It’s hard to believe, but I have just started month 3 of my Smile Direct aligners! The first two months had 3 sets of aligners. I wore a set for a week, the second set for a week and the third set for two weeks. Rinse and repeat for month 2. Also, that seems to be the pattern for the other months to come.
This means I am just under halfway done and now I see difference in my teeth.
Before and current photos. (Excuse the yellow lighting on the current picture).
It’s especially noticeable on the bottom teeth:
I will be glad to be done with these. I’m pretty used to talking with them in, but if I talk a lot or right when I put in a new pair of aligners, I will lisp for a bit. They really aren’t obvious to anyone else at all, which is pretty cool. The taking them out to eat and then brush is really kind of a pain, especially if I’m out to eat because I don’t bring a toothbrush with me. I probably should, but I just never do. It still has cut down on my snacking, but I have found that I want to eat more at meal time to make up for that and I have not lost any weight. So much for the aligner diet LOL. Actually really having issues with weight right now, but that’s another story.
I’m pretty excited to see the final changes seeing as the difference is noticeable now just after 2 months.
Another progress area is of the green variety. There aren’t many women that would be excited if their husbands gave them something that looks like this for Christmas:
It’s a beehive ginger rhizome, which John ordered from Puerto Rico! I was a little worried when he said it had been in a plastic bag for a couple of weeks before giving it to me on Christmas, but I potted it up and have been babying it. It took about 6 weeks for anything to happen and now it has sent up a shoot!
Those sticks are covered with the plastic bag to give a moist environment since our house is really dry. I keep this by the radiator and move it to bright light during the day. Of course, the shoot came up on the side of the rhizome instead of the middle, so it’s not centered, but I’m thrilled that it’s growing!
This is what it will flower to at some point (hopefully), but I think mine will be red.
We still have tons of snow outside, so any bit of green really helps right now that spring eventually will come!
I’m so glad the aligners are working so well. Looking good, Lori!
Thank *you*, Mom!
You posted a photo somewhere recently (maybe FB?) where I thought that your aligners were working and I could see a difference even if you can’t. But I’m glad you can see it now. It’s tempting me to try them for my upper teeth.
Sorry for whatever issues you are having weight-wise right now. Believe me when I say many of us empathize!
You actually have to wear the aligners top and bottom, even if it is just your top that needs straightening, but I would say go for it. It’s fairly painless, with just some aching when changing the aligners sets, but totally worth it if the results turn out like I’m hoping!
Wow, that is really impressive with how noticeable the aligners are working!
At first glance I thought John had given you fresh ginger as a gift, but a plant makes much more Lori-sense. Yay for green shoots!
I’m sort of tempted to try growing fresh ginger, but that would also have to be a houseplant because of our zone, which feels like Siberia about now…
That is a very neat plant! Do you always have to order them from Puerto Rico? And it will always be a houseplant, I am guessing.
I just found that seller and told John. I think you can get them from other companies that sell tropical plants. This will go outside in the summer, but it’s going to be an indoor plant for most of the year.
Is it “just” a flowering plant, or can you harvest the rhizome for ginger? Like you harvest the rhizome in horseradish but the plant keeps thriving above ground. Regardless, looks like it will be a very cool plant.
Nice work with the aligners! There’s really a visible difference.
Lesley
It’s not an edible ginger, so it’s just ornamental.
That’s a huge difference with the aligners actually. So great when something like that works so well. Beehive ginger? It looks so funky, I love it. I can’t wait to see it bloom!!!
Hey Ali! Good to see you!
I wondered about those aligners. They really seem to be working for you. I noticed the difference. Are they as expensive as the orthodontist? Thanks for sharing your personal experience.
The aligners are $2000, so much less expensive than the orthodontist.