My Smile Direct Club Experience

Some of you may not know this but I straightened my teeth with Smile Direct Club a couple years ago. I took tons of pictures and screen shots but never really shared my experience until now. For realz, I dunno what took me so long... So if you are curious about these invisible aligners and my experience with them, keep reading!

It started when I saw an ad for SDC and I thought, that’s cool! I’m sure I pondered it for weeks but I wound up ordering the system online August 7, 2018 and waited for my at home impression kit. Back then you could go to a SDC Smile Shop but I didn't feel like it. It was an hour away and ain't nobody got time for that!

The very next day on August 8th I got confirmation that my impression kit shipped. On the 9th It was delivered to my house! it was literally that quick and I couldn’t believe it. If my memory serves me correct I decided to put off doing the impression kit because I was a chicken! What if I do it wrong? What if it’s rejected? What if I’m not a candidate? Go away negative thoughts!

On August 10th I decided to take and submit my photos and they were approved an hour later. I will not be sharing the photos of me with the "smile stretcher" in my mouth because I look weird and gross and just... no.

On the 11th I did my impression kit. You mix the purple putty with the gray putty. Cram it in the tray and then cram that tray in your mouth, push it into your teeth and wait for however long, I can't remember. It is not comfortable and you drool A LOT. You can mess these up if you're not careful. Once I was done I put them in the box and sent them on their way. By August 15th they let me know they received my impressions! On the 19th I got an email saying "Welcome to the club" and that I should get my aligners in 4-5 weeks.

By the 21st I got my 3D images showing how my teeth would move and a change during the process. You can see in the images below the before is on the top and the after is on the bottom. I totally had concerns about the right side gap but after calling SDC and searching the Facebook support group I decided to go for it and get the gap filled after my treatment. That is what a lot of people were doing and it turned out great for them. On the 28th I got a "Cooking up your smile" email and a tracking number on the 30th.

I got my aligners shortly after the tracking was sent. Overall I'd say it took a month from the day I ordered the impressions to having the aligners in my hand. NOT SHABBY! In the facebook group people were non-stop reporting how long their orders were taking but I didn't have that issues AT ALL. That is actually why I took screen shots and saved them to my album. I wanted a detailed record of the process in case something did happen I could find the information quickly.

The facebook group helped me prepare for the actual aligners! I learned to get multiple toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss and store that sh*t everywhere. You are going to need it. I had some at my office, in my purse, in my car and an extra travel one. The support group was EXCELLENT. If you are planning on getting any type of aligners, get on a facebook support group. It was super helpful and full of information like don't leave these aligners where a dog can get them. Dogs LOVE to chew these up. LOVE IT!

When you get the aligners, you get all of them at one time in a organized box. Each one is stamped with the week number and how long to wear it. If I remember right some of the aligners I would wear for one week and some were two weeks. So you just wear it for the designated time and move on to the next, until the process is complete.

I wore my aligners AT ALL TIMES. I only took them out to eat and then I would have to brush, floss, and pop those babies back in. The only thing I could drink with the aligners in was water, so drinking soda and snacking became too much of a hassle and I was able to lose 10 pounds! I also couldn't bite my nails so my hands looked better too!

I found out this process isn't for everyone and it IS A COMMITMENT. Lots of people start the aligners and don't finish. Honestly, the six months seemed to fly by and I was excited to see changes in my teeth weekly. I was never in any pain unless the aligners were rubbing my gums, but a quick trim or wax could fix that. Sometimes it was super inconvenient when I was traveling or at Disney, but I managed. I felt confident wearing the aligners and I don't think anyone ever noticed them. If they did they didn't say sh*t!

Overall I am really happy with my results. I feel 100 times more confident when I talk. Before my bottom teeth were so spread out and I was self conscious about it when I while speaking. Are my teeth perfect? Heck no, and that's ok. I think it was worth the money and cost 60% less than traditional braces.

I still haven't got my top gap filled in, but I am still planning on it. I am also planning on getting a new retainer. If I had to give SDC some constructive feedback it would be the follow up more after the process is completed. After I got my retainer, I haven't heard from them since. I mean, we were in a committed relationship for 6 whole months and they ghosted me.

SmileDirectClub is giving friends of the Club $150 off their purchase of clear aligners. Plus, I get a gift card when your aligners ship. Just use this link to claim your offer.

Have you used SDC or another invisible aligner? What was your experience with it?

Share in the comments below.