In a recent blog, I shared the dangers of at-home orthodontics. These solutions have become very popular lately because of their price compared to traditional orthodontic treatments. However, if you’re looking at this solution as a way to save money, I would highly recommend against it.
To the patient, it may not seem like the dentist or orthodontist plays a big role in administering the orthodontic treatment. But that simply isn’t the case. There are several reasons you are paying a dentist to oversee this treatment.
- To determine the best course of treatment
Not all orthodontic cases are a good fit for clear aligners like Invisalign and the at-home treatment kits on the market. In fact, many people may require traditional braces to straighten their teeth correctly. It’s the dentist’s job to determine which course of treatment is best for you and ensure that you are not creating more problems when your teeth start to move.
- To design your smile
The companies that manufacture clear orthodontic aligners hire programmers – not dentists – to create treatment plans and design the aligners. This means that the person designing your smile may have very little knowledge about how teeth move. When you work with a dentist, he or she is responsible for designing your smile and for ensuring the proposed treatment plan will achieve the desired result.
- To make any necessary tweaks along the way
The software that these companies use to determine a treatment plan is typically very accurate in predicting how your teeth will move. However, it’s not perfect. Even the most straightforward cases will require corrections and tweaks along the way, and it is the dentists’ job to recognize where those changes are needed. They can then work with the company that makes the aligners to create new trays or tweak upcoming trays to address the problem.
In my experience, there are very few orthodontic cases that do not require the watchful eye of a trained professional. And these cases are so few and far between that I can’t in good conscience recommend at-home solutions to my patients.
If you’re interested in straightening your teeth, call our office at (813) 689-4226 to schedule a consultation. Our team is happy to go over the many treatment options and help you decide which is best for you.
