I received my Invisalign treatment in exchange for content. All opinions are truthful and my own.

Why Now?

Sometimes you just come to a realization that something needs to change. I'm not sure when it happened- if it was when I canceled my mammogram because I was "too busy," while I carted my daughter from appointment to appointment for various medical and orthodontic needs, or when I took the time to think through my goals for the new year. But it hit me that even though I'm no longer in the throes of caring for infants and tiny toddlers, I was still putting my own care on the back burner. Whether it was my failure to find a hair stylist when we moved to the Raleigh, NC area NINE years ago, not scheduling necessary doctor appointments, or ignoring my dentist when she suggested Invisalign, I simply wasn't prioritizing my self-care and wellness. At the beginning of 2024, I decided that needed to change. I started mental health coaching, I found a braiding stylist, I got X-rays for old injuries, and I reached out to Bumgarner & Martin Orthodontics in Wake Forest regarding Invisalign. Here's a recap of my honest Invisalign experience at Bumgarner & Martin Orthodontics.

My smile had changed over the years- it was always something I really liked about myself but over time, that changed too. Aside from aesthetics, getting Invisalign would correct my bite issues which could lead to more extensive work down the road. 

About Bumgarner & Martin Orthodontics

When I visited Bumgarner & Martin, I was greeted by Ashley who is so warm and friendly. I liked her immediately and honestly just had fun chatting with her, which put me at ease. She educated me on the process and we went over all the ins and outs of what Invisalign entailed. There was plenty of time to ask all of my questions. 

Dr. Martin then met with me to discuss my treatment plan, timeframe, and goals. I'd heard from people who went into treatment with unrealistic expectations or who weren't told about the attachments Invisalign requires, so I was really impressed that the team at Bumgarner & Martin were very realistic and forthright with everything regarding Invisalign in general and my treatment specifically.

Pros and Cons of Invisalign Treatment:

Cons:

Any orthodontic treatment can be expensive. Luckily Bumgarner & Martin offers payment plans and accepts assignments from most major insurance carriers. See more here.

You are responsible for weekly scans- tbh this is a pro (more on that in a sec) but it is a recurring task you need to remember. Make sure to allow notifications from the ScanBox app to get reminders. If you're a non-compliant patient like I was at times (oops), you'll even get a text reminding you.

It's uncomfortable- your teeth are moving and that might hurt. It's not terrible pain by any means but for some reason, it surprised me. I got used to it over time and I'm sure no two experiences are alike but there was much less discomfort during the second half of my treatment. 

You need to keep up with your trays- Probably easier for adults than kids but something to consider. Just never put them in a napkin or plastic baggie! We don't have pets but if you do, keep it in a place where your pets can't get to them.

Pros:

You can eat foods that are usually off limits with braces. While you'll wear your trays almost nonstop, you remove them to eat.

You can manage so much at home vs. going into the office. I mentioned weekly scans being a con but I'd rather handle my own scans than have to trek into the office constantly.

It improves oral hygiene- by helping with crowding, flossing becomes easier. Also, something about the attachments made me floss much more often than I ever had! I think I felt like something was in my teeth so I always made sure to floss to be sure it was only the attachments I was feeling.

They're practically invisible. There was no way I'd ever get braces as an adult but Invisalign felt much more doable since they're practically invisible.

They work! At the end of the day, the results are absolutely worth any challenge.

Conclusion

I can't recommend Invisalign at Bumgarner & Martin Orthodontics enough. The office is so friendly and thorough and the treatment was the least invasive way to fix my teeth. Time goes by so quickly- I'm glad I didn't put it off any longer! And though this was a partnership, I moved Nadia's treatment to Bumgarner & Martin (paid for out-of-pocket) because I was so pleased with my experience! If you live in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Knightdale, North Carolina, Rolesville, North Carolina or the Triangle area in general, I highly recommend checking out Bumgarner & Martin for you or your child's orthodontic care!

I often felt ugly. My hair was short, what I would've called "nappy," and didn't look like any of my friends' hair. Over the years I tried relaxing it, braiding it, a jeri curl (long after they were in style), weaves... you name it. My fall back was relaxing my hair- using expensive and painful chemicals to break down my curls and make my hair straight. Then, I'd love my hair... for about 2 weeks. The next 4 weeks were spent waiting until I could straighten it again. That's no way to live, people. The day I decided to learn to love my natural 4c curls, was nothing short of life changing and I'm not being dramatic. My first attempts at researching great products for extremely coarse 4c natural hair led me straight to SheaMoisture. 

I have a lot to share with you today!  I'm excited to share a fun interview with celebrity stylist, Jill Crosby and also slightly terrified to divulge my most embarrassing secret.  But Taste{Full} is nothing if not authentic so here goes.

So you remember here where I revealed my new look.  Oh wait, I'm not a celeb; by revealed  I mean posted a few photos. Well even though I loved it and Rhonda (my stylist at Milan Hair Studio) is amazing, I needed to go all the way.  I took Rhonda's advice and "lived with it," but I wanted more.  Short hair is addictive!  I swear I want to go shorter every time I go in there (and I have).  Well this was my inspiration this time around:

What do you think?  The picture doesn't translate it perfectly. It's a little more "piece-y" in person.  I like it.  I sort of chickened out and didn't go quite as short as I wanted.  Take a look at my inspiration pictures at the end of the post...and tell me--do you think I should go even shorter next time?!  My stylist (who knows me well and whom I love) advised me to "live with this" for a little bit first.  Great advice.  My major concern was maintenance.  I don't have time to spend a half hour on my hair in the morning!  So I'm going to see what the maintenance is like on this and how it looks as it grows out before I go even shorter...