If you’re an adult that doesn’t want traditional metal braces, you may know by know that there are alternatives options such as invisible aligners. Typically, our first instinct is usually to find an affordable and quicker solution. Recently, I’ve come across a few different advertisements for at home or do it yourself orthodontic aligners. Although we’re not here to say that you shouldn’t do it and there may not be results, we are here to express our concerns and educate you on the importance of going to your dentist and/or orthodontist for a professional opinion.
If you’re unsure of how the at home orthodontic aligners process goes, we’ll fill you in. The patient sends the company various pictures and angels of their teeth, the “licensed” dentists then review the pictures, send you an impression kit, you then take your own impressions in hopes that it comes out correctly, send it back to the company, they review it again and send you your cases. The patient then wears the aligners for their estimated time the company recommends. The risk that runs with this is that there is possible irreversible damage that could happen to the patients teeth or supporting gums. There are no x-rays, no periodontal evaluation and no restorations detected. Most patients that are being evaluated for orthodontic treatment in a professional office have to go through a series of appointments to make sure the patients teeth are shifting in the correct position and that the trays are sitting correctly and comfortably.
Here is a before and after of a patient that did Invisalign through our office. We can’t stress the importance of going through your dentist enough. If you are moving teeth with periodontal disease when a patients gums aren’t healthy, you can make things worse. The process of moving teeth activates bone cells to remove bone in front of the moving tooth and lay new bone down behind it. We want all of our patients to be educated and have the opportunity to improve your smile! Call our office today to set up a consult for Invisalign, we can’t wait to hear from you! 619-276-6884
