When I was in the 5th grade, I had a crush on a boy with the longest and curliest eyelashes I have ever seen. A couple of girlfriends approached him and asked if he liked me. He confirmed that yes, in fact, he did like me, but he did not like my teeth or my laugh. As someone who has been fond of laughter since birth, his comments crushed me. They did not, however, keep me from smiling. Our relationship was short-lived.
I wore braces for two years as an adolescent, crossing the US-Mexico border with my mom each month to receive tightening. Orthodontics were much more affordable in Mexico, and I grew up frequenting Brownsville’s sister city, Matamoros, when needed. The result: near perfect teeth! (See photo on right.)
I wore my retainer religiously for many years, and then lost it! I became pregnant soon after with my first child, and did not feel comfortable crossing the border to visit my orthodontist as I did in my younger years. Over time (10 years), my teeth began to shift. (See photo on left.) Three children later, I was finally ready to do something about it. Insert: Smile Direct Club!
Smile Direct uses invisible aligners (see photo on right) to put your teeth back in order! I love that you can’t tell I’m wearing them! I was surprised at how gentle the process has been (it takes 6 months, on average, from start to finish). Of course, there is some discomfort since your choppers are being relocated, but it was nothing Ibuprofen couldn’t handle in my case.
The company had everything I was looking for: affordability ($80 per month-roughly $2,000 overall), versatility (you take off the invisible aligners every time you eat) and legitimacy (I read countless success stories online).
While I cannot speak for what the process would be like for someone that did not wear braces as a child, this process has been much easier than the two years I endured metal and rubber bands on my teeth.
You receive all of the aligners upfront, once you are approved. The process of being accepted involves taking two molds of your teeth and sending in those samples. The step-by-step process is user friendly, and you need the help of one other person to complete it. After that, a state certified orthodontist and dentist work closely at personalizing your aligners! That’s it!
If you have been wanting to take the plunge but have been hesitant due to lack of information, please direct any questions or inquiries to me! I officially became an ambassador last semester (which sounds fancy, but simply means I can represent our product).
If you are ready to begin your journey, click here.
I would love to help you get the smile you’ve been dreaming of!
P.S. I would have totally rocked the gap had I not found Smile Direct!