How to get the smile that elevates you
- opeobanjo
- Nov 26, 2025
- 5 min read
In current times, humanity has learned to look into the finer details of how we look, how we smile, and this defines who we are, how confident we are, how we talk and express ourselves. We can all agree that a smile is a welcoming expression that makes it easier to interact together. But when you smile at someone, the first glaring thing is your teeth. Therefore, your teeth paints what your smile actually looks like. It is no wonder why celebrities pay much attention to their teeth, taking their smile game to such high levels. You do not need to be a celebrity before you get your focus on your teeth, and you certainly do not need to take your smile game to extreme levels. That's right, just some simple professional tricks and magic, and voila! Your teeth and smile are looking great. Now you can smile endlessly, move with premium swag, and talk with genuine confidence. Case in point, here's how Ada went from being an introvert with low self-esteem to discovering her confident self with a stunning smile and profound happiness.
Meet Ada, a 28-year-old lady who is always close-lipped, even when she tries to smile. She has always been self-conscious of her teeth and keeps to herself most of the time. Growing up, she learned to laugh with her hand slightly over her mouth, a small habit that had stuck with her for a long time because she feels shameful of how her teeth are arranged. She is a smart career lady but fails to project her voice and confidence in a meeting, or when leading her team.
Ada finally decided to come into the dental clinic to see the orthodontist to correct her malocclusion. Ada was given two options to correct her teeth, either orthodontic braces or dental aligners.
ALIGNERS VS BRACES
Aligners | Braces | |
Appearance | Transparent, barely noticeable | Visible, although less visible ceramic options exist |
Removability | Removable. You wear them and remove by yourself | Fixed to the teeth and are not removed until your treatment is complete |
Diet | No food restrictions | Restricted from hard, sticky or crunchy foods that can damage your brackets |
Oral Hygiene | Easier to clean your teeth and gums, since you simply remove the aligners before cleaning your mouth | Requires special technique to clean around brackets and wires, and more efforts to keep good oral hygiene |
Comfort | They tend to be more comfortable | Can cause irritation to the gums and cheeks |
Ada chose to go with dental aligners because of the comfort it will offer her over braces, plus the fact that her treatment can progress without it being obvious that she is under orthodontic treatment. She was reassured that she would get excellent results and all she needs to do is diligently follow through with the instructions given to her. Some of her questions about aligners were:
Will it stop me from eating some foods?
No, it will not You can eat your meals to your satisfaction. Of course, this does not mean crushing bones or using your teeth as bottle openers.
Will it affect the way I talk?
You will only have about a week or two at the beginning to adjust to it. After that, you will talk normally without issues.
Is there pain during the treatment?
You will experience some tightness and mild to moderate discomfort from time to time, usually at the point you switch to a new tray (higher tray), since your trays need to apply some pressure on your teeth to work.
How long will the treatment take?
The overall treatment time will depend on your case - how much your teeth need to be moved. You can expect a period of 9 - 14months on average. This timing will also be affected by how compliant you are with the treatment and instructions.
How often do I need to come for checkups?
Your visit to the clinic will only be sparingly, and most follow ups can be done online. But, if any issues arise, you will need to visit the clinic.
THE BEGINNING
Starting off on her aligner treatment, Ada's first session was a 3D scan of her teeth, then some clinical pictures were taken. Of course, any issues in her mouth were already taken care of. Luckily, she only needed her routine scaling & polishing procedure since she had always maintained a good oral hygiene.
The 3D scan is the hallmark of aligner treatment. It is what will be used to plan the treatment and print out the trays in the lab.
A few days passed and Ada got to see a simulation of what her new smile could look like, and she was ecstatic. It was every bit of what she wanted. She couldn't wait to start wearing her aligner trays.
Before you start wearing your aligner trays, you will see a simulation of what result you can achieve with the aligner treatment. The simulation shows your teeth together in 3D, so you can see your new smile form different angles.
Three weeks later, Ada's aligner trays were ready. She came to the clinic full of joy, already anticipating the end result of her treatment. Her appointment that day involved bonding attachments to her teeth for the aligners and teaching her how to wear them along with instructions that she must follow.
Instructions
Although your aligners are removable, you will need to have them worn for about 22hours per day.
You will take off your aligner when you want to eat and clean your mouth.
Always make sure to rinse (gargle) your mouth with water after eating or drinking anything before wearing your aligners.
Always maintain a good oral hygiene.
Clean your aligners after you have brushed your teeth in the morning and at night before bed.
To clean your aligners, wash them gently with a soft toothbrush under running water with a bowl underneath. Do not use any detergent or soap on your aligners.
Do not let your aligners come into contact with any hot liquid.
After that, she was told that follow up will be done online, and she will be informed early of any need to come for a physical appointment. Ada left the clinic that day feeling like the luckiest person in the world. Aligners was the way to go!
THROUGH HER ALIGNER JOURNEY
A few months fly by and Ada is doing well with her aligner treatment. She has been in a vibrant joyous vibe; you can literally see the glow in her face. During her reviews, she reported only mild discomfort and tightness whenever she switched to a new tray, although she expected it since she had been informed about it at the start of her treatment. She had no issues with eating whatever she wanted and was able to maintain her oral hygiene optimally. The best thing for her was the fact that she could silently fix her teeth unlike if she had used braces.
FINAL RESULT
After about 9 months, Ada had just completed her final aligner trays and was scheduled for an appointment in the clinic. Her appointment was an emotional one, even though she had gone through the whole treatment process, she still could not believe how beautiful her smile looks now. Tears of joy rolled down her face, she could now smile brightly and confidently. Her joy was like a new life had just been breathed into her. She had permanent retainers fixed and that concluded her entire treatment.
Ada's comment on the whole aligner treatment was that it was one of the best decisions of her life.
Be like Ada, start your aligner journey today.
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