We caught up with Saira to find out how her smile transformation is progressing, and what prompted her to seek treatment.
Dentistry.co.uk: How long have you been dissatisfied with your smile, and what made you pursue treatment in adulthood?
Saira Khan: I have been aware of my teeth and smile ever since I was a teenager, but I really did not want metal braces in my teeth, which was the only available solution to straightening my teeth in the 80s and 90s. But now as an adult, my career means that I spend most of my time in front of a camera – be it for TV, magazine shoots or posting videos on Youtube. I found that I was focusing more and more on my imperfect teeth.
Whilst, others said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with your teeth, you have lovely teeth’, I didn’t feel that way. I noticed that I was beginning to lose my confidence to smile and be myself, so that’s when I decided to take action and do something positive about my situation.
Saira during consultation. Courtesy of Dr Nathwani
Dentistry.co.uk: Why did you choose aligner treatment over traditional orthodontics?
Saira: I felt aligner treatment is less intrusive and the modern technology allowed me to get a better understanding of what my teeth would look like after the treatment. With the Invisalign consultation I felt engaged in the process; the mouth and teeth scans were done immediately and I did not have to wait long for the moulds to appear. My dentist could show me my before and after results on my first consultation.
Dentistry.co.uk: Why did you choose Invisalign over other aligner brands?
Saira: I did a lot of research on the internet before I concluded that Invisalign would be the best way forward for me. I wanted a procedure that would not compromise my lifestyle or my appearance drastically. I think as a brand Invisalign is really well known and there are so many great personal blogs and tweets from people who have had the treatment, so I felt I was well informed and it had been highly recommended by real people on social media sharing their experiences.
Digital impressions of Saira’s smile before and after treatment. Courtesy of Dr Nathwani
Dentistry.co.uk: What have been the highs and lows of your treatment so far?
Saira: My highs are definitely related to the fact that Invisalign is so discreet. They are truly invisible and they don’t affect your speech. I have gotten used to putting them in and out and there is definitely a lot of cleaning. I initially thought that wearing them for 22 hours a day would be quite difficult, but actually its not that hard and you get used to them so quickly. In fact I feel weird without them in now. The only low I have had, is getting lipstick on them on a live TV show – that was a bit embarrassing. Because they are plastic, it was quite hard to get the lipstick off! Anyway, I have found a solution and that is to put Lipcote on top of my lipstick to stop it from getting onto my teeth.
Dentistry.co.uk: What has been the reaction from family, friends, fans and colleagues?
Saira: They can’t believe how invisible they are – in fact, no one even knew until I pointed it out to them; they were truly impressed.
Saira wearing her invisible aligner
Dentistry.co.uk: Why did you choose to visit Dr Hanel Nathwani of Reading Smiles for treatment?
Saira: He is an Invisalign Diamond practitioner. He wears aligners himself and can share his experience and top tips on how to maximise the results. He is really good at explaining the process and you can see the excitement on his face when you put the aligners in for the first time. His passion is infectious and I trust that he understands my needs. He is a very friendly person and puts you at ease immediately. I also like his dentist room – it feels like you are going into a spa rather than a dentist.
Dentistry.co.uk: Would you consider any other cosmetic dental treatment in the future?
Saira: Absolutely. At the end of my treatment I would like to get my teeth whitened, shaped, a crown replaced and a veneer put onto a tooth which is dead – once they are straightened, I want my gnashers to look fantastic!
