I totally get the anxiety around aligners—I was exactly the same way at first. I remember one time at a restaurant, I wrapped mine in a napkin and almost threw them away. Thankfully, my friend noticed before the waiter cleared the table... talk about a mini heart attack moment. But honestly, after a few weeks, it became second nature to carry a small case in my bag. It was just like remembering my phone or keys.
On the flip side, I had braces as a teen, and the food anxiety was real. I was constantly paranoid about bits of food getting stuck, especially at school lunches. Even after brushing, I'd still feel self-conscious. With aligners, at least I could eat normally and brush thoroughly afterward.
For me personally, aligners ended up being less stressful once I got into the habit of always having the case handy. But everyone's different—it's really about figuring out which anxiety you can manage better day-to-day.
I had braces as a teen too, and honestly, the food anxiety was next-level awkward. I remember once at a friend's birthday party, we had pizza (of course), and I spent half the time subtly trying to check my teeth in my phone's reflection. Not exactly subtle, looking back on it now...
When I switched to aligners later on, it was definitely easier in terms of eating and cleaning up afterward. But I did have a few cringe moments myself—like forgetting to put them back in after lunch and realizing hours later at work. Cue the panic of wondering if I'd messed up my treatment schedule.
I guess it really depends on your lifestyle and habits. Did anyone else find that aligners made them more disciplined about dental hygiene overall? Or was it just me becoming overly cautious after years of braces paranoia?
