It’s been about a year since I began my smile transformation journey with a local dental practice, New Horizons Dental Care with Dr’s Kate and Guy Gross. The first part of this process involved doing a Virtual Smile Consult so we could create a game plan, getting an implant where I had a tooth pulled and starting Invisalign.  I have been asked several questions about Invisalign, so I thought it would be a good time to write a little update and share my experience thus far for my friends who might be considering trying these bad boys out!

I understand that everyone’s smile and situation is different, so I am simply sharing what my personal experience has been like. So, if you want to sit down and dig your teeth (pun intended) into a story all about my mouth, you are in for quite a treat:D

First, let’s talk the good stuff! I am super impressed with how fast my teeth have moved and how convenient the Invisalign trays have been for me. I’ll explain more about what I mean by convenient in a moment. I have trays on both the top and bottom and only needed 13 trays up to this point and I only wore each tray for about a week.  I am in my final tray and we’re leaving this tray on for awhile to assure that my stubborn snaggle tooth, whom I introduced you guys to in my first blog post about this little journey, stays safe and snug in her new place in line. Sometimes with

While Invisalign trays aren’t completely invisible, they’re not big and in your face like traditional braces and I like that. They didn’t feel weird or embarrassing to me except for a few times which I’ll touch base on in the cons section. When I say they are convenient, I mean that I really enjoy that I have been able to take them out when I eat, drink something fancy nice, enjoy a meal and conversation with friends, and most importantly, when I make out with my boyfriend, aka, my husband. We’re married, get over it:D When I talked about getting braces he maybe, for a lack of better words, begged me not to get metal braces…So, I guess in a weird way, I can thank him for this experience too.

Also, when I had traditional braces about 10 years ago, I was often in a lot of pain. Whenever they got tightened, my whole face seemed to hurt for days. I haven’t experienced discomfort with my trays like that at all!  The trays feel a bit snug when I put in the new one each week, but never hurt like traditional braces did for me. The first week I had my trays in,  my gums and lips felt a little sore getting used to their new roommates , but after that first week, everything felt fine. Virtually no pain is a huge pro to me!

I’m wearing my trays in all of these photos, and you can hardly see them! Also, rockin’ them mom nails:D

Without a doubt, the greatest benefit I have experienced up to this point, is a boost in confidence about my smile. When I started looking through photos to share with the dental team at New Horizons in the beginning stages of this process, I realized I never looked at the camera when I smiled and most of my smiles were with my mouth closed or looking away from the camera. I don’t even think I realized just how self conscience I had become about my smile and lil ol’ snaggle tooth until I realized I was always hiding it.  While my smile journey with New Horizons isn’t completely finished, (you can read more about what we’re doing here) I feel significantly more confident than I did 4 months ago.

Also, there have been a few unexpected new habits that I have formed because of Invisalign which I’m finding to be very beneficial.

1. A dramatic decrease in my daily coffee coffee and snack intake.  I personally don’t like taking the trays out often during the day and you should take them out when you eat you drink anything besides water so they don’t stain.  So, I have my coffee in the morning while I allow my trays to bathe in a warm, effervescent bath of denture cleaner and, most days, that’s it.:D  I home educate 4 daughters under age 6, so obviously there are days where the trays come out more for me to down an extra cup or four of the life-giving nectar that is caffeine, but for the most part I’m grateful for this unexpected little change. I started working out again, and that paired with less snackage during the day has me back in my pre-pregnancy pants!!

2. Better oral hygiene. I can’t stand the trays or my teeth feeling dirty, so I’m brushing and flossing much more regularly than I was before I got my trays, so double success!

3. Another thing I have enjoyed is having my teeth protected at night. The last few years I began grinding my teeth while sleeping, and I feel like the trays have been protecting my teeth and preventing me from damaging them anymore through tooth grinding. So, another unexpected benefit from Invisalign trays.

Ok, cons. While the cons list is short, I’ll share a few things you might want to consider when deciding between traditional braces and Invisalign.  With Invisalign, you are kind of your own boss. You have to wear your trays for the recommended amount of time every day, keep your trays clean, and take care of them if you want them to do what they’re made to do. I’ve read about many people not wearing their trays like they’re supposed to and then not having the outcomes they wanted. So, as long as you are prepared to take care of your trays and wear them as you’re supposed to, they work great!

Another thing I have experienced is a cute little lisp when I have my trays in:D Although, in some cultures, lisps are considered very endearing, so maybe not a con at all:D… Also, if you know of any cultures where lisps are considered endearing, would you let me know? I’m asking for a friend:D

So, while there are still some changes we will be doing to enhance my smile, I feel like I have benefited tremendously from Invisalign and that I could happily recommend them to those who are wanting to straighten their teeth and avoid traditional metal braces.  I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to work with Dr. Kate, Dr. Guy and New Horizons and look forward to sharing all of my before and after treatment photos on the next blog I share with you guys! I am looking forward to feeling even more confident about getting in front of the camera more! Thank you guys for reading along and I look forward to answering any questions you might have that wasn’t covered here.

To read more about Kate Gross, DDS visit her blog here: www.drkatetalks.com . To see what and Guy Gross, DDS can do for your smile, check out the Smile Virtual Consult here:  https://www.smilevirtualconsult.com/dr-guy-gross/

(Disclaimer: This post was made possible by Dr. Kate, Dr. Guy and New Horizons Dental Care, but all opinions expressed are my own honest opinions.)