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7 Things We’ve Learned About Invisalign

Lolli — Sat, 29 Oct 2016 18:29:34 +0000

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board and my daughter, Necco, received her Invisalign Teen treatment for free. All thoughts are my own.

I’m not sure where the last 17 months have gone, but they have definitely flown by!

When Necco started her Invisalign treatment, she was finishing up her sophomore year of high school. 2 months ago, she began her senior year. I’m not ready for her to be a high school graduate.

Take a look at how much Necco has changed in the 17 months since she started Invisalign:

Before:

Now:

Since my older daughter had Invisalign as well, it’s been interesting to compare the two experiences. One thing I’ve learned is that no two sets of teeth are exactly alike, and so no two Invisalign treatments will be exactly alike, but the greatest thing is that Invisalign doctors work with you to come up with a treatment plan and a schedule to address each person’s circumstances and needs.

Thinking of getting Invisalign for yourself or for your teen or tween? Here are a few of the other things we’ve learned through Necco’s Invisalign as well as KitKat’s experience, which was a little longer than her younger sister’s:

In our experience, Invisalign treatments are generally a lot quicker than standard braces. I was just talking with my youngest daughter, who is eager/hopeful to get started with her Invisalign treatment soon, and she knows many kids her age who have had braces for years and years. In contrast, Necco was done with hers in less than a year and a half, and KitKat was done in less than 2 years. Like I mentioned above, each case (and set of teeth) is unique, so treatment times vary.

There’s not much that you can’t do while wearing Invisalign. No food restrictions (you just take the aligners out while you eat and put them back in when you’re done). Sports, musical instruments, singing, you name it. Invisalign works fine with all of their normal activities.

Believe it or not, the Invisalign experience is improving over time! I didn’t think it could get any better than we had it with KitKat, but I was excited to learn at Necco’s last appointment that now, instead of patients receiving a traditional metal retainer to wear at night (like KitKat received) patients coming to the end of their Invisalign treatment may receive retainers that look and feel (and work) almost exactly like the Invisalign aligners they’ve been wearing all along. Here’s the official scoop:

“While there are many different types of retainers, we recommend Vivera® retainers. Vivera’s proprietary material is 30% stronger than other leading clear retainer materials, which helps maintain your teeth in the final position. Because the retainers are custom made from an impression or scan of your teeth using the same state-of-the-art technology as Invisalign clear aligners, you will benefit from a more precise and comfortable fit.”

Necco loves her new retainers, which she is currently wearing all day like normal aligners until she has her next follow-up appointment.

Not many people notice that you’re wearing Invisalign. We’ve had more people notice the improvement in her teeth than have noticed that she was wearing clear aligners. In fact, people are shocked that her teeth seem to have moved “miraculously!”

You may become attached to your attachments! As silly as it sounds, one of the things that made Necco somewhat sad about finishing her Invisalign treatment was having the doctor remove the attachments from her teeth. Not familiar with Invisalign attachments? Some teeth need to move downward or upward, and that’s where attachments help. The doctor adds a small, white “knob” onto the tooth that will catch on the aligner to hold it in place and guide the tooth to the correct position. Necco was kind of sad to see them go!

Expect people to ask questions, be curious, and sometimes be a little envious of your Invisalign. Not only do her Invisalign allow her to participate in all her activities and eat what she wants, but people hardly even notice they’re there! Once people realize that she’s wearing Invisalign, the questions tend to follow soon after.

No regrets! One of the things I mentioned at the very beginning of Necco’s treatment was that she was not excited about saying “goodbye” to her front tooth gap. It was part of her that she kind of liked! I asked her this week if she had any regrets about closing up that gap, and she quickly and firmly said, “No! I am SO happy I did Invisalign! When I look back on old pictures of my smile, I can’t believe how much better my teeth look now.”

Read my other Invisalign posts to see what our journey has been like…and to see how much Necco’s smile has improved! Be sure to check out the It Starts with a Smile Pinterest board, too!

Questions? Ask away! Please feel free to ask me any questions – here, privately, on Facebook, wherever!

Curious to see if Invisalign is an option for your child? Take the Smile Assessment and check the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you.

Connect with Invisalign:

Invisalign Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/invisalign
Invisalign Twitter: https://twitter.com/Invisalign
Invisalign Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Invisalign/
Invisalign Instagram: https://instagram.com/invisalign/
Invisalign YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/invisalign

Invisalign Teen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/invisalignteen
Invisalign Teen Twitter: https://twitter.com/invisalignteen
Invisalign Teen Instagram: https://instagram.com/invisalignteen
Invisalign Teen YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/invisalignteen
Invisalign Teen Tumblr: https://invisalignteen.tumblr.com/

Tips To Help Your Teen Start the School Year with Confidence

Lolli — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 18:54:52 +0000

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board and my daughter, Necco, is currently receiving her Invisalign Teen treatment for free. All thoughts are my own.

Check the Invisalign Smile Assessment.

I can’t believe that a new school year will be starting next month….and more importantly, that my daughter, Necco, will be a senior! In just over a week from now, she is scheduled to finish up her Invisalign treatment….just in time for the start of her senior year! It has been quite the journey, and it’s drastic to see the difference in Necco over the last 15 months – not just in her looks, but in her confidence.

Since my kids are older now and each have several first days of school under their belts, the first day of school presents a different challenge. Our back to school prep is more focused on being emotionally prepared versus having a backpack full of new school supplies. The newly revised Unbrace Teen Confidence page and guide are a great resource for tweens, teens, and their parents to get ready for the new school year with confidence.

Here are a few tips from my family to help older kids get ready for the new school year.

Keep the lines of communication open – Set the stage for the new school year with an open line of communication between parent and teen. Talk about feelings and expectations ahead of time and address any concerns instead of letting them fester.

Address social media habits and perceptions – Social media can be a huge factor in teen confidence (or lack of it) since teens are so quick to give and receive judgement based on a social media post. Don’t forget that it’s ok to set guidelines and restrictions and monitor use on your teen’s devices. Bullying is never ok, and it’s important to keep an eye on your teen’s accounts to make sure there is no bullying or destructive behavior being given or received.

Be an example of calm and confidence – I remember when my kids were little, I noticed that my little ones would be on their crabbiest, moodiest behavior when I was feeling the worst (tired, impatient, critical, etc). Guess what? Teens are just the same. They feed off our moods. A calm, confident attitude from mom and dad will help them have a good, positive attitude as they start the school year.

Be prepared – Have clothes and school supplies ready well before the morning of the first day of school. If they’re attending a new school this year, have them check out the school during the summer, if possible. The more they know about what to expect, the easier it is to be confident.

Smile more – Smiling is such a simple exercise, but it makes a world of difference, both for the giver and for the receiver of the smile. As a shy teen myself many moons ago, I didn’t like the idea of talking to people I didn’t know yet, but I was always willing to smile. It takes such a small amount of effort but it goes a long way.

Be the friend you would like to have – I tell my kids that it’s they ever question what they should do or how they should act, that they should simply do what they would like for someone else to do if they were on the other side. Confidence comes when teens know they’re making good choices and helping others.

Check out what these middle school tweens had to say about self confidence, how their smile effects themselves and others, and how social media effects how they feel about themselves and others.

Be sure to check out the newly revised Unbrace Teen Confidence page and new guide for tweens, teens, and parents.

Read my other Invisalign posts to see what our journey has been like…and to see how much Necco’s smile has improved! Be sure to check out the It Starts with a Smile Pinterest board, too!

Questions? Ask away! I’ll be sharing more information in the coming months about Necco’s journey with Invisalign and my time on the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board. Please feel free to ask me any questions – here, privately, on Facebook, wherever!

Check the Invisalign Smile Assessment and the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you.

It Starts with a Smile #InvisalignSmile

Lolli — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 03:47:22 +0000

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board and my daughter, Necco, is currently receiving her Invisalign Teen treatment for free. All thoughts are my own.

Check the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you.

Tomorrow my daughter and I head back to her orthodontist for another Invisalign check up. Is it silly that the two of us have grown to look forward to her every-six-to-eight-week visits?

Just two days ago, she posted this picture on her Facebook wall, with this excited caption:

“This represents about 52 out of 64 weeks of Invisalign trays fixing my teeth. I have roughly 12 more weeks before I’m supposed to be done!! My teeth look and feel better than they ever have!!”

I love that she has had such a positive experience straightening her teeth, especially because she was so hesitant to do it in the beginning. She has nothing but positivity and smiles for her Invisalign journey now.

Isn’t it incredible how far reaching a “simple” thing like confidence can be? The only thing Necco has done is straighten her teeth – and yet I can see the difference in her smile. She is proud to flash her teeth for a big grin and does it often. She is confidently making plans for her graduation and college applications (and I have to admit…after my oldest daughter got married this Spring, I am even less ready to send Necco off to school!).

Have you felt the difference that confidence makes in your own life? I’ve seen it happen in my own life (blogging has been a huge confidence booster for me) and in the lives of my children. It’s powerful to witness. I’m so thrilled to share It Starts with a Smile with you guys today.

What is It Starts with a Smile? It Starts with a Smile aims to share stories of real life patients whose new smiles gave them the confidence to change their lives in a big way. Patients across America are sharing how their life transformed drastically once they had the confidence of a new smile, and proves that changing one thing about yourself can impact everything.

Win one of FIVE Invisalign Smile Grants

When my oldest daughter was just starting high school, long before I was on the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board, I wrote an article about her smile….and her desperate need to have her teeth fixed. I was shocked and honored when my article won her Invisalign treatment. It feels like a lifetime away, but I am grateful for that opportunity every day.

And that’s just one reason that I am particularly happy to tell you today about a chance for YOU to win one of five Invisalign Smile Grants for free Invisalign treatment. It was a dream come true…an answer to my prayers…and it could be for you, too!

Think straightening teeth is just for kids? Think again! It’s for YOU, too…and isn’t it time that you did something for yourself?

Through August 14, 2016, simply go to invisalign.com/smilegrants and share what you would accomplish with a confident new smile for a chance to win one of the five Invisalign Smile Grants.

Read my other Invisalign posts to see what our journey has been like…and to see how much Necco’s smile has improved! Be sure to check out the It Starts with a Smile Pinterest board, too!

Check the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you.

5 Reasons We Love Invisalign

Lolli — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 18:14:09 +0000

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board and my daughter, Necco, is currently receiving her Invisalign Teen treatment for free.

It’s amazing how fast time flies. Necco is at her one-year mark with Invisalign! I can’t believe it’s been a year since she got started, and even more importantly, I can’t believe what a HUGE difference a year has made in her teeth.

There is so much that we love about Invisalign, but this graphic inspired me to go into a little more detail about some of the things that really are incredible about using Invisalign to straighten teeth.

5 Reasons to Love Invisalign:

Aligners put the focus on YOU, not your braces. Most of the time, no one has any idea that Necco is wearing Invisalign because they’re clear and fit right over her teeth. So people can focus on how adorable she is, not how her braces look.
You can eat your favorite foods, without restriction. Necco can eat anything she wants – even Easter candies and her favorite snack…POPCORN – because she simply takes her aligners out before she eats and pops them back in when she’s done eating. There’s no worry of getting foods stuck in her braces or struggling with getting food unstuck from between braces. Love that!
You can brush and floss normally. Necco is very careful about brushing and flossing her teeth and loves the fact that her teeth are “naked” and easy to brush and floss when she takes her aligners out. And when she doesn’t have access to a toothbrush and sink, she just drinks some water after eating and before putting her aligners back in.
You can pop aligners out (and back in) whenever needed. Necco really only needs to take her aligners out when she eats, but Invisalign makes it so easy that she could take them in and out whenever necessary.
Office visits are every 4-6 weeks. Necco sees her orthodontist every 6 weeks, and office visits are quick and easy. I love that they are not a huge time commitment on our part because we have plenty of other things going on!

Reason #6 That We Love Invisalign

Another thing we love about Invisalign is that we have nearly NO “emergencies.” My oldest daughter had some of her aligners crack, and although Necco has not had that happen once in the year she’s been wearing Invisalign, I know that if she DID have a problem with an aligner, the solution is simple. Anytime an aligner is lost or broken, she can simply put the last set of aligners in, give the orthodontist a call, and pick up a replacement set of aligners.

While she has not lost or broken any aligners, we DID have an issue before her last appointment where we had to reschedule an appointment because of a test at school that she couldn’t miss. She was worried because missing her appointment would mean that she would miss her next date to change to new aligners. The next week, I got a call the morning of her rescheduled appointment and learned that the doctor was sick and had to go home. She finally got in for her appointment about a week later. The only set-back was that she had to wear her current aligners for a little longer, but that did NOT stop her progress at all.

Check the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you.

First Annual Celebrity Smile Awards (Plus a Special Giveaway!)

Lolli — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 22:26:03 +0000

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board and my daughter, Necco, is currently receiving her Invisalign Teen treatment in exchange for my participation.

With Hollywood’s biggest AWARDS night coming up this weekend, there are going to be gorgeous smiles all over the red carpet. Who are you rooting for to win big this weekend? While not everyone will go home with a statue, a few of our favorite celebrities have already received a little pre-awards show honor. Who would YOU chose to bestow the award of “Best Smile”?

Note: the following results are from an online survey conducted in January by Harris Poll on behalf of the makers of the Invisalign clear aligner system.

Best Actress Smile

A “Joy”-ful Jennifer Lawrence won “Best Leading Lady Smile” with 44%.

Runners Up:

Brie Larson (38%)
Cate Blanchett (32%)
Saoirse Ronana (19%)
Charlotte Rampling (10%)

Best Actor Smile

Leonardo DiCaprio won “Best Actor Smile” with 56% of the vote.

Runners Up:

Matt Damon (31%)
Michael Fassbender (14%)
Eddie Redmayne (13%)
Bryan Cranston (12%)

Best Supporting Actress Smile

The award for Best Supporting Actress Smile goes to Rachel McAdams with 48%.

Runners Up:

Alicia Vikander (32%)
Rooney Mara (19%)
Kate Winslet (15%)
Jennifer Leigh (9%)

Best Supporting Actor Smile

The 2016 Best Supporting Actor Smile is Sylvester Stallone with 22%

Runners Up:

Christian Bale (21%)
Mark Ruffalo (18%)
Tom Hardy (14%)
Mark Rylance (11%)

Best Award-Winning Actress and Actor Smile from the Past 15 Years

Halle Berry and Denzel Washington took top spots in Hollywood’s Best Award-Winning Actress and Actor Smile from the Past 15 Years with Halle receiving 50% of the vote and Denzel 38% respectively.

Runners up:

Reese Witherspoon (42%)
Gwyneth Paltrow (37%)
Julia Roberts (35%)
Matthew McConaughey (33%)
Jamie Foxx (28%)
Sandra Bullock (26%)
Kevin Spacey (21%)
Eddie Redmayne (16%)

Movies With the Most Beautiful Smiles

The most iconic award-winning movies that showcased the most beautiful smiles are The Sound of Music and Titanic (tied at 17%)

Runners Up:

Chicago (11%)
West Side Story and American Beauty (tied at 10%)
Shakespeare in Love (7%)
Slumdog Millionaire and Annie Hall (tied at 6%)

Nearly half of Americans would rather have their own smile than that of any Actor or Actress nominated in 2016 (47% of men and 52% of women)!

Do you love your smile?

Join Invisalign for a #RedCarpetSmile Twitter Party!

Join @Invisalign for a #RedCarpetSmile twitter party LIVE on Sunday, February 28 from 4-9 PM PST to see if your favorite smiles from Hollywood are winners on awards night. Details will be announced via Twitter for a chance to win Invisalign treatment.

But before we get THAT party started, I’ve got something else to celebrate. This is HUGE. We’re giving away an Invisalign treatment. Imagine. You or one of your kids. Invisalign. Straight teeth. For free. Check the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you….for good luck!

Click to ENTER the giveaway:

Invisalign Teen Treatment 8 Month Update #InvisalignMom

Lolli — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 04:23:28 +0000

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board and my daughter, Necco, is currently receiving her Invisalign Teen treatment for free.

Before Necco, my 16-year-old, started her Invisalign Teen treatment last May, she was nervous.

“But I like the space in my teeth. It’s part of who I am.”

“What if it hurts?”

“I’m not looking forward to having to take trays out every time I want to eat. It’s inconvenient and it’s embarrassing and awkward.”

Those are all concerns Necco had before she met with her Invisalign doctor for the first time last spring. And almost instantly after she had her initial consultation and saw how Invisalign could work on her teeth, those worries were washed away.

This past weekend, Necco got her ears pierced. And I noticed how GREAT her teeth were looking while we waited!

She now praises her Invisalign. She loves being able to pick up her new aligners from the orthodontist (she has a quick appointment every 6-8 weeks or so) and see how her teeth will be moving in the coming weeks.

The Coolest Thing Anyone Has Ever Said About Her Invisalign

Just after the holidays, Necco got together with her quartet to practice a few new songs. Their mentor and coach at the high school met with them. I loved hearing Necco’s story when I picked her up after their practice was over. Necco had not seen the teacher/coach much since the early summer, and one of the first things she noticed about Necco was her teeth. The difference is drastic! In fact, she was so confused at how Necco’s teeth could have changed so drastically in such a short amount of time. “Did you get braces over the summer??” she asked.

Necco was able to show her teacher that she was in fact wearing Invisalign and explained that she had been wearing aligners all along but she hadn’t noticed them. We both loved that the teacher had noticed how great her teeth looked but she didn’t notice that she was wearing Invisalign!

Could there be anything better for a teen needing braces than for no one to even notice that she’s wearing braces?

The only thing better, perhaps, is the fact that she doesn’t have to skip on teen favorites like popcorn and chewy candy while her teeth are getting straightened. All she has to do is pop her aligners out and eat like normal. Then before putting her aligners back in, she cleans her teeth. It couldn’t be easier (and she doesn’t even complain anymore about having to take her aligners out at school and when she’s out with friends).

Me, Reese, and Necco this weekend. Look at those smiles!

So far, Necco’s Invisalign journey couldn’t be more smooth. I’ve noticed (as a second-time Invisalign mom) that it really pays off to wear the aligners for the specified 22 hours a day (just take them out to eat and clean your teeth) AND that taking aligners out and putting them back in properly makes a huge difference in how well they last. Necco hasn’t had any troubles with her aligners tearing (a regular problem with my older daughter).

I can’t wait to see how much her smile improves over the next 8 months. I’m not sure I want time to pass by that quickly, though….I want to keep Necco around here as long as I can!

Check the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you.

Resolve to Smile More This Year #InvisalignMom

Lolli — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 17:25:15 +0000

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board and my daughter, Necco, is currently receiving her treatment for free.

I’m in denial that next week is the last week of 2015. So much has happened this past year – from my oldest daughter getting engaged (wow!!) to my next daughter starting her journey with Invisalign AND her journey as a driver. It’s been a good year, but I’m even more hopeful and excited about 2016. I am resolving to SMILE more this coming year, and I think that this graphic from Invisalign is just perfect:

December marks 6 months since Necco started her Invisalign treatment. Just the other day, she was joking with her brother that her January birthday present to him would be no more gap in her front teeth. He scoffed at her (I get it…he’s not very concerned about his sister’s teeth) but for me and Necco, the fact that her gap is almost closed is HUGE. It feels like the time has flown by and I am floored that we can see such a drastic difference already.

One of the things Necco and I were talking about after her last orthodontist appointment was the fact that her orthodontist has praised her progress each time. I have to say…when my oldest daughter was in the middle of her Invisalign treatment several years ago, the dentist frequently asked her if she was wearing them for the specified number of hours each day and then advising her to wear her trays “just a little longer.” Necco’s faithfulness in wearing her aligners all the time has been a true sign that following the advice of the orthodontist and wearing the aligners 22 hours a day really pays off.

A few of the things we have continued to love about Invisalign:

Necco can eat anything she wants – popcorn, gum, candy, apples, etc. (she really is a healthy eater, but she COULD eat all of these things if she wanted to!). She does have to pop her aligners out before she eats, which typically just means that she’s more picky about snacking. She’d rather pass on food that she doesn’t really need.
Her Invisalign check ups are so quick – typically less than 10 minutes. The doctor looks at her teeth, looks at her aligners, asks a few questions, then gives her another set of aligners to take for the next 6 weeks until he sees her again.
Not only are the orthodontist visits quick, but we only have to go in to the office every 6 weeks. It’s not a big inconvenience in our schedules.
Necco loves being able to look ahead at the aligners that she’ll be wearing soon to see what area of her teeth will be worked on. She was excited at her last visit to see that the targeted area was her front tooth gap, and she could see that the gap would be closed before her January appointment.
Necco says that she experiences very little pain – usually only for a short time right after putting brand new aligners in. Otherwise, she hardly notices that they’re there.
My youngest son, AJ, is already asking us if HE can get Invisalign when he’s old enough. So obviously, there’s a cool factor!

Check the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you.

31 Reasons to Smile This December #InvisalignMom

Lolli — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 20:35:10 +0000

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board and my daughter, Necco, is currently receiving her treatment for free. All thoughts are my own.

So much of the month of December is focused on shopping and wish lists and extravagance, but this week I was inspired by a few graphics from Invisalign that reminded me to stop and SMILE. I decided to make a list of 31 reasons to smile this month – one reason for every day of December.

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for an amazing Invisalign giveaway (for you or for one of your kids) that you don’t want to miss!

31 Reasons to Smile

It’s boot season! And I just happen to have 2 new pairs of boots this year.
My kids are healthy and happy (most days!).
I get to spend the holidays with all 5 of my kids (plus all of my husband’s side of the family).
Speaking of the holidays, I am spending a week on the beach. Toes in the sand, anyone?
This is the first full month of having my new url on my rebranded blog. And I still love it!
I recently discovered a love for pecan pie…and since Christmas is coming, I can make MORE of it!
Warm blankets and good books.
The kids are doing great in school this year and no one ever asks me to help on math homework!
Cast iron cookware. Definitely my newly discovered kitchen love for 2015.
Necco is halfway done with her Invisalign treatment, and her teeth are already looking amazing.
I live in a beautiful area with so many fun things to do.
I love my job (my boss is pretty amazing).
I got a new phone and I love it.
My husband has been letting me sleep in til 6:30 am while he gets the older kids off to school. Makes such a difference!
I got new business cards.

Star Wars is coming to theater this month!
December means lots of cookies, and cookies almost always make me smile.
Christmas music makes me happy – at least a few weeks of it every year.
In a few months, I will have another driver in the house again! I love having a teen that can run errands for me.
I ordered Christmas cards before December 1. Proud of me?
Because I made a bunch of fabric gift bags last year, I don’t have to wrap anything!
In December, it’s not only acceptable but expected to make homemade caramels and English toffee.
Christmas movies on tv!
I get to celebrate my oldest daughter’s birthday (which is the 24th) with her!
I took new pictures of each of my kids (I haven’t done that in ages!).
I’ve made a few new friends this year that I really treasure. It’s amazing how much of a difference a friendship can make.
My kids are all on board to have a Christmas of experiences rather than things.
Snow looks great in pictures.
I look great in scarves.
My kids have good friends.
My boys give me hugs every single day.

What are some things that make YOU smile?

Check the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you.

Enter to WIN Invisalign!

This is HUGE! This year’s Invisalign Mom Advisory Board members are giving away one Invisalign or Invisalign Teen treatment this month. This is a giveaway guaranteed to make you smile! This giveaway ends at 11:59pm PT 12/31/2015 after which a winner will be chosen at random. Please see the Official Rules & Regulations for more details. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open Communication: Are You And Your Teen on the Same Page? #InvisalignMom

Lolli — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 02:55:54 +0000

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board and my daughter, Necco, is currently receiving her treatment for free.

I have been blessed with beautiful, talented daughters. They make me so proud. They do well in school, they have good friends, and they have so many talents…and I’d consider my relationship with each of them to be pretty strong and fairly open. We talk about just about anything, and while I don’t pretend to think that they tell me everything that’s going on in their lives and in their minds, at least I know that they are aware that they CAN.

I’ve been enjoying this latest Infographic from Invisalign and wondering where my girls and I would fall on some of these statistics. This has also made me examine what I could be doing better with my girls.

According to a recent teen confidence survey by Invisalign, 48% of teens say that they are not having open talks with their mom about their self-acceptance. 21% of moms admit that the don’t have open conversations with their teens about the same topic.

For some reason, this statistic really stood out to me. As beautiful and as talented as I think my girls are, this last year or so has reminded me that they may not see themselves the same way that I see them. In fact, it’s been my experience that teens can look normal and successful and cute and happy on the outside, yet feel disconnected, unsuccessful, unattractive, and unfulfilled inside.

One of the things that has helped my girls has been opening the lines of communication even more. Yes, even though I may have thought we had decent conversations, I’ve had to make a concerted (and sometimes uncomfortable) effort to be even more open and get more involved in their lives.

If you’ve ever spent time with a teenager, you’ll know that they like to be an open book with friends and a closed book with parents and other adults. So talking about how they’re feeling about their self-esteem, about fitting in (or not fitting in) at school, and a host of other insecurities may not come easily. It may be that another adult can reach your teens more easily than you can – and that may be exactly what they need. I’ve learned to encourage those healthy mentor relationships that my teens have developed because, in the end, the result is the same: as teens are able to express their insecurities and emotions and talk them through with someone who’s older and wiser (and has probably “been there”), they’ll be better-equipped to face those challenges in the future.

From being insecure about the way they look to feeling embarrassed about not fitting in, teens have so many self-image issues to deal with, and open communication with a parents or trusted adult can help equip teens with the tools they need to rise above their challenges and thrive.

Do you relate specifically to any of the above statistics? I’d love to hear your experiences, either as a teen or as a parents to teens!

Check the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you.

Invisalign And The Musical Teenager #InvisalignMom

Lolli — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 02:02:52 +0000

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board and my daughter, Necco, is currently receiving her treatment for free.

Tomorrow Necco heads back to her orthodontist to check the progress of her Invisalign treatment. It’s crazy how fast treatment is going and how quickly we’ve been able to notice a difference. Here I am with Necco and my younger daughter, Reese, on a recent Girl’s Night Out. Doesn’t Necco look amazing? And happy? And confident? (Just ignore the fatigue on my face!)

The biggest thing I’ve noticed with her Invisalign treatment is that she is more confident and happy and smiley than ever before. And I love that Invisalign hasn’t stopped her from being able to do the things she loves the most – like singing with her quartet!

Orthodontics and Musical Instruments: Kids Don’t Need Excuses To NOT Practice!

Perhaps one of the biggest concerns for both parents and teens before starting orthodontic treatment is whether braces will limit their ability to continue to play an instrument or perform with a musical group. While Necco’s instrument (the viola) doesn’t involve her mouth at all, many of my friends’ kids play instruments like the flute and the trumpet and the trombone. As a mother of 5 kids who have studied musical instruments I know first hand that it’s not easy to motivate kids to practice their music and any deterrent (like braces that make playing an instrument with their mouth uncomfortable to nearly impossible) makes it that much harder.

One of the best things about Invisalign is that there are no metal brackets that cause discomfort when playing an instrument, which means that teens have no excuse to not practice. And unlike traditional metal braces, Invisalign can be removed if needed (It’s important to remember, though, that Invisalign aligners should be kept on the teeth around 22 hours a day, and Necco typically only takes them out to eat). It’s helpful to have the option!

The girls in Afterglow Quartet got together last month to sing in an alley!

Since Necco’s favorite “instrument” is her voice, we were concerned before starting her Invisalign treatment that her aligners would make it difficult to sing or that they would somehow change her voice (in the same way that a stuffy nose changes her voice). We’re happy to report that her only moment of awkwardness was in the first 1-2 days after wearing her first Invisalign aligners. Since she got used to those original aligners, she hasn’t even noticed them at all. She can sing to her heart’s content.

The only thing holding her back is opportunity to get on stage.

And I love that.

Unbrace Teen Confidence

Check out invisalign.com/unbraceteenconfidence where you can view and download the free interactive pocket guide from Invisalign, see the recent survey about teen confidence, and learn more about what teens and moms have to say about confidence.

For every person that clicks, shares or downloads the guide, the Invisalign Teen brand is donating $1 to DoSomething.org — an organization that builds teen confidence by creating opportunities for them to drive positive change and help the world suck less.

Curious to see if Invisalign is an option for your child? Take the Smile Assessment and check the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you.

Questions? Ask away! I’ll be sharing more information in the coming months about Necco’s journey with Invisalign and my time on the Mom Advisory Board. Please feel free to ask me any questions – here, privately, on Facebook, wherever!

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