As the title says, sometimes life just gets in the way of living, you know? Life has been super busy lately between travel, work, and family. The list goes on, but I’m sure you get the point.

As adults, we don’t always get to follow the best practices or the rules for our treatment.

I’ve been in the same trays now for a little over a month. That’s because, in all transparency, I haven’t felt up to it. There’s a true cost to your mental and physical well-being whenever you embark on self-improvement. And adding in the discomfort of changing trays to the mix, I’ve just had to say, “I’ll do it later.”

My best advice for anyone in this same boat: Don’t beat yourself up. Sometimes our best intentions aren’t an exact fit for “best practices.” So, do what you can. And accept that sometimes, good enough has to be good enough.

That being said, I have had to accept that this delay on my timeline has also had the ripple effect of wearing out my tray. That awake bruxism is a beast – and I’ve managed to crack the upper and lower… again… sorry Doc.

Here’s my advice. If you’re wearing your tray longer than expected, do the following:

1. Make sure you’re still keeping it super clean with the Efferdent. And you can give yourself an extra boost with a quick soak in Listerine.
2. Keep up with what you can keep up with, like brushing your teeth or wearing the aligners for 22 hours a day.
3. Make sure to always put the aligners back in the case. You don’t want to damage your dental lifeline while you’re mentally and physically not ready to switch.

These past few years have been unprecedented, and truth be told, we’re still knee-deep in difficult times.

Show yourself some grace, find things that bring you comfort when it all feels a little too heavy, and remind yourself that sustaining your progress is just as important as not losing your momentum. They’re both important.

For more tips and tricks on this elder Millennial aligner journey, be sure to check out my other blog posts. And if you’re near the Northern VA area and want to straighten your own smile, check out Orthodontics By Crutchfield to get started on your aligner adventure.