CAN ANYONE TELL IF I'M WEARING ALIGNERS?
CAN ANYONE TELL IF I'M WEARING ALIGNERS?
EXPECTATIONS From DIGITAL ORTHODONTICS - Solo Edition by Dr. Bak Nguyen
Unless people know what to look for, once you are comfortable wearing your aligners, few people will be able to notice that you are in active orthodontic treatment.
As a common rule, women will notice the aligners much more than men will do. This is not a law, but through 17 years working with aligners, I can tell you that it is much easier to fool men than women concerning the wearing of the clear aligner.
I will tell you that as soon as you are confident and talking normally with your aligners in, the chances that people notice them are minimal. If you feel weird and act as such, it is not the aligners nor the attachments that will give you up but your insecurity and reaction.
The first time you receive your aligners, of course, everything will feel weird and you will be uncomfortable. Keep those in for 2 days and already more than half of the pressure will be gone.
No, the plastic hasn't changed, your teeth moved! The best prove of that is to compare the set you are actually wearing with the first set you ever put in your mouth. If you are at aligner number 6 or above, the difference between the sets will jump to your face. That's the progress you've made since.
One silly trick I tell my patient to boost their confidence the first time that they receive their aligners is to go home angry and to tell a man who cares (husband, brother, boyfriend) that they paid $10,000 for braces and that we lost the shipment. Now they want reimbursement. How a man who cares will react? They will be upset too, even propose their help to talk with the dental clinic!
They have just said out loud that they did not see the aligners in! That should boost the confidence right away! And do not forget to ask your patients to tell the truth to their relatives, you do not want to deal with upset people...