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*Treatment results may vary
Month 4 Week 2- Complete 11/26/2018
A lot has changed since M1W2! The past few months have been pretty smooth overall, and I'll start this update by saying I STILL THINK IT'S WORTH TRYING SMILE DIRECT CLUB :)
Now for the details: I can't lie, I noticed a little bleeding in months 1-2 on my top gum/frenulum. I thought I would need to get a frenectomy (removal of the connective gum tissue) because it was so swollen. It wasn't painful really, just a lot of pressure -- which was to be expected since my teeth were pushing together for the first time ever. Miraculously, around month 3 the bleeding stopped and my frenulum started to just... shrink. Literally, the gum tissue between my front two teeth started to disappear, and I could see a visible gap of space. By month 3, I didn't have to cut the little triangle out of the top aligner anymore. Very cool to see progress that soon.
Another thing to note: a small gap is starting to form in my side profile (see picture). I figure it's a means-to-an-end type of thing, but I'll reach out to SDC in the next few days for a follow-up. I'd be pissed if I traded one gap for another!
Another 'nother thing to note: holidays and birthdays will test your focus with SDC. I found myself falling behind a little bit with my treatment plan because I'd fall asleep after a night of partying and forget to put my aligners back in. Luckily, you can go on the SDC site and update your schedule to get back on track-- just try try try not to make a habit of it. Your teeth will thank you later.
Overall, I'm getting a lot of comments of how my gap is closing so quickly. My oral hygiene has improved immensely since I have to brush after every meal. I also find myself snacking less between meals just to avoid the brushing process between each meal -- who knows? maybe I can drop a few pounds :)
According to my treatment plan, I have just under 2 more months to go. Time to wrap this up and finish strong!
Now for the details: I can't lie, I noticed a little bleeding in months 1-2 on my top gum/frenulum. I thought I would need to get a frenectomy (removal of the connective gum tissue) because it was so swollen. It wasn't painful really, just a lot of pressure -- which was to be expected since my teeth were pushing together for the first time ever. Miraculously, around month 3 the bleeding stopped and my frenulum started to just... shrink. Literally, the gum tissue between my front two teeth started to disappear, and I could see a visible gap of space. By month 3, I didn't have to cut the little triangle out of the top aligner anymore. Very cool to see progress that soon.
Another thing to note: a small gap is starting to form in my side profile (see picture). I figure it's a means-to-an-end type of thing, but I'll reach out to SDC in the next few days for a follow-up. I'd be pissed if I traded one gap for another!
Another 'nother thing to note: holidays and birthdays will test your focus with SDC. I found myself falling behind a little bit with my treatment plan because I'd fall asleep after a night of partying and forget to put my aligners back in. Luckily, you can go on the SDC site and update your schedule to get back on track-- just try try try not to make a habit of it. Your teeth will thank you later.
Overall, I'm getting a lot of comments of how my gap is closing so quickly. My oral hygiene has improved immensely since I have to brush after every meal. I also find myself snacking less between meals just to avoid the brushing process between each meal -- who knows? maybe I can drop a few pounds :)
According to my treatment plan, I have just under 2 more months to go. Time to wrap this up and finish strong!
Month 1 Week 1- Complete 8/27/18
M1W1 wasn't too bad. My dental hygiene has gotten much better since I brush and rinse after every meal. I also eat less to avoid taking the aligners out. The first few days I could definitely feel pressure, then suddenly on Day 3 my teeth went super numb (which is normal). By Day 5 the aligners felt more like retainers. I didn't wear them for about 5 hours this past Saturday -- BIG MISTAKE lol. Putting them back in was an experience, but not as bad as Day 1.
I started M1W2 last night. Not too bad -- you kinda know what to expect at this point. I already have coworkers saying they see my gap getting smaller! Don't know if I agree, but my teeth are definitely moving :)
I started M1W2 last night. Not too bad -- you kinda know what to expect at this point. I already have coworkers saying they see my gap getting smaller! Don't know if I agree, but my teeth are definitely moving :)
THEY ARRIVED! 8/21/2018
Ahead of schedule! My SmileShop consult was on July 30th and my aligners arrived exactly 3 weeks later. The package came with all 5 months of my treatment separated by week, a little hook for removal, more whitener, plastic chewies, and some cocoa butter lip balm that needs to be sold in stores asap :)
I took everything out the box and read the instructions for at least 30 min. I think I was stalling since I was kind of nervous to put them in. The bottom row snapped in really well... the top row took a minute to adjust to say the least! Just a heads up- if they don't SNAP in, keep chewing the chewies until they do (trust me, you'll know when they're good to go).
After an hour I noticed something: my top aligner was rubbing my frenulum (tissue that connects my top lip to my gums). "No biggie, I'll just take them out and cut some plastic off the top..."
NO TF I WILL NOT. My teeth were not ready for the pain! I decided to leave them in and sleep it off. Glad I did, because I woke up with minimal soreness. I took them out and cut a tiny triangle out of the top aligner-- problem solved. I wasn't sure how it'd feel to brush for the first time, but it actually felt great. I use a soft bristle brush so it was like a little massage.
Now for the fun part... putting them back in. YIKES, that s*** was not pleasant lol. But I popped some tylenol and after a few minutes the soreness dulled to a little pressure. If you're on the go like me, make sure to pack a mini kit: toothbrush, mouthwash, floss, toothpaste, outie hook, chewies, lip balm, retainer holder. Sidenote: My coworkers said they didn't even notice I had them in. All in all, so far so good!
I took everything out the box and read the instructions for at least 30 min. I think I was stalling since I was kind of nervous to put them in. The bottom row snapped in really well... the top row took a minute to adjust to say the least! Just a heads up- if they don't SNAP in, keep chewing the chewies until they do (trust me, you'll know when they're good to go).
After an hour I noticed something: my top aligner was rubbing my frenulum (tissue that connects my top lip to my gums). "No biggie, I'll just take them out and cut some plastic off the top..."
NO TF I WILL NOT. My teeth were not ready for the pain! I decided to leave them in and sleep it off. Glad I did, because I woke up with minimal soreness. I took them out and cut a tiny triangle out of the top aligner-- problem solved. I wasn't sure how it'd feel to brush for the first time, but it actually felt great. I use a soft bristle brush so it was like a little massage.
Now for the fun part... putting them back in. YIKES, that s*** was not pleasant lol. But I popped some tylenol and after a few minutes the soreness dulled to a little pressure. If you're on the go like me, make sure to pack a mini kit: toothbrush, mouthwash, floss, toothpaste, outie hook, chewies, lip balm, retainer holder. Sidenote: My coworkers said they didn't even notice I had them in. All in all, so far so good!