Invisalign appliances are expensive but needed treatments to help people of all ages correct oral issues and get a healthier, straighter smile. Naturally, companies unaffiliated with medical organizations have started advertising DIY solutions to straighten teeth, including mail-order Invisalign aligners. One of these is Smile Direct Club, which Reese Orthodontics recommends!
Continue reading to learn why visiting an orthodontist and receiving accredited treatment is the safest way to ensure that you treat your oral health rather than inhibit it with this blog on dentist Invisalign vs Smile Direct Club.
Want to find out if you or your child needs braces? Visit Reese Orthodontics in Charleston, SC for leading orthodontic care.
Why Invisalign?
Invisalign aligners are used instead of braces to treat many of the same oral issues. These include bite problems like overbite, underbite, and crossbite, as well as spacing and crowding issues. They cannot always treat severe issues, but their convenience and subtle appearance make them popular alternatives for eligible patients.
Unlike braces, which require frequent tightening at follow-up appointments, Invisalign treatment uses aligners of multiple sizes that are replaced on a schedule. This makes the treatment more convenient than braces since it requires fewer office visits, can be removed to eat or play sports, and is far easier to keep clean than metal braces.
For patients, this means a healthier, more convenient, and above all more comfortable treatment compared to normal braces.
Dentist Invisalign vs Smile Direct Club
Office treatments have many benefits that DIY Invisalign solutions cannot offer. At-home braces from mail-order kits, such as Smile Direct Club, can impact the growth and movement of your teeth as advertised since some are very similar to professional appliances, in theory. However, you may not realize at first that this is precisely why they are so dangerous.
The force applied to your teeth by DIY appliances may move your teeth, but it may not move them in the right way. Since self-prescribing patients do not receive x-rays, they have no way of knowing if they are helping or hurting their oral health by using these appliances.
An accredited orthodontist can examine, diagnose, and treat your oral health based on the proper timeline for your individual case. DIY solutions purport to be one-size-fits-all treatments, but no such thing exists. Patients require individualized care to ensure that treatments help rather than hurt their condition.
While at-home kits generally provide a dentist for the initial appointment and sometimes have clinics, they do not offer care during treatment or any post-treatment support to ensure that it goes as planned.
Risks of Do-it-Yourself Invisalign
Other than the lack of proper consultation, at-home Invisalign treatments pose other health risks. The first is discomfort. Since DIY treatments are not as carefully tailored to your needs, they can lead to more discomfort during treatment than professional Invisalign.
Improperly fitted appliances can lead to root damage if they move teeth in the wrong way. Gums can recede and teeth can become loose and fall out. This can lead not only to tooth decay but even to gum infections. Anything is possible without a professional’s supervision. If you still want to go this route, a nice middle ground could be visiting us at the office during your Smile Direct Club treatment to ensure you stay healthy.
Finally, the biggest attraction of at-home Invisalign, the lower treatment cost, may not end up being true. If the DIY solution stops working, causes pain, or damages your teeth, you may need to see a dentist and orthodontist for proper treatment anyway, effectively doubling your treatment costs in addition to causing damage and discomfort.
Other Types of At-Home Treatments
There are many types of at-home dental and orthodontic treatments beyond Invisalign. Treatments such as teeth whitening kits, cheap dental tools, teeth shapers and aligners, and even mouthguards can be dangerous without a doctor’s supervision.
As an example, many treatment kits offer tools on how to remove enamel to reshape or clean teeth. However, there’s no way for an amateur to know how much enamel to remove. They could use cheap tools to go straight through the outer coating to the vital enamel beneath and damage their teeth.
In this and many other ways, DIY dental treatments can reduce the lifespan of teeth, cause serious health problems, and result in the need for professional treatment in the long run, anyway. Always make sure to consult a licensed professional for treatment. At-home kits are cheap because the treatment they provide is just as cheap.
Choose Reese Orthodontics
If you’re an adult who is considering braces, you need professional advice on your treatment and payment options. For orthodontic treatments in Charleston, SC, Reese Orthodontics offers the latest technology and treatment plans. Our advanced and comfortable orthodontic treatments can be customized to suit your needs. A consultation with Reese Orthodontics includes scans, a comprehensive exam, and a conversation with the orthodontist to discover which treatment options are right for you.
Schedule an appointment with us today to stay ahead of your oral health and receive the best possible treatment in your area.