I am incredibly pleased (PRO) with the improvement in the appearance of my teeth!
And I am eager to share this experience with others. During the holidays we see people we have not seen and talk to people we have not spoken to for a while. In my encounters with others, the subject of Invisalign has come up in conversation. There have been people that I have only seen (since this whole thing started) in restaurants – during meals – so they have not seen me with my aligners in my mouth. I spoke to a friend who moved to a different state during 2023 and she shared with me that she has found a new dentist, and that the dentist suggested she consider Invisalign treatment. Over the years her teeth have changed, and she now has a separation between her two front teeth, (diastema). She was a little appalled and a little intrigued but says that she just cannot afford it at this time. Interestingly enough, BOTH of her children (in their twenties) have successfully received Invisalign treatment in the last few years. She said that they had both seen minor changes in their dentition, they regretted NOT wearing their respective retainers after traditional orthodontic treatment – braces – as they should have and that they wanted to have perfect smiles as they approached their adult lives, professionally and personally. They were both thrilled with the results, I have met them, and they have good reason to be thrilled. They both have BEAUTIFUL SMILES!!! As I spoke to her, I shared that I was ‘in treatment’ and that it has been minimally invasive to my life, I also talked to her about all of the advantages health wise that I hope to gain… and if my teeth are healthier in the future I will save money because I will (fingers crossed) need less care (does that make sense?) I have learned about how aligning one’s teeth will create the circumstance of more effective cleaning, easier flossing, improved access, and less breakage so hopefully there will be fewer dental problems than there would be without better alignment. I tried to share this information (without being an Invisalign Dentist) with my friend, but she still felt sort of offended by her new dentist and was worried about the money. I was sad that I could not recommend Gallager and Kuhn Dental Group to her because she lives several states away. I suggested that she research Invisalign, tried to convince her that it is NOT just about having a better smile and hopefully she will chat with her dentist about it more on her next visit. So… a PRO is that I can talk about Invisalign and feel confident encouraging others to investigate Invisalign for themselves.
I am excited that I feel comfortable “framing” my smile.
It IS the holidays and there are occasions when I must get ‘all fancy’ and I am experimenting with lipstick. I have a new problem (CON). When I check my appearance, perhaps in the car mirror, before entering an event, I look like I just ate a marker. There are red streaks all over my teeth, well actually on my aligners. The marks do not easily rub off (…stays on all day…) and I have no choice but to remove the aligners. Since I am often entering a situation where I will be eating, I keep them out and then clean them and put them back in later. I am worried that this will lead to wearing my aligners less. I have talked to my friends about what type of lipstick stays on your lips and not your teeth. I have also been advised to put Vaseline on my aligners to keep lipstick on my lips, I have not tried this yet. This is not a big problem, and I will figure out how to deal with lipstick. I am excited that I feel comfortable ‘framing’ my smile.
I will be smiling more in 2024!
As I say Happy New Year, I have a few resolutions. I will curse less, eat less, exercise consistently and enjoy the little moments. And, without a doubt, I will be smiling more, in ‘24!
Louise C.
