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My front teeth had bugged me for most of my adult life. They were just *slightly* crooked, but it drove me nuts. I can now admit that I shouldn’t have begged my parents to take off my braces before high school, because my smile could have been so much straighter! But, alas, I was young and oh-so-stupid.
Though it was never my plan, there are lots of options in the clear braces space for those of us adults who aren’t happy with our smile. But when an offer to try one–OrthoFX— came across my desk, I had to jump on it. I get lots of beauty freebies, mostly zit creams and eyeshadow, but the chance to fix my teeth blew them all out of the water.
While it did end up being a commitment–about 21 weeks of wearing the aligners non-stop for 22 hours a day–it was absolutely worth it. It is true that you smile bigger when you’re done. And since the trays were delivered right to my doorstep, I could safely complete the course throughout quarantine. It was perfect for stay-at-home! Here’s everything you need to know:
OrthoFX Review
Launched last year by two former Invisalign executives, OrthoFX is the first company to deliver custom-fitted aligners weekly to your door. It’s also the first to involve a trained medical professional in the process–I was advised by Dr. Cybelle Pereira of JBL New York City throughout (loved her!). That component is so necessary for a process that involves moving bones!
The company is also transparent about pricing; the cost is $3950, with payment plans available. This includes unlimited face-to-face doctor care, replacements for damaged or lost aligners and retainers (delivered in 24 hours), professional whitening, and a 3-year guarantee.
How It Works
The first step was to take three “smile selfies” and send them to the company. I immediately received a free digital 3D model of what my teeth could look like if I decided to go through with the aligners. Within 48 hours, they sent me a set of test aligners, which gave me a chance to see how comfortable it was to wear them before committing. Btw–OrthoFX’s are reportedly 40% less painful than competitors. (Full disclosure: I wouldn’t know because I haven’t tried anything else!)
After paying the $3950 or choosing the payment plan, the next step is being set up for the first in-office appointment where scans are taken and treatments options are discussed with an ortho specialist IRL.
At my first appointment, we removed an old retainer, and Dr. Pereira walked me through a few aspects of the treatment that could potentially be scary for people–IPL, or tooth shaving, which creates space between teeth so they can move, and clear attachments, which go onto the surface of the teeth to make the liners work better.
A complete course of liners was then delivered to my home, which I started wearing immediately!
Tips
Dr. Pereira suggested that I wear the aligners as much as possible and this was the best advice. You can get through one aligner per week if you wear them 22 hours a day. (So if you get 10 liners in your treatment, you can be done in 10 weeks!) This means only taking them out to eat short meals, though. As a lifelong snacker, this was challenging at first I’ll admit. But I believe it actually made me more mindful about eating; I started planning meals and stopped thoughtlessly grazing.
I was also advised not to drink any other liquids than water while wearing the liners. This means you need to get your morning coffee in during your designated half hour for breakfast, and your glass of wine during dinner. No lingering over a long meals or drinking multiple cups! If it sounds regimented, it’s because it is. While you’re getting the treatment, you want to optimize for success. Cheating will only set your teeth back!
You’ll also want to create little travel bags of tooth brushes, tooth paste and floss and keep them at your desk, in your purse, car, etc., because you can’t put the liners back on your teeth after eating or drinking until you’ve brushed and flossed! I swear your hygiene game will never be so strong.
So–there you have it. The complete low-down on clear braces from OrthoFX. Try them now!
