How Invisalign gave me the smile I never knew I wanted: Andy's Story

Bamboo Dental patient Andy Rivers, 25 has kindly written a guest blog for us to talk about what led him to the practice and why Invisalign has given him a new lease of life.

Words like bullets: Dental Insecurities

So let me start by saying this. I'm not, and have never been a self-conscious person, which might sound strange once you've read what I'm about to tell you. I like my smile. I never worried about my smile until I met Steph. Steph is beautiful. We met in a bar around Christmas. We were both on our Christmas work dos and Id impressed her with a few of my moves on the dance floor. My mates were surprised that such a good looking lass was talking to me, and they joked that when she saw me somewhere without dark lighting shed run a mile. Little did I know how painfully accurate this would turn out to be. Growing up, a lot of kids at school had bad teeth. One or two of my pals had shocking teeth. They were the ones who needed braces. Tom and Dave were the ones who got to miss double geography to see the orthodontist. So I never really gave much thought to how my teeth they looked. They were good enough. So Id turned up in my favourite polo shirt, armed with a splash of my favourite spray. She was as stunning as I remembered. We were talking over a few mojitos when she mentioned my teeth. She told me my teeth were so white that it was a shame they were a little wonky, otherwise Id have the perfect smile. I'm not sure if she realised how much these words were going to bruise my ego, or if it was just the mojitos talking. Either way her words were like bullets. It all went downhill from there. Its not like she didn't like my shirt or my hairstyle. I could change my shirt. But my smile? That would be harder to fix. No one had ever really commented on my teeth before. I told my mam the day after about it and when I asked her what she thought about my smile, she simply replied Your'e lovely just the way you are. Your'e very cute. Cute? A puppy showing his gnashers when you tickle him is cute. I didn't want to be cute. From that point on I started to think about my teeth a lot more. I didn't want to show my teeth in photos, and with every tagged photo of me on Facebook all I could see were my wonky incisors.I wasn't overreacting though. I knew my teeth weren't THAT bad, but the damage had been done. I'd become insecure about my teeth. I knew I had to go the dentist.

Dating in the Dark: Invisalign to the Rescue

After researching my options for hours, I discovered Invisalign. These clear plastic aligners seemed a perfect solution to someone like me who desired a subtle and discreet quick fix. I didn't want traditional train track braces because that would have made me even more self-conscious. A quick google search for Dentists in Cardiff led me to Bamboo Dental. I spoke to Lisa on the phone who booked me in for a free consultation. When the day of my consultation arrived, I met with Dr. Dan who's the big boss of the practice. I told him my story. I told him how I felt a bit silly coming over something so small, but that it was a big thing for me. He told me Look Andy, some people have come to Bamboo for bigger treatments, but just as many have come for small fixes. Your teeth are healthy, but if you want straighter teeth then Invisalign would indeed be perfect for you. Invisalign are perfect for people like me with crowded smiles or small-moderate sized gaps, so my mind was made up. Dr. Dan slotted me in for an appointment the week later. I've had invisalign for a few months now. The difference I've noticed already is amazing. They're super comfortable and I've been able to follow my progress with Dr. Dan. They'e discreet, so I don't have to take a girl to a dark lit bar or bowling alley if I'm going on a date!As I previously said, I'm not a self-conscious person. And its true that Id probably never have contacted Bamboo if it wasn't for Steph. What she said though really made me think. Your smile is the first thing people notice when you meet them. Now I have the smile I never knew I wanted.

Awkward reunions

Funnily enough, I saw Steph the other day. She was in a bar with some friends when I was out with my friends. I said hello. I told her Id been using Invisalign to fix my teeth. She apologised and felt bad that I'd felt the need to "change to impress her. Thats where she was wrong. I didn't go to Bamboo because I wanted to impress her. I went there because Id noticed what I hadn't noticed before. True, she may have been the catalyst, but if it hadn't been her it would have been someone else. Its not a matter of changing to impress other people. Were constantly evolving as people, and finding new insecurities and things to worry about. My mam always told me we should embrace our imperfections.But why should we have to? Why should we have to hide our smile or laugh off our insecurities. The fact is that places like Bamboo are out there to help. Invisalign exists for the very purpose of fixing your teeth. Invisalign has fixed a bump in the road to my confidence and now I feel happier than ever. And as for Steph? Well I haven't see her again. Honesty isn't always the best policy! What she said was neither helpful or constructive. I'm sure she has imperfections that she wouldn't have liked me to point out. Either way I wish her the best for the future. Some closing words? Id like to thank the staff at Bamboo Dental for their friendliness and professionalism. I really cant recommend Invisalign enough to people who suffer due to their insecurities. It did wonders for me and it can do wonders for you.