INVISALIGN JOURNEY: PREPPING FOR THE WEDDING

I know you probably read the title of this post and thought to yourself, “I thought you were already married?!” and you would be correct! I’m happily married of three years this upcoming October. 😉

However, my older sister Kelsi is getting married this January so she and I decided to team up with SimplyAligners to perfect our smile for the big day! As her matron of honor, I not only want to be her right-hand-woman, but I want to ensure we both look and feel our best for her dreamy destination wedding.

Growing up, I had braces and unfortunately failed to wear my retainer as much as I should have. As a result, there’s been some shifting in my teeth as I’ve gotten older. Kelsi, on the other hand, has never had braces but recently has started noticing some crowding and gapping happening. Although Kelsi and I have different stories, Dr. Michele Strait was able to customize different plans for each of us to enhance our overall health and smiles.

I’ve been sharing some behind the scenes content of our Invisalign journey on Instagram Stories (saved as a highlight if you’re interested in watching) and have compiled a list of FAQs that I’ve been receiving from you guys. Both Kelsi and I have shared our responses to each question below, so be sure to read each of our points of view.

Why did you decide to get Invisalign?

KARI: As I previously mentioned, I failed to wear my retainer as often as I should once my braces were removed. As the years have gone by, my teeth unfortunately started shifting back to their original places. While I didn’t have too much to correct, I wanted to get ahead of the changes and get them back to where they belong.

KELSI: I decided to get Invisalign to help with my confidence when I smile. It was starting to really bother me in pictures. I never had braces growing up, so I figured Invisalign would be the perfect option before my wedding in January.

What are your main areas of concern?

KARI: My main area of concern are my bottom teeth. This is where I’ve been noticing most of the shifting happening.

KELSI: On the sides of my mouth next to my canine teeth. There is a large gap there where it looks like I am missing a tooth. I’ve started to become more self-conscious about it and can’t wait to see what Dr. Strait has planned to fix it.

How many trays are you slotted to have? How long will your Invisalign journey be?

KARI: Dr. Strait has estimated 12 trays total, so I’ll only be wearing my trays for a little over 3 months!

KELSI: I am slotted to have 27 trays. A little over 6 months time frame, but I also did the Propel to help speed up my process before my wedding in January.

*The Propel treatment is a revolutionary orthodontic device that can accelerate your orthodontic treatment. It works with the patient’s own biology in order to stimulate the bone that’s surrounding the teeth. By performing micro-osteoperforations, the tooth movement will be accelerated and the bone regrowth will be improved.

How would you rate the pain? (1-10) Is it worse than you thought? Or better?

KARI: If you’ve had braces, rest assured, because the discomfort isn’t near the tightenings or rubber band pain that you’re accustomed to. Whenever you switch to a new tray there of course is some pressure, but nothing severe. I would rate the discomfort a 3. The pain is definitely more manageable than I anticipated.

KELSI: Since orthodontics was a completely foreign experience to me, I had no idea what to expect. I expected the worst and was pleasantly surprised when I realized that the discomfort wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. However, I will say that the first full day of wearing the trays was the worst. After the initial first few days passed, it has been super easy and no pain. I might have a small amount of discomfort when I put in a new tray and it is usually just one or two specific teeth. Overall I would rate it maybe a 2 pain wise. Way better than I thought it would be!

Have you found any products or tools that you love using?

KARI: The team at SimplyAligners have been so accommodating and have given us so many great products to try. My current favorite product is a tray cleaner and teeth whitener called AlignerFresh. It’s so simple to use and I love that it’s a two-in-one, both a cleaner and whitener! Plus, it hasn’t caused any tooth sensitivity which is rare when it comes to whitening products.

KELSI: I love the Munchie Dr. Strait gave us to help with the discomfort. Chewing on it helps move your teeth faster, but also helps ease the pain.

Do you eat with your trays in?

KARI: Occasionally, but not often.

KELSI: No, I do not eat with my trays in. I know we are allowed to, but I prefer to take them out.

How long did it take for you to get used to wearing the trays? Did it affect your speech?

KARI: I actually had clear retainers after my braces, so I was a bit more familiar with having trays in. After the first day or two of getting used to them again, I had no issues with speech or annunciation.

KELSI: It took about one week to finally get used to them. I did originally have a slurring problem when I said a word that had an “S” or “C” in it. But after I got used to wearing the trays, I have no issues anymore.

Do you have to go into SimplyAligners every week to get new trays? 

KARI: Nope! In most cases, the doctor will give you 2 months of aligners at a time so you make less trips to see the doctor. If you’re traveling or unable to come in, they can even send aligners to you.

Would you recommend Simply Aligners? If so, why?

KARI: Yes, yes, yes! Not only do they have affordable options, but the team is so friendly and helpful.

KELSI: Absolutely! Dr. Strait and her team are amazing and so friendly. Very accommodating to your needs and listens to any concerns you may have. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Invisalign. 

Stay tuned for my next Invisalign post where I’ll be sharing our before and after photos! If you have any specific questions I didn’t get to, please leave them in the comments below.

See other SimplyAligners success stories here!

While our services at SimplyAligners are complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are my own.