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From Self-Conscious to Confidently Smiling with Clear Aligners

Thinking about straightening your smile with Impressions clear aligners? Hear from Impressions patient, Audra, to see how her confidence changed forever.

We’ve all been teased. Some would say it’s a right of passage in junior high and high school. But I can still remember how mean teenagers can be. It doesn’t feel like a right of passage – more like torture. 

I mostly got called a nerd. Second in the running was “Jolly Green Giant” because I towered over most of my friends and peers right up until graduation. I also occasionally got picked on because my one front tooth edged out just a little ahead of the others, like it was trying to win a race. It was only one tooth, but that was all it took for the other hormonal high schoolers to make me feel like an outcast. 

I didn’t mind being called a nerd, because I liked being smart. I didn’t mind being singled out for being close to six feet tall, because it made me better at sports. What I didn’t like was the one bucktooth. That was something that could have been changed. I could have had a set of braces slapped on my teeth, like so many of my peers, and then come out the other side with teeth lined up like soldiers in a regiment. But, I didn’t get braces. 

“We can’t afford that,” my parents said. I said that was okay, even though it didn’t feel okay. After that, when I opened and closed my mouth I could feel that delinquent tooth rubbing just slightly more against the inside of my mouth – a reminder that I didn’t have a straight smile like my friends, or even the bullies. It was also a reminder that my parents didn’t have 5k or more to fix my teeth. 

I smiled less at graduation because of that tooth. I smiled less at my friends, family and new acquaintances. I smiled less when I got my first job. All because of that one tooth. 

Ten years later, I finally decided to straighten my teeth. I was pretty dang sick of talking out of one side of my mouth – the side of my mouth where my teeth looked perfectly normal – and was tired of the weird face I made in pictures. 

“Your teeth are pretty straight. Have you had braces before?” Dr. Roberts asked me.

I was shocked. No, I hadn’t had braces before. Couldn’t he see that one tooth that was sticking way out in front of all the others? Couldn’t he see that it had caused kids to pick on me?

No, he couldn’t see the insecurities that the one little tooth had caused my whole life, but he listened when I told him. He also listened when I told him I didn’t want braces because, while braces may have been acceptable in high school, I didn’t want them as an adult. 

I embarked on my new smile journey. The clear aligners straightened my teeth right up. In 14 months, that tooth was back in line where he was supposed to be. No one was going to pick on me about my smile ever again. 

Impressions Before After

When I finished my treatment and looked at the before and after photos, I couldn’t believe what I saw. Looking back, I could see that my tooth wasn’t actually that far out of line and that my smile wasn’t actually that crooked. I guess to me it had felt like it was really crooked because I harbored so much insecurity about it. Had I needed clear aligners at all? Then, I realized something. Confidence gives you a whole new perspective. Once I had a straight, beautiful smile that I wasn’t insecure about anymore, I couldn’t imagine tolerating anyone picking on me for one tooth. I was so comfortable with my teeth that I almost couldn’t imagine a time when I was uncomfortable. 

I think that’s the power of truly feeling good about yourself, and that’s why orthodontic treatment – like Impressions – is so important. Having insecurities and being self-conscious are real things. Whether you have one tooth out of line, or a whole mouth of crooked teeth, the effect of feeling insecure about your smile can do the same damage. From a medical standpoint did I really need my teeth straightened? No. From a self-confidence perspective did I need my teeth straightened? Absolutely. 

I can tell you Impressions treatment made a world of difference for me. I like smiling now, and that changes everything.

 

Find out if Impressions is right for you. Schedule a consultation now, get your aligners in 6-8 weeks! You deserve a smile you feel confident in.

Choose Impressions to help you make the smile of your dreams come true.

xx Your Impressions Family

 

 

 

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Jessica's Impressions Smile Journey

Thinking about straightening your smile with Impressions clear aligners? Hear from a real Impressions patient.

Jessica is an Appalachian State student that looked to Impressions to realign her teeth after failing to wear her retainers after braces, as many of us do. Jessica wanted a quick smile transformation and did NOT want braces again! After her trip to see the team at Blue Ridge Orthodontics, they agreed that Impressions treatment was the perfect fit for her smile goals. 

Keep reading to learn more about Jessica’s steps to a straighter smile with Impressions. (She might even answer some of your questions)

 

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER STEP TO A STRAIGHTER SMILE?

Jessica: I had braces when I was younger but I didn’t wear my retainers like I was supposed to so my teeth started overlapping again. It’s important to me to straighten my smile because it’s part of what makes a good first impression. I wanted to be confident in my smile and be able to feel good about the way my smile looked in pictures.

Jessica was fully expecting the BRO doctors to tell her that she needed braces again and she was dreading having to go through that whole process while in college! Feeling that it would make her insecure around her peers, Jessica hoped that there would be a more invisible option for her. When the BRO doctors told her about their at-home clear aligner treatment, Impressions, Jessica was elated, “I was so glad when they said I could get impressions because they are invisible and no one would notice I had them.“ 

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE IMPRESSIONS OVER OTHER AT HOME CLEAR ALIGNER COMPANIES?

Jessica trusted her doctors at BRO and their recommendation of Impressions. She liked that she knew and trusted the doctors and had a team of experts she could reach out to with questions. Those benefits made Impressions a much better option than other at-home clear aligner treatments.

 

WHY DO YOU LIKE AT-HOME TREATMENT?

Jessica: I have really been enjoying the at-home treatment because with COVID-19 making things like in-person treatment and appointments more difficult, I don’t have to worry about any of that. I have everything I need at home and the instruction guide has helped me know how to take care of my trays and it’s been a super easy process. 

The ease of the Impressions process went above and beyond Jessica’s expectations. When she received her Impressions box she was delighted to see multiple trays along with other fun things like the cleaning crystals and aligner case.

HOW DID YOU FIND THE ADJUSTMENT OF WEARING AND MAINTAINING YOUR ALIGNERS? 

Jessica: Maintaining the aligners is super easy because the cleaning crystals are provided in the box and then I just brush the aligners when I brush my teeth. All of the aligners fit really well and I’m always excited to get to wear a new aligner. 

Wearing aligners can sometimes be uncomfortable at first while your teeth and mouth get used to them. Taking Tylenol or Ibuprofen at the start of your treatment and eating and drinking items that are cold can help to ease discomfort. 

Impressions Tools

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT STRAIGHTENING THEIR SMILE?

Jessica: I would tell anyone who is thinking about straightening their smile to go for it! Having a straight smile and pretty teeth are such a payoff. I would recommend getting impressions to anyone but especially people like me who didn’t necessarily want the braces look. The Impressions journey for me so far has been a breeze. It’s super simple and easy and fun, and it has all the same outcomes as getting braces. 

 

At the time of writing this, Jess is six weeks into her treatment and as you see from her answers above she is loving it! Impressions is a great treatment option for you if you want to transform your smile discreetly and without the hassle of regular appointments. Whether you’re a busy college student or stay-at-home mom, Impressions doesn’t get in the way.

Find out if Impressions is right for you. Schedule a consultation now, get your aligners in 6-8 weeks! You deserve a smile you feel confident in.

Choose Impressions to help you make the smile of your dreams come true.

xx Your Impressions Family

 

 

 

Fill out the form below to start your journey to your #ImpressionSmile!

Request a Virtual Appt