For the first time, Howard is smiling and he’s not thinking about the gap in his teeth. Now, that’s a great way to rock in the New Year.

Howard chose SmileDirectClub for one main reason: simplicity. He didn’t want to straighten his teeth with a complicated or time-consuming solution.

“From reviewing the process on their website, to receiving the package, everything is outlined and clear,” says Howard.

Howard had gaps in both his top front teeth and his bottom teeth. The gaps in his smile affected his self-confidence.

“One way or another, I would always try to hide my smile,” he says. He would often push his tongue ring into the space between his teeth, hoping to hide the gaps.

‘A feeling of being free’

The gap between his upper teeth particularly bothered him, especially when taking photos. He did everything he could to hide it. Whenever he was asked to smile for the camera, he felt “emotional pain” because of how his teeth looked.

Howard considers himself a happy person, and he wanted his smile to reflect how he felt on the inside. That’s a major reason why he decided to try SmileDirectClub.

“Now there’s no gaps. It’s certainly changed the way that I feel when I smile now. I don’t feel self-conscious anymore,” he says. “It is just a feeling of being free from that emotional pain, that insecurity, that discomfort of gaps.”

Easy communication with the SmileDirectClub app

As a busy person, Howard says he appreciated SmileDirectClub’s ease of use. “The app came in very handy with a reminder which week you’re on, and when you’re supposed to change your aligner,” he says.

Whenever he had a question, the app came to the rescue. “I just typed in my message. I was able to speak to SmileDirectClub even late in the evening. And there was a representative ready to help answer my question and keep moving forward,” says Howard.

The app provides a lot of information as well, like how to know if your aligners fit. “You want to hear a pop sound that when you press them in and you know that they’re locked in. So everything was very simple,” says Howard.

Healthier mouth with improved oral hygiene

SmileDirectClub has impacted him in other ways too. He focuses on his oral health and hygiene much more than before treatment. In addition to being more dedicated to brushing his teeth after meals, Howard also purchased SmileDirectClub’s Water Flosser.

“I would never have imagined how much food is still left between your teeth and what this water flosser could also get out. It’s just made me more conscious of having a healthier mouth and better hygiene,” he says.

New smile, new goals

Now that Howard has his new smile for the New Year, he has new goals ahead. He started a business recently where he posts online. In making those videos, Howard says he’s noticed a change in his smile. “Before, I would always try to pull my lip down a bit more to cover up my teeth,” he says.

Howard also plans on completing his thesis to get his master’s degree in psychology this year. His focus is on helping others.

“Previously, I’ve worked with veterans with post-traumatic stress. And in doing research for my degree, I discovered that there’s a large population of our mental health frontline workers who are experiencing their own form of trauma,” says Howard. “I am aiming to connect with more of our licensed professionals and life coaches, put together these dialogue groups and start helping more of our communities to develop their own mental health.”

If you’re wondering whether a new smile should be part of your New Year’s resolutions, Howard says go for it.

“Confidence in your smile is a big thing,” he says. “If you’re the type of person who does like to smile, then I would say go with SmileDirectClub. It’s affordable. It’s simple. And I’m very, very happy with my results.”