When I was 13 I had the wonderful joy of having braces or train tracks but they didn't work wonders. My teeth moved and aligned but the orthro's weren't able to make them perfectly straight and wonderful due to overcrowding and there not being enough space in my mouth - they wanted me to have jaw surgery and crack my jaw which to this day terrifies me and it was a straight no. I decided to live with the crooked and unaligned teeth as they didn't bother me. That was until last year, when I decided that I really wanted to get them sorted and splurge to have them done. That is where Smile Direct came in, I kept seeing adverts and decided to just bite the bullet and go for it. About 7 months later, I am as happy as can be and literally can't stop smiling.
THE PROCESS
Scans/Impressions
Back in December I ordered a smile kit from SD to complete impressions of my teeth at home. If you've experienced having impressions of your teeth done before, you'll know what I mean when I say - yuk. It is just so uncomfortable but I managed to do it and sent them off back to the lab. A few weeks after I got an email to say that they'd like me to visit one of their shops to have scans done as the impressions weren't clear enough.
Going to the shop (Leeds), was hassle free. I booked an appointment, went to the shop and had digital scans done instead of impressions, which was so much nicer and not as disgusting. It was also really cool to see the scans and the images of my teeth.
Waiting Game
After about a month, I finally heard from SD and an account was created for me on their website. On here, I was able to see the process of my teeth after going on a personalised smile journey. They also informed me that they wouldn't be able to help me with my bottom teeth as I needed my jaw cracking - similar story to what dentists have told me previously. To be honest, I hardly show my bottom teeth and they don't make me feel insecure. I loved the look of the final way my teeth would turn out and signed up straight away.
Finance
When it comes to getting any procedures done, money is obviously a huge factor. This was a big commitment alongside other things that I pay for too. In the end, I went with paying for the treatment monthly - its about £65 a month and I'll be paying that for 18 months. This price includes the treatment, any adjustments that might need doing and guarantee of an end result that may need to be pushed back if my teeth don't respond fast enough as they hoped.
Process
After agreeing finance it took about 6-8 weeks for my retainers to arrive. I watched so many videos in this time to see how others found the experience and the results that they had from the company. When your retainers get delivered, they arrive in this huge purple box. Inside, there are retainers for the entire treatment. This means you then don't have to visit the dentist for check ups and get a new one, wait for a new one to arrive in the post or anything like that. You track your wearing of each one and they do the same from their end.
- The box also contains a case, mints to help adjust the retainers, removal tools and some whitening things
- Smile Direct give you an account/portal where you can see when you have to switch retainers/aligners- they also send out emails/texts to remind you.
- If any at any point you fall behind or haven't worn them for as long as you should, you can change the date on the portal and they adjust the others accordingly
- Every so often they will ask for photos to keep an eye on everything
Issues
I have to say, their customer service is incredible! My treatment plan changed from 4 months to six because my teeth just weren't moving as fast as they'd hope which is completely normal. When the box all arrived my first set was too big! So I contacted the dental team who sent me new ones within two weeks and they were perfect. It was around the 2 month mark when I contacted them again and said that my next aligner is too small/doesn't fit because my teeth haven't moved that much. They were extremely kind and helpful - arranged a video call with me and took pictures to see what the issue was and sent me out new ones for an extra month before going back to the last few that I was sent originally. I can't believe how efficient and amazing their service is for a company that is based in the US.
Last Stretch
Before I knew it, June came around and I was ending my journey. My top teeth look incredible and I feel so much happier with them. As I mentioned before, to the normal human eye my teeth probably don't look that bad but up close they weren't even or straight and its bothered me for years. I hope to get my bottom ones fixed in the near future but for now these are perfect.
Top Tips
If you're considering using Smile Direct or even another company here are some useful hints..
- You will find yourself having to brush your teeth so many times during the day. Anytime after you eat or drink anything that isn't water - brush brush! I carried a toothbrush with me everywhere and the little case for the retainers too.
- Take your own progress photos, its really useful to keep and a great motivator
- Stick it out. At times it can get really frustrating wearing retainers e.g a slight lisp, not being able to eat/drink anything but its worth it
- Shop around. I looked at a couple of places including my own dentist before going with Smile Direct, but choose the company you feel comfortable with. I have a referral (not affiliated) with SD if you fancy it, just here. It will take off £75 from your first set of aligners.
I am so happy with my final result and the journey with Smile Direct has been so smooth and amazing. I can't recommend them enough!
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