by Riman Aburoumi

I never liked my smile. I had a gap between my two front teeth that made me self-conscious.

Growing up, braces weren’t an option because my parents couldn’t afford them. I had just decided to accept my teeth—but then a guy I work with told me about SmileDirectClub.

Riman before starting aligners.

He had a really big gap between his teeth, too. He got SmileDirectClub aligners, and after a month or so wearing them, he came to me and said, “Hey, look at this!” He took out his aligners, and the gap in his teeth was shut. I could not believe his teeth looked that good that fast. His gap had been bigger than mine, and it was gone.

I knew right then I had to try this. I booked an appointment that day for a 3D scan at a SmileShop in a CVS near where I live in New Jersey. I got my scan done the next day, first thing in the morning. It was really quick and really cool, and the lady there guided me through everything. I got my aligners a month later, in December 2019.

Five months to a better smile

I waited till the new year to start my treatment, so I put in my first aligners in January 2020. My teeth hurt for the first two weeks, but I stuck with it because I knew having a better smile would be worth the discomfort. Beauty is pain! Besides, my co-worker had told me the aligners would hurt in the beginning, so I wasn’t surprised.

I wore the 22-hour aligners, and the hardest part of having them was taking them out every time I wanted to eat something. It was such a new experience, but my co-worker was my mentor. I asked him so many questions. He gave me tips on the whole eating and drinking process and how to clean the aligners. I’m an EMT, and I was wearing my aligners during the peak of the COVID pandemic in New Jersey and New York. I was working in full PPE gear—respirator, face shield, the works—so my aligners were just one more item to put on and take off.

I took lots of selfies so I could see the changes in my teeth. I could see a difference after a month of wearing aligners. Three months into my treatment, the gaps in my teeth were closed. It was crazy how fast my smile improved. My treatment was finished in just five months. I look at my before-and-after pictures, and it’s amazing how fast the improvements happened with my teeth and how much better they look. My friends and family all tell me how good I look.

But could they be even better?

I was so excited about my new smile. But I did notice that when I took out my last aligner, I could still feel little gaps in my teeth. People couldn’t really see them when I smiled, but I could feel them. I thought that maybe they could be a little tighter and closer. SmileDirectClub has a warranty that says if you’re not happy with the results, you can extend your treatment at no cost. I was hesitant to ask for more aligners because I thought I was being selfish or greedy. I was happy with my teeth. My smile looked great. But a little voice in my head kept saying, “What if it could be even better?”

After two or three months of wondering about it, I emailed SmileDirectClub customer service and asked them if I could do a touch-up treatment. I thought maybe my teeth looked too good to qualify for the warranty, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

Easy, free touch-up aligners

The SmileDirectClub people were great. There was no hassle. They were glad that I was generally happy with my new smile, and they seemed excited to help me get them exactly the way I wanted them. They asked me to send photos of my teeth, and I did. They sent me an impression kit immediately, which I did and returned. In less than three weeks, I had two months of new aligners to extend my treatment and push my teeth a little closer together—all for free.

I am so glad I sent that email. I’ll be done with my touch-up treatment in time for my wedding in June. I can’t wait to smile big for our photos on the big day. I already know how perfect my smile will look—now I know it’ll feel perfect, too.

I’m really glad I did SmileDirectClub. Both my original treatment and my getting my touch-up aligners were smooth and simple. Your smile is a big deal, and if you’re even a little bit unhappy with your teeth, you should do SmileDirectClub. I’m so much more comfortable with how I look now that I fixed my teeth. I smile more, I talk more, and I don’t worry that people are looking at the gap in my teeth. I love my teeth now. I’m so glad I decided to take the last step of getting my touch-up aligners. It was so worth it.

Check out Riman’s personal blog post here.