It’s a long slow process (4 years!!!) but I felt it was definitely worth it for me (I had really crooked teeth).
Hang in there! Be diligent with brushing and flossing! (Nothing worse than me getting my braces off then a few years later find out out I had gingivitis/early signs of gum bone loss)
Bed time routine until I die is floss, brush, mouthwash, retainer. Maybe I’ll ditch the retainer once I hit age 80.
For me it’s taking so long not because of the crooked teeth (they’ve been straight for a while), but rather because of my crossbite. And I am okay with my crossbite; if they can’t fix that, fine. Four years though…yikes! I hope that isn’t me.
Very nice. It seemed that it also helped you grow some hair.
What flavor orthodontia did you choose?
I ditched the retainer shortly after finishing orthodontia. I typically woke up with it somewhere in the bed or on the pillow. Ick
The orthodontia was probably a waste of time and money (my parents’ money). At least i didn’t get cavities or gum disease from it.
I had longer hair then! Just pulled back. 
I had Invisalign. I think it was the right call for me, although it did become tough to stay motivated to wear the aligners full time toward the end, when I was burnt out on it and already happy with the results.
I am not sure why, but the orthodontist i went to have me these horrible plastic molded clear plastic retainers that fully covered my teeth. My guess is they were a new gimmick at the time where they were “invisible”, but were impractical as they sealed in any bit of food left in your teeth after eating anything. I was out of braces in early high school and i think i made it a year or two into college before giving up on them completely. Besides being gross when i had to wear them 24/7, they slowly lost their fit wearing them at night starting from the back until they became useless.
Congratulations!!
I am a month away from the end of my much shorter journey (240 days, 24 aligners).
March 7th is my wrap-up appointment.
They just straightened my teeth.
The dentist said my type of cross bite could not be fixed with aligners, but would require surgery & braces.
Overall happy with the process. Happy that my employer paid about 40%
Don’t know if i have a good before picture, but i did keep my second aligner (forgot to keep my first), so i coukd comparr how drastic the difference is.
