Reddit_refugee7834

As of November 2024, prices rounded, options are my own, I have no connection to any of these companies, and am currently wearing braces. This is just some research for a friend.

byte.com

• impression kit $95, aligners $2,100 // Currently not accepting new patients to do trouble with the FDA.

snapcorrect.com

• impression kit $50, aligners $1750 // seems to have been good 5 years ago, but now has very, very bad customer care. Avoid!

straytteeth.com

• impression kit $24, aligners $1,600 // A legit company, but very little reviews, not my first choice.

newsmilelife.com

• impression kit $30, aligners $1,295 // seems customer care is meh, but has a good product.

2usmiles.com

• impression kit $10, aligners $1,200 // 2022 ish, nothing really to prove them review why's. I'd choose a better know choice.

Caspersmile.com

• impression kit $50, aligners $1,145 // Seems good, I'd do it.

drdirectretainers.com

• impression kit $30, aligners $1000 // smiledirect continuation ish, Meh.

alignerco.com

• impression kit $60, aligners $800 // A legit company, I'd try it for the price.

smileie.com

• impression kit $50, aligners $750 // seems customer care is subpar, meh.

bracesshop.com/clear-aligner

• impression kit $38, aligners $700 (5 steps, $80 per extra set) // A well trusted manufacture of many types of dental appliances (Retainers, Palatal Expanders, Functional Appliances, etc.) that says direct to consumer. Sells upper & lower only if you want. I've personally bought a " Y-Plate / 3-Way Schwarz (Upper Jaw) " from the site.

aligner32.com

• impression kit $20, aligners $600 // Rather unproven, competency is not reliable, APP is really poorly made, but works out for some. Meh.

Treatment options

Day & night: Duration: 3-5 months Wear Time: 22 hrs/day (ideally
Night only Duration 5-7 months with a Wear Time of 10 hrs/day
I would avoid night only unless you have a very mild case & really don't like to wear them during the day
https://www.newmouth.com/orthodontics/treatment/clear-aligners/nighttime/
https://sparkaligners.com/en-us/news-and-articles/day-nighttime-aligners-what-are-differences

Low cost in person options

https://www.aspendental.com/mottoaligners/pricing/

• $2500 initial consultation cost: free
  here's a review: https://www.newmouth.com/orthodontics/treatment/clear-aligners/motto/
  I recommend this, very solid choice middle ground! In person has a lot lower chance of negative experiences.

Comments

1. The industry has boomed with very polished look & feel since around 2020, seems investor capitalists are pushing the marketing teams & efficiency models here. Almost like the tech bubble.
2. Reliably good treatment requires quality staffing, something properly very much lacking in most of these.
3. Customer after care & satisfaction is very lacking for many of these.
4. I recommend in person treatment, only consider these if you can't afford that, and have very good oral health according to your dentist, there is little safety net!

This is a guide to a longer lasting Android device, from choosing one to how to preserve the life of the one that you have.

Choosing a long-lasting and repair friendly phone:

To get the best shot at longevity, start with a high quality device from a manufacture with a history of long term device support, and one that regularly releases there modifications to the kernel source code. A device that has an unlockable bootloader (XDA developers Forums is a good place to see about ROM support), and is user repairable (See iFixit's Smartphone Repairability Scores) will allow you to keep the software & hardware going the longest. Both the Google Pixels, and Fairphone's line are a good place to start. Fairphone is the USA is sold though Murena

Before you use your phone

• Get a good sturdy case like an Otterbox
• Apply a screen protector. I recommend Glass, Sapphire is the best (but very expensive).

Battery

Lithium-ion (LI-on) battery's wear out faster when near the upper and lower charge levels (read why here: Battery University), so avoid charging or discarding the battery fully, aiming for around 20~80% is a good target.
Never leave your phone in a hot car or in the Sun, extreme heat exposure reduces the lifespan of the battery & is generally bad for other components.

Charging

• Avoid fast & wireless charging by using a older charging block that only outputs a few(1~2) Amps. (to reduce the heat the battery endures)
• Use a magnetic charging cable to reduce the wear on the plug (Like Volta), you need a bulky case to have it flush to not make the phone uncomfortable to hold though. 
• When/If you use a regular charging cable don't move the phone around when it's plugged in, movement wears the plug much sooner.

Use a charge limiting feature. (Listed in order of recommendation.)

1. If your phone has a built smart battery charge management feature, use that. (Most modern high end phones do, including Samsung's, Google's & Apple's)

2. If you have Root; use ACCA(a GUI for ACC) (Suggested Charging config: Level limit: 85%, Current: 700mA, Voltage: 3800mV)

3. Buy a switch that can wirelessly cut off power based on charge level:

• A Chargie by Lighty Electronics is a Bluetooth enabled USB-A power switch, the accompanying APP configures it to auto cut off power based on power draw or charge level. Note that in the newest Android versions/PlayStore restrictions prevent versions of the APP past v2.2.20 from auto enabling Bluetooth, making this solution a little less appealing as you have to leave Bluetooth on you manually enable it.
• Using an Automation APP like Tasker to turn off a Home Assistant-controlled smart plug when the battery exceeds a reprogramed threshold, is a more reliable method & works for any device.

4. Install an APP that alerts you at charge levels so you can unplug you phone. (AccuBattery, Battery Guru: Monitor & Health, etc.

Waking & Locking the screen

To reduce the use of the power button, as it's a fail point, although less common.

To wake 

 1. Use the features "Lift to check phone/events" and "Double-Tap to check phone"

 2. Use the fingerprint reader to wake and unlock.   

To lock/turn off the screen  

 1. Use a launcher that support double tapping the home screen to lock it (Nova launcher, Smart launcher, etc.)

 2. Use Googles Quick Tap feature if you have a Pixel or the APP Tap, Tap for any Android to lock the screen. (Note: battery life might suffer)  

 3. Use a short Screen Time out.

TIPS

• Get a new case to get a fresh look and feel when your tired of the one you have.
• Read through the comments! There are many good additions from people with different experiences & perspectives.

Edit's: Updated & reformatted several things based on comments <3