"Did you feel like the aligners were worth the money in the end, or do you think sticking with retainers longer would have done the trick?"
Honestly, aligners can be great, but they're not always necessary. Retainers usually do the job if you're consistent—maybe try setting nightly reminders? Cleaning gets easier too once it's routine...
We debated aligners for my daughter too... honestly, retainers worked fine once she actually wore them consistently. Did you already try retainers long-term, or are you just considering options now? It's tough deciding when money's involved.
"It's tough deciding when money's involved."
Yeah, definitely feel you on that. I had retainers as a teen but honestly didn't wear them enough—big regret now. Curious if consistent retainer use could've saved me from aligners later... hindsight's 20/20, right?
I totally get that regret about retainers—I was pretty good about wearing mine, but even then my teeth shifted a bit over the years. Honestly, I think some movement is just inevitable as we age. Makes me wonder if aligners are really a permanent fix or if we'll always be chasing that perfect smile... Has anyone here had aligners long-term and noticed their teeth staying put? Curious how realistic it is to expect lasting results.
Had aligners about 8 years ago, and honestly, my teeth did shift a little afterward even though I was pretty diligent with retainers. Not drastically, but enough to notice. My dentist mentioned it's pretty normal as we age—our teeth just naturally want to move around a bit. I think aligners are great for getting things back in line, but expecting absolute perfection forever might be unrealistic. I mean, our bodies change over time, right? At this point, I'm just happy they're mostly straight and healthy... crooked smiles have character anyway 🙂
