I am getting clear aligners

I have always had wonky teeth. They’re not terrible, but not great either. So, after much consideration and saving money, I am getting clear aligners – finally.

What are clear aligners?

They are moulds of your teeth that clip onto your teeth and they gradually move them into the right positions. You get a new pair of aligners every two weeks until the end of your treatment.

It’s a great alternative to traditional braces since they are not as noticeable. This is a good thing because you will have to wear them for a minimum of 22 hours a day for a few months.

Why clear aligners?

Well, the primary reason people get aligners instead of braces is because it’s usually a lot cheaper than braces.

However, not everyone will be eligible for clear aligners, as they will have to assess the severity of your case.

For instance, my teeth are wonky, but clear aligners were still an option for me. I’m very lucky, considering they will still have to shave some of my teeth so they can all fit comfortably in my mouth.

Why now?

There probably aren’t many people who start thinking about the appearance of their teeth in their thirties.

Well, I have wanted to straighten my teeth for the longest time, but I first gave it some serious consideration at the end of 2019. I decided that I would go for consultations in the new year and start the process.

However, I procrastinated a bit and then the world shut down.

I didn’t want to risk going to an orthodontist during the lockdown, and I decided to save my money instead. It’s a good thing that I did because a year later I got married and then we immigrated, and these things cost a lot of money.

Then I finally started working in Australia and thought that I’d do one of those at-home aligner kits where you do the moulds and send them in. I was very skeptical of them because it seemed too good to be true.

Then this week I went to the dentist, for a filing and a clean, and I asked her about aligners. Coincidentally, she does them at the practice. Well, technically, they have a partner at a lab that consults with them. Anyway, she said that I should think about it and come back to her.

I asked my husband if he minded if I got them because it’s a lot of money. He knows that I’ve been wanting to straighten out my teeth for the longest time and he said that I should go for it, so I had an appointment for the scan two days later.

The process

The specialist (I’m not sure whether to call him an orthodontist) took a three-dimensional scan of my teeth with a special contraption. They feed this scan into their program and it simulates what the result will look like.

I thought this was incredibly cool and my teeth will look so pretty at the end of the process.

The specialist will go back to the lab and, together with the dentist, they will work out a treatment plan for me. In my next appointment with my dentist, we’ll discuss the treatment plan and whether I’ll be happy with the results. From there she’ll give the go-ahead for the aligners to be made.

Hopefully, within the next three weeks, I’ll have my first set of aligners. I am beyond excited!

Side note

I video call my parents every night and tried to explain to them what aligners are, and even sent photos I downloaded from the internet. They nodded and said, “Oh, that’s interesting.”

They still have no idea how I’m going to straighten my teeth. I’ll have to show them my aligners when I get them.

Lastly

Did you have braces as an adult? What was that like?

Meh.

Michelle

P.S. If you’d like to contact me, feel free to comment below, send an email to thatmichelleperson@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter @M_ClutterBox.