Did you know?

Straightening your teeth with braces or Invisalign doesn’t keep them straight. Teeth are stubborn. Without consistent correction (aka. a retainer) they will shift back to their original, crooked state.

I know from experience.

I also know from experience that Invisalign is a LOT like having a relationship with God. I’ll explain in a bit.

But first…

My Invisalign Story

Back in 2018, I decided to invest in my teeth. After recovering from a 10+ year battle with bulimia in 2016, my dental hygiene was severely lacking.

I completely avoided the dentist for the last five or so years of my bulimia struggle, terrified a hygienist might suspect I was throwing up. You know, because all that stomach acid was destroying the enamel of my teeth. But I’m not here to get into details of my eating disorder and recovery. If you are interested in reading more on that part of my story, click here.

Even after recovery, I remember feeling nervous about my first trip back to the dentist after such a long hiatus. How much damage had I done to my teeth?

I was honest with my hygienist about my past with bulimia, and she confirmed my enamel was damaged — something that is not fully repairable. The best I could do at that point was prevent it from getting worse. Years later, as I write this, I am happy to say my enamel is NOT worse!

But, my teeth were also crooked — not the fault of my bulimia, but a result of pre-teen me adamantly telling my parents “I will not get braces.” Somehow, that worked. They didn’t make me do it. Twenty-some years later, adult me was kicking myself.

There I was. Age 35. Listening to my dentist recommend Invisalign. She noted that straighter teeth were easier to keep clean and healthy, and I wanted that for my mouth. “Let me think about it,” I told her. And I did.

Of course, insurance doesn’t cover Invisalign. And, it requires an uncomfortable and socially challenging commitment to wear plastic aligners over your teeth whenever you’re not eating, for a period of time determined by how crooked your teeth are.

When you DO take the aligners off to eat, you have to brush your teeth before putting them back on — which means remembering to bring a toothbrush and toothpaste with you wherever you go.

To keep the aligners securely in place, the dentist strategically affixed attachments on a few of my teeth. Made of a composite resin, the attachments were initially SHARP — until they gradually wore down, thank goodness, because they cut my gums when my aligners were off.

Food got caught in them. Yup. I will never forget attempting to eat a Subway sandwich, days after my dentist put on new, dagger-sharp attachments. The bread, the meat, the spinach… all of it stubbornly clung to my teeth with every bite. Plus, it hurt to chew. I felt like a kid with braces in middle school, self-consciously eating lunch in the cafeteria.

This was less than a year before I met John, and I half-jokingly tell him I’m glad I was done with Invisalign before we started dating!

I’m reeeaaally selling you on Invisalign, aren’t I?

I’ll be honest. It was tough. In all, it took about a year of my life, wearing the aligners. My teeth hurt the entire time, and eating took 10x more effort. I certainly didn’t love it, but I did it.

Is Invisalign Worth It?

Great question.

I don’t regret my decision.

The process did straighten my teeth. I now feel more confident smiling — which, I know I could have learned to be okay with even without Invisalign — but it’s the truth. My teeth also feel heathier now. Brushing and flossing is easier. More efficient.

Even wearing a retainer every night for the rest of my life feels worth the effort.

I will add that having a remote job the entire time made it a LOT easier than if I had worked in an office.

Wearing a Retainer

So, why am I sharing this now… all these years later?

Earlier this year, my bottom retainer started cracking so my dentist took a mold of my teeth to create a new one. Not long after I got the new retainer, I noticed my front two bottom teeth didn’t look as straight. Maybe they’d been like that for a while, but that’s when I noticed.

Here’s what I think happened.

When my original retainer cracked, it wasn’t as tight on my teeth, so they shifted a bit. I’m sure it was a gradual shift and why I didn’t catch it right away.

When the dentist took a mold of my teeth, they were in the shifted state — not the straightened state at the end of my Invisalign process. So now, my retainer is essentially keeping them shifted from where they need to be.

Ironically, about two weeks ago, I randomly came across the last set of Invisalign aligners I wore before getting my retainer. Honestly, I forgot I saved them, but I’m not surprised because I always think ahead. Thank you, past me!

That night, I put the bottom aligner on to see how it fit my current teeth. Ouch! It was TIGHT. Undeniable proof that my teeth had shifted.

Since then, I’ve worn that aligner instead of my retainer, and plan to till my next visit to the dentist — so I can get a new mold of my teeth straightened properly for a retainer that will keep them that way.

The Invisalign Metaphor

I never planned to write a blog post about my Invisalign journey. It didn’t seem like something anyone would care about — unless you’re considering it yourself.

But, the other day, after seeing my bottom teeth straight again, it hit me.

Enduring Invisalign and wearing that retainer is a LOT like my relationship with God — or anyone’s relationship with God.

How?

Well…

A relationship with God requires commitment.

Just like I had to commit to over a year of wearing Invisalign aligners on my teeth, maintaining a close relationship with God requires daily dedication and trust.

Did I have a choice every day whether or not I wore those aligners? Yes. My dentist wasn’t babysitting me. It was my decision. My investment. My time. My life.

Do I have a choice every day to talk to God, read His Word, listen, obey, and trust Him? Also yes. And God isn’t forcing me to do any of it. It’s always my decision. My investment. My time. My life.

Trusting God requires patience.

Invisalign is a giant lesson in patience and waiting. Every two weeks, I switched to a new pair of aligners that were only slightly more straight than the previous pair. Teeth don’t shift drastically overnight.

Every day, I learned to sit with my feelings. I couldn’t rush the process. I couldn’t skip over the parts I didn’t like. And, I couldn’t see the end result before it was finished.

That’s exactly how it is with God. His plans don’t usually come to fruition in a day. He asks us to wait patiently on His timing. To not get ahead of Him. To sit through the frustrations and the impatience and the desire for instant gratification.

Growing with God requires discomfort.

When my teeth shifted, it HURT. But, I knew the pain meant it was working.

When God teaches me something new, it’s usually taking me out of my comfort zone. Or removing something from my life that’s not His best for me. Or correcting a sin in my life.

That rarely feels good in the moment, but it’s the key to growth and a stronger bond with Him.

Walking with God requires consistent connection.

After I completed Invisalign, I had to start wearing a retainer at night. If I didn’t, my teeth would eventually shift back to a crooked state.

Accepting that Jesus paid the penalty for your sins is THE WAY to new life. THE WAY to even start a relationship with God. THE WAY to eternal life in heaven with Him.

But, without daily connection to God, it’s impossible to maintain a relationship with Him. And, without a committed relationship, it’s all too easy to slip back into living “crooked.”

I say this from personal experience!

To be clear, you can’t lose your salvation. God never leaves. He does give free will, though.

If you want to walk the straight path with Him, you gotta keep “wearing that retainer.” Talk to God daily. Get to know him in His Word. Allow Him to mold and shape you into the person He created you to be.

Watch for Cracks

Remember when I told you my retainer started cracking? And I think that was the cause of my teeth shifting?

Cracks are weakness. And guess what? The devil LOVES to hit you where you’re weak.

In Ephesians 4:27 (NIV), the Apostle Paul urges, “Do not give the devil a foothold.”

Paul then tells us how to (not) do this in Ephesians 6:11 (NLT): “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

Just like an uncracked retainer protected my teeth from unwanted shifting, the armor of God protects us in battle with the devil. It covers the cracks.

What is God’s armor? Ephesians 6:10-19 goes into detail, but here’s a quick synopsis. The armor is God’s truth, His moral rightness, His peace, freedom from sin, faith, salvation through Jesus, and the Bible.

Why We Need God

My teeth will always need a retainer to keep them straight. And not just any retainer — one that isn’t cracked or molded from a crooked source.

As humans, are always in need of God. We have cracks. Weaknesses. We are “prone to wander” as one of my favorite, old hymns so aptly puts it.

If your life feels a little crooked today… if you know there’s a crack… I urge you to go to God. Now. Daily. Keep yourself in His presence. His mold, if you will. The pain of straightening is worth it. I promise!

And now, I’m curious. Who else can relate to my Invisalign story?