We know you’re excited to start the journey to your new smile. You just got your impression kit and you’re eager to get going! For most of us, the act of shoving putty into our molars isn’t a task we’re very well practiced in. Never fear, we’re here to help! We’ll help get you prepared to take a great set of impressions, so you can begin your Byte treatment as soon as possible!
Table of Contents
What Comes in the Byte Impression Kit?
The Byte impression kit comes with all the tools you’ll need to make a quality impression. If you’re wondering what a quality impression actually looks like, it’s an impression where you can clearly see an imprint of your teeth. Here’s exactly what will arrive in your impression kit, so you can be better prepared to jump into taking a quality set of impressions.
Smile Stretcher
The Byte smile stretcher (often called a cheek retractor) is a helpful little device that pulls the lips and cheeks out of the way so that your teeth can be better photographed. If you’ve ever wondered how “before” photos capture so many teeth at once — this is how.
The smile stretcher will sit in your mouth and hold your cheeks off to the side, exposing your teeth, so the team of dental professionals can get a full picture. The smile stretcher is not for the impressions themselves, but for the beginning of treatment photos you will upload to your Byte account.
Trays
Your impression kit will come with four total trays. These trays arrive empty, but will eventually be filled with putty, then your impressions! There are two trays for your upper teeth and two for your lower teeth. The trays arrive empty so that you can make sure they fit over your back molars.
Putty
The putty for your impressions comes in two different colors that you’ll mix together. You’ll be taking four impressions total, so this means you’ll have eight containers of putty in your box (four dark, four light).
When you’re ready to take your impressions, you’ll mix the two colors together with your hands until they’ve blended into a new color. It’s important to avoid over mixing the putty — about thirty seconds of mixing is all you’ll need.
Plastic Gloves
Byte sends you a pair of plastic gloves to wear while you mix and handle the putty. These will keep the putty uncontaminated and your hands free of the sticky mess.
The Box Itself
The box your impression kit arrives in is the same box you’ll send it back to Byte in. You’ll add the impressions to the box in their marked places (impression side up). It will come with a return label to make it as easy as possible to return your completed impressions to Byte.
Ready to Make A Good Impression with Byte?
If you decide Byte is the right treatment option for you, be sure to take advantage of this special promotion. Byte is currently offering its impression kit for just $17.95 ($80 off its list price). In addition, as part of this offer Byte will include with your impression kit a free whitening pen to help you brighten your teeth on the go. Enter our exclusive code SMILEPREP at checkout to claim this promotion.
Things To Know Ahead of Time
You’ve got this — we know you can take a great impression of your teeth. However, if you’re still nervous about the process, Byte’s team of customer support can help you through it. Once you purchase your impression kit you will be assigned an impression specialist, with whom you can set up a phone or video call to help demystify the impressions process even more.
If you don’t end up being a good candidate for Byte treatment, you’ll be refunded the cost of your impression kit in full. Even if you are approved, there is no further obligation to go through with treatment after you’ve completed your impressions.
How to Take Great Impressions: Step-by-Step
1.) Prepare
You’ll need to brush and floss before taking your impressions. The less gunk on your teeth during this process the better. Byte’s team will want as clear a visual of your teeth as possible.
It’s best to take your impressions in front of a mirror so you’ll have all the help you can get. You’ll need to set a timer, so be sure to have your phone nearby or a clock to keep a close eye on.
2.) Familiarize Yourself With the Trays
Make sure the trays can fit over your back molars, and generally get a feel for them before taking your impressions. Fitting these trays into your mouth isn’t going to be the most comfortable experience of your life, so there is benefit in getting a little used to it before the putty comes out and the clock starts ticking!
3.) Gloves On — Putty Time!
Be sure to only move on to this step when you’re sure you’re prepared to take your impressions — since the putty hardens quickly. Once your gloves are on you can start to mix the two colors of putty together. Once you’ve mixed the putty for about thirty seconds, (set a timer!) roll it into a four inch cylinder.
If you were raised with the metric system or simply don’t have any idea how long four inches actually is, don’t worry — Byte sends you a small booklet with your impression kit that includes a ruler. You can turn to this page of the booklet prior to mixing the putty and reference this ruler when it comes time to roll your cylinder.
Place the four inch putty cylinder into the empty tray. Be sure that the whole tray becomes filled with putty. Remember this putty hardens quickly, so be sure to move to the following step right away.
4.) Taking Impressions
You’ll want to act quickly here, since the putty hardening clock is ticking. You’re going to take the tray full of putty and bring it to your teeth. Aiming for the center of the tray, you will use your thumbs and push the tray as far back as you can, evenly pressing your thumbs straight back towards your gums.
For your upper teeth, use your thumbs to press all around your teeth to get the best fit. For your lower teeth, use your pointer fingers.
Stop when your teeth hit the tray. Once your teeth are in that position, pull your lips out and over the tray. Then it’s a waiting game! Set a timer for three and a half minutes and wait while the impressions form.
Word to the wise — don’t bite down on the putty. Your fingers should be causing the movement of the putty, not your teeth. Also make sure not to wiggle your teeth. For some reason wiggling is a reflex for a lot of folks when situating their impressions. Be sure to avoid this, as it will make the impressions less clear.
5.) Putty, Remove, Repeat
Once your timer goes off, carefully remove the tray by pulling down (for upper teeth) and up (for lower teeth). Set the tray aside, and make sure you don’t touch the hardening putty (since that could change your impressions).
You will need to complete this process three more times. Two total impressions will be needed for both your upper and lower teeth. All for three and a half minutes each.
6.) Photoshoot
In addition to sending in completed impressions, you’ll also need to send Byte a few photos of your teeth so they know the whole story. You can take these photos yourself or have a friend help you out. It’s best to take them in a well lit room, as the photos need to show your molars as well, not just the front few teeth.
Once you have your smile stretcher in place, you’ll take three photos: one from the front, the left side, and the right side. Make sure before moving on from this step that your back molars are visible in these photos. Byte wants a complete picture so they can create a comprehensive treatment plan.
For the following photos you’ll no longer need your smile stretcher. You’ll simply tilt your head up slightly and take a picture of your upper teeth, then tilt your head down slightly to do the same for your lower teeth.
You’ll then upload these photos to your Byte account so their team can assess your photos alongside your completed impressions.
7.) Return Completed Impressions
Place the completed impression back into the box (impression side up), add the return label Byte included, and drop it off at a USPS shipping location — so you can move forward with treatment as soon as possible!
Things To Avoid While Taking Your Impressions
We touched on this earlier, but it’s important you set yourself up to act fast once you’ve mixed the putty, since it hardens so quickly. So make sure you have everything you’ll need already in place prior to starting that step.
Shallow impressions are typically not usable, which occurs when the impression isn’t deep enough into the putty. To avoid this, you must make sure to press with your thumbs and keep pressing until your teeth reach the tray. There’s no need to be bashful with the impressions, move with confidence!
Even though it’s important the impressions are clear and deep, this doesn’t mean you need to actually bite down into the putty. Use your fingers to move the trays — your teeth can stay still.
What If I Mess it Up?
Byte only actually needs two good impressions (one upper, one lower) out of the four you’ll complete. So chances are if you mess one up, the other one probably turned out fine!
But Byte knows this process is new for most people. So if none of the impressions you take end up being usable, Byte will get another set of putty and trays to you, and will try to help the next round of impressions go more smoothly.
Ready to Make A Good Impression with Byte?
If you decide Byte is the right treatment option for you, be sure to take advantage of this special promotion. Byte is currently offering its impression kit for just $17.95 ($80 off its list price). In addition, as part of this offer Byte will include with your impression kit a free whitening pen to help you brighten your teeth on the go. Enter our exclusive code SMILEPREP at checkout to claim this promotion.
Final Thoughts
Doing anything for the first time can feel a little intimidating — and for most folks, biting into clay for three and a half minutes is a brand new experience. But you don’t have to feel stressed, because Byte makes taking your own impressions as simple as possible. If you take the time to familiarize yourself with the process, and you approach these impressions with care and intention, your results will reflect that.
Try to keep these tips in mind so you can take quality impressions, and you can be one step closer to getting the smile of your dreams!
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