Are you thinking about getting clear aligners but are wondering if it’s going to be really worth it? Wondering how much do clear aligners cost? That’s exactly why I decided to write this clear aligners review and tell you all about my experience during the 8 months I used them. I’m sharing what I liked, what I didn’t, what I learned and hopefully good advice on how to keep your clear aligners clean and tips on how to make your journey a little bit more enjoyable while you get your dream smile.
Ready to read my clear aligners review? Let’s go!
In a hurry? Go straight to what you are looking for:
- Are clear aligners worth it?
- Where did I get my clear aligners
- How it all started – My journey
- Clear aligners review – Before & after
- How much do clear aligners cost?
- How long did I wear my clear aligners
- Tips and important things to remember
- How to clean your retainers
- Best retainer cleaner product I’ve tried so far
- Final thoughts about clear aligners
- Other review blog posts you may also like
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Are clear aligners worth it?
I’m so so happy with my smile. In all honesty, I did like my smile before having clear aligners, but I was always self conscious about it whenever I saw photos or videos of myself because my teeth were a little bit crooked. I know it’s probably silly, but having clear aligners really helped with my self esteem and I’d say anything that helps with that, it’s good for you!
I know it is quite the investment, but I’m here to tell you it’s 100% worth it. In this article I’m sharing my personal experience and a very detailed clear aligners review. How much do clear aligners cost, where to get them if you are in Chicago and my oral hygiene routine. Also, my favorite retainer cleaner and what’s the best way to keep your retainers sparkling clean.
Where did I get my clear aligners?
Getting clear aligners was the best decision for me because it helped me with my self confidence. I love my smile so much right now! I owe it all to Dr Kitt from Love My Smile Chicago. Honestly if you are in the Chicago area, don’t look anywhere else. She is very nice and kind but also professional.
My experience with them was incredible and I 100% recommend Love My Smile Chicago if you are thinking about getting clear aligners for yourself and if you are in the Chicago area.
How it all started – My journey
I had a pretty smooth journey with my clear aligners. I went to my initial appointment with Dr Kitt from Love My Smile Chicago. She walked me through this journey and made the whole process very smooth. You also play an important role here, since you really have to listen to your dentist, follow their instructions and wear the clear aligners as much as you can. At least 18-20 hours a day. Yes, your read that right.
After the initial consultation, I had to go back to get my X-rays and for them to scan my teeth so the clear aligners would fit me. After a few weeks they arrived and they fit perfectly. Then I had to go to follow up appointments every 8-12 weeks to check my progress, scan my teeth again and order new trays.
Each appointment is easy breezy and fast. It’s very important you don’t miss any appointments because that’s how they keep track of progress and determine if anything needs to change.
Keep in mind that the frequency of each appointment varies per patient.
Clear aligners Review – Before & after
I started my treatment with clear aligners in August 2019. Honestly, it was something I was considering doing, but between this and that, life got in the way and I just kept postponing it. Besides, I didn’t really feel like my teeth were THAT crooked… sure there was work to be done, but now that I look at my before/after photos I can really see the difference. Just look at that!
Isn’t that crazy!?
I am so happy with my smile now. I don’t know at what point my teeth started to move that much, especially the 2 front/upper ones, but I feel so confident now and I can’t recommend clear aligners enough! As I mentioned earlier, if you are in Chicago, Love my Smile in Lincoln Park is the place to go. Everyone there is so nice and professional. Dr Kitt is so knowledgeable and made the whole process so much easier for me. Since they understand this a big investment in yourself, they offer super flexible payment plans which are interest free.
How much do clear aligners cost?
The cost will vary per patient and the amount of time you’ll have to wear the clear aligners. It will cost between $3500 and $4500, but at Love My Smile Chicago, they have flexible payment options, which is great because it is a big investment.
You can schedule a free consultation and learn more about their payment plans here.
How long did I have to wear the aligners
My treatment lasted around 8 months, but again this can vary between patients. G (my hubby) had to wear his for almost 2 years. He’s also very happy with his results and I’m so happy we invested time and money into getting this done.
Tips and things to remember
Throughout my journey, I wrote down some things, which I hope will help you if you decide to start:
- You start a new tray each week.
- First day of each tray is always a little uncomfortable, so make sure to always start a new tray at night. I once started new ones in the morning and my teeth felt sensitive and I got a headache. If you do this at night, you won’t feel a thing!
- Never wrap your aligners in a napkin LOL (it’s really easy to throw them in the trash this way).
- You have to wear your aligners all day and take them out when you are going to eat, so this really helps with nonsense snacking. Why? Well because you think about it twice before taking them off to eat. I know I skipped a few unnecessary (and mostly unhealthy) snacks in the middle of the day.
- In my experience, my teeth moved pretty fast at the beginning, which was so encouraging for me to keep going :)
- You can barely notice the aligners when you’re wearing them. I’m wearing them in most of my Instagram posts since last August and you can’t even notice them.
- Towards the end, some of my teeth were a little bit yellow, but it went away when Dr Kitt removed the brackets from my teeth when I was done with my treatment.
- Last but not least, after you are done with your treatment you will have to wear retainers at night to keep your teeth from moving again. Teeth move and it’s perfectly normal, so by wearing your retainers every night after you are done with treatment you will keep that perfect smile forever!
How to clean your retainers
Beyond this clear aligners review, I also wanted to share how to keep your retainer clean, which is very important.
As I mentioned earlier, after you are done with your clear aligners treatment, you have to wear retainers at night for the rest of your life pretty much. Since you invested so much money to get your teeth fixed, I’d say this is by far the most important thing you need to do (besides actually wearing them every night LOL).
If you get your aligners with Love My Smile Chicago, you are good because Dr Kitt provides you with two pairs of aligners plus a 3D print of your teeth (I think that’s how it’s called). My husband didn’t get this (he did them with someone else because he started before I did, and before we heard from Love my Smile Chicago), so I think it’s super nice that Dr Kitt offers this at the end of the treatment.
This is useful in case you loose your retainers because A.) you have an extra pair and B.) with the 3D print you can have any orthodontist make you new retainers. She said that our teeth move pretty fast and if you spend a week or two without wearing your retainers at night, your retainer might stop fitting, which is crazy to me, but it’s true!
Best retainer cleaner products that I’ve tried so far
As you may have realized by now, you will need to take care of your retainers for the rest of your life, so really it all comes down on how good your retainer cleaner is. Luckily, Crest has a whole line for it, and it’s honestly pretty awesome. I cannot stress enough how important it is to take proper care of your retainers!
I’ve been using their 3-minute retainer cleaner tablets, the antibacterial toothpaste and the mouth rinse daily. They also have a gel which is the best retainer cleaner for detailed cleaning and it also comes with a brush as well as deep cleaning tablets which I use once a week. My aligners look as good as new honestly, and I’m sure they will stay that way because I’m taking proper care of them.
I used to clean my clear aligners with regular toothpaste and my toothbrush and they started to look kind of gross, so that’s why I switched to the Crest Aligner Care line.
Final thoughts about clear aligners
Hope this post helps you decide whether or not clear aligners are for you. I know it’s a big investment but it’s completely worth it and as I mentioned earlier, Love My Smile Chicago has great payment plans too. Also, they are being extremely careful with COVID-19 and also offer online consultations. (just know that eventually you do have to physically go to there to get your X-rays).
Well that’s it for today! If you have any questions related to this subject, please leave them below! I’m here to help. You can also email me at aimara@waysofstyle.com and ask me anything you want about this :)
Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed this clear aligners review.
XO,
Aimara
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Your smile looked amazing before and after, but it’s so crazy to see the difference!! Love my smile did an amazing job at just keeping it natural. I love it!!