Mail-Order Clear Aligners vs. Clear Aligners at the Dentist

More and more people are straightening their teeth with clear aligners. Clear aligners are removable, invisible, and comfortable, so they appeal to those who don’t want to get traditional braces. If you are looking into the possibility of straightening crooked teeth by getting clear aligners, you should know about the two different treatment options and the to purchase them. You can get your invisible braces through the mail for a low price that is very tempting, or you can get clear aligners from 4th Street Dental Studio. Which one should you choose?

Reasons Why Mail-Order Clear Aligners May Not Be Your Best Option

Although the price difference between mail-order clear aligners and clear aligners from the dentist is a big incentive for people to choose the mail-order option, you should first do your research. Some aspects of the mail-order process may make you change your mind.

1. Computer Design vs. Seeing a Dentist

Mail order aligners are designed by a computer. When you get a mail-order clear aligner kit, you need to make an impression of your teeth and send it back to the company. Then, a computer designs your clear aligner sets. When you get clear aligners from the dentist, your dentist approves the design of your aligners, and the dentist makes sure they fit correctly. A dentist has the years of experience necessary to truly understand the best way to get your new smile. The mail-order sets are sent to you without the direct approval of a dentist, which could result in inaccurate aligners that do more damage than good.

2. Your teeth might not be right for clear aligners

Clear aligners may not be the best choice or even work for everyone. There are people with complex cases who really do need traditional metal braces to get their teeth straightened, their bite fixed, and their teeth all situated correctly. It takes trained dental professionals and an oral exam to be certain that clear aligners are a viable option for you.

3. Straightening teeth is a medical process

Would you get a broken bone set with a cast that you ordered in the mail? Of course not! You would go to a professional medical doctor who can set your bone and put a cast on correctly. There’s more to setting a broken bone than wrapping it up in a cast. Similarly, creating a treatment plan for straightening your teeth is intricate and requires a dentist to get everything right. It is a medical process and should be handled by a professional. Going to the dentist for clear aligners ensures the overall quality of the results.

4. Oral health problems need to be checked out first

If you don’t have a dentist taking a good look at your teeth before you get clear braces, then you may be putting the rest of your oral health at risk. Clear aligners are for people with good oral health. If you have gum disease or untreated tooth decay, and you get the mail-order aligners, your problems will probably only get worse. Plus, dental issues can negatively affect the results of the aligners increasing the treatment time to complete the process.

5. DIY impressions are not very trustworthy

The mail-order aligner kits include a home impression kit to make impressions of your teeth. You are supposed to make your own impressions unattended by a dentist. If you do something wrong, or if the mold is faulty, you end up with faulty aligners instead of straight teeth.

6. A dentist keeps a watchful eye on your progress

What happens when something goes differently than expected during the clear aligner process? If you get your aligners through a dentist, your dentist keeps track of your progress, making adjustments when necessary while providing orthodontic care to make sure things go as planned. If you use mail order braces and you don’t have a dentist checking up on you, it’s possible that your teeth will end up in the wrong position. Then, you will have to go to a dentist for more treatments to get them fixed!

7. Professional warnings

Still not convinced of the potential risks of mail order clear aligner treatment? The American Dental Association and American Association of Orthodontists caution against mail-order aligner companies. They don’t want people to end up with badly aligned teeth or teeth that have been damaged because clear aligners were not a good solution for them.

8. Mail-order braces are not necessarily the shortest treatment for getting a straight smile

If you’re considering the amount of time that is necessary to get your teeth straightened with clear aligners, you should know about Orthodontic Acceleration, which is a process that helps speed up the amount of time it takes to shift teeth into their correct positions. You can’t get that from a mail-order kit!

9. Extra costs

Mail-order treatment kits have an invitingly low cost, but what they don’t tell you up front is that you may need to pay for extra steps, such as getting separate x-rays, impressions, or scans of your teeth. All these things are included in the price of the clear aligners at the dentist.

Choose 4th Street Dental Studio for Your Clear Aligner Treatments.

Now that you know more about the mail-order clear aligner process, do you really want to trust your teeth and your dental health to a DIY at-home kit? If you are considering clear aligners, come to 4th Street Dental Studio in Columbus, Ohio. We’ll give you service and results that will really make you smile! Contact us to schedule your consultation.