In high school, I didn’t smile much. It was mostly because as a child, my teeth didn’t grow in “the right way” and I had to go through the ideal of wearing braces. In high school, I was at the tail end of that journey, but I was so used to not smiling because of my braces, I was seen in pictures either half smiling or avoiding being in pictures all together.
In college, I no longer had braces and became very happy with my smile. But due to my adolescent self, I soon stopped wearing my retainers at night and then lost them completely all together. Then my wisdom teeth were removed and my top jaw shifted and I lost all confidence in my smile. My front two teeth didn’t align. One pushed out in a very awkward way, making the one tooth look longer than the other. I went back to my old ways. I stopped fully smiling or I avoided pictures all together.
When I started my blog, I became very aware of my teeth. During the days that I would sift through pictures to use in posts, I would often forgo great shots for ones that were mediocre because I didn’t like the way it showed my teeth. Then, when I got engaged, I decided that it was time for me to look into having my teeth alignment corrected because I didn’t want to look back at my wedding pictures and be disheartened by those two front teeth.
So my first idea was to go to the orthodontist…it didn’t go well. They told me they would have to straighten both of my jaws even though it was only the two front teeth on my top jaw that had shifted. And on top of that they wanted to charge me $5,000+. I couldn’t afford it. I was paying for a wedding! In that moment, I had to sit there and decide whether I wanted to invest in the treatment plan from the orthodontist and take away funds for my wedding dress or just go on and half smile in all of my wedding pictures.
But soon I found out that I didn’t have to do either. I found – Smile Direct Club.
My journey was only for four months and looking back at some of my old posts, I can see the change in the way I felt at my smile. Taking a look at the pictures below, you can see it too. Before I started my journey with Smile Direct Club and even right at the beginning, I didn’t want anyone to take pictures of me smiling unless they were a good distance away. But soon, my confidence grew and I felt extremely comfortable with pictures being taken of me up close. See for yourself, I’ve included some pictures below.
Right now in this moment, I am finished my treatment plan and you can read about how I started Smile Direct Club , but now that I am finished with my aligners, I want to share with you how I am feeling and why my smile is important to me.
My friends and family define me as this giggly girl. My mom constantly tells me that I laugh at everything even when it’s not funny. So, I’m constantly sharing my smile. My smile means happiness to me. It gives me confidence knowing that when I am talking in front of anyone or telling a joke or laughing at one of my dad’s jokes that my smile is further radiating joy.
My smile means that in my wedding pictures, I can still feel the pure enlightenment and love in each picture and I can relive that day each time that I look at them.
Smile Direct Club gave me the ability to think about my smile and grow in confidence, and they provided that to me in the comfort of my own home with a price that is affordable with a plan set just for me.
I want you to think about what your smile means to you. And if you’re looking to grow your confidence through your smile, I highly suggest Smile Direct Club. I just got my brother to sign up last week. You can sign up at Smile Direct Club and go to a nearby Smile Shop to get digital scans for free or order an impression kit to be sent straight to your home. And with the code “LESHASMILES” you can receive 50% off your impression kit.
{{Photos by Stephanie Vasilidias}}
From my previous post – Dress Down, Dress Up
From my previous post – I Didn’t Do A Beauty Trial Before My Wedding & This Is What Happened
From my previous post – What to Wear for Those Summer Hours in the Office
From my previous post – My Style in Teaching with Modcloth
Thank you to Smile Direct Club for partnering with me and helping me to grow confident with my smile. The opinions, thoughts, experience and smiles are 100% my own.
