How to Get a Straighter Smile Without Going Completely Broke

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of SmileDirectClub. All opinions are 100% mine.

So...sometimes I feel like I’m living very secretly. Not that it’s a bad thing, but sometimes I feel like not a lot of people know very much about me, what I’m like, or what makes me feel insecure. It can be hard to open up.

You know what I’ve always been a little self conscious about? My smile. The mildly crooked lateral incisors (those two teeth right next to your two front ones) that were just crooked enough to drive me insane, but not crooked enough to push my parents to get me braces when I was a kid. I was a little devastated that my younger sister got perfect teeth and I didn’t. That was sibling rivalry at its finest.

For years I would smile closed-mouth because I just didn’t like how my teeth looked. Yes, it’s not a terrible amount of crowding and yes, I have seen worse. But it was my smile and I was stuck with it. Here’s exhibit A, B, and C.

Remember when I said I was stuck with my smile? Through childhood and early adulthood I really didn’t have the means to get myself braces. My parents couldn’t really afford dropping another equivalent of a down payment on a car for another kid’s teeth, so I figured I was destined to just have those crooked teeth for good.

Entering into regular adulthood, I didn’t really have the budget to figure in a $5,000+ cost for any type of orthodontic treatment. Metal braces were out of the question because I wouldn’t be able to deal with the embarrassment and invisible aligners were just as expensive (if not more expensive) than traditional braces. You know what you can afford post-grad without a high paying job straight out of college? A burrito. Definitely not $5,000+ braces.

So just as I thought I was stuck with this lackluster set of chompers for good, I came upon SmileDirectClub. At first, the concept of skipping the orthodontist’s visits and having your own personalized set of invisible aligners sent to your home for an insane fraction of the cost of other brands of invisible aligners sounded too good to be true. I was determined to get to the bottom of how they were able to make it work at such a good price and for such a reasonable amount of wear time.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably curious and just a little judgmental at first. Check out how it works if you want to see exactly what goes into the process. I’m a huge skeptic, so for me to jump in on this while there weren’t a ton of online reviews was HUGE. If you're looking for a comprehensive review of SmileDirectClub, I wrote a lengthy blog post on it. Check out my Smile Direct Club Invisible Aligner Review if you'd like to know my step by step progress.

The first step to getting a straighter smile is starting your free smile assessment. Here, SmileDirectClub asks for a few pictures of your smile so that they can determine if you’re a candidate for their invisible aligners or not. You also answer a brief questionnaire to see if you qualify. If you have mild to moderate crowding or spacing, SmileDirectClub should definitely be on your radar for affordable treatment! I am so glad I found them.

Next, they ship you an at-home evaluation kit where you capture your own impressions. The evaluation kit is $95, but is totally refundable if it turns out you aren’t a candidate for their aligners. I don’t know about you, but I love a money back guarantee. If you’re really in the mood to save money use my unique link to save $100 off of the purchase price of your aligners. If you use this link, I also receive a $100 Amazon gift card as a referral. Thank you!

So I was approved as a candidate, and was so excited to get started! At the time I ordered, they offered two different payment plans: a one time payment of $1,500 upfront, or $250 down and then $99 per month for 15 months with no interest for a grand total of $1,735. With the $1,500 one-time payment, they waive the lab fees, which saves you $250 if you can swing the cost at the time. Even if you can’t, $99 per month is still really manageable to invest in a smile you’ll love. I could totally give up a few lattes a month to budget in the cost of a beautiful smile.

I was really anxious with anticipation waiting for my aligners to arrive. It was a lot like making a child wait to open their birthday present - so hard to do, but so worth it in the end! I waited until bedtime on a Monday night and after doing my nightly dental hygiene routine I snapped my aligners right in. They fit like a glove and I couldn’t stop looking at sets 2 and 3 to see what movement would be happening over the next month and a half.

Needless to say, I am SO excited to be on this journey to a straighter smile. I can't wait to proudly flash my new smile for upcoming engagement (and eventually wedding) photos!

Check back every once in awhile to see progress photos and updates!

Check out part 2 of this discussion on behalf of SmileDirectClub by peeking at my most recent post My SmileDirectClub Experience and Awesome Progress!

As always, if you have any comments or questions, feel free to drop me a line in the comments below and I’ll do my best to promptly reply. Thanks!