far. I am very happy after six weeks, and I'm excited to see the changes that will hopefully continue to happen over the next six months.