Teeth-Straightening Methods
“Should I get braces, or should I try one of those DIY (do it yourself) aligners I’ve seen online?” It’s a valid question. The answer is a little more complicated than choosing A or B. It depends on a variety of factors.
Benefits of DIY Orthodontics
Let’s start with the benefits of some of the at-home aligners.
At Home
There is something inherently appealing about being able to do something at home rather than having to go somewhere to get it done. Convenience is a factor in many patients’ decisions, especially if you live in a less populated area that would require a significant commute to the orthodontist’s office.
Less Noticeable
Secondly, DIY aligners are typically designed to be less noticeable than the more traditional metal braces. The clear veneer means a smile flashes without metal reflections. This “vanity” option draws many, especially adults who opt for orthodontic treatment later in life.
No Food Restrictions
For those who can’t imagine giving up popcorn or having to cut a hamburger instead of taking a bite of it, DIY aligners offer an appealing alternative to braces. Because the aligners can be removed when you eat, there’s no need to avoid hard or sticky foods during treatment.
Cost
One final potential benefit of DIY treatment is cost. However, depending on your specific treatment plan and the brand of clear aligner, there are times when braces would be less expensive than aligners.
The Risks Associated with DIY Orthodontics
The convenience associated with any DIY project (orthodontic or otherwise) comes with the risk of not achieving professional results.
Not a 3D Treatment Plan
At-home aligners are not informed by a customized 3D treatment plan. An orthodontist’s treatment plan, on the other hand, is based on the analysis on a cephalometric X-ray tracing of head and neck landmarks.
Unobserved Skeletal Changes
The changes in a patient’s skeletal landmarks are not monitored in DIY treatment. If any unwanted movement starts during the DIY treatment, it cannot be addressed and fixed immediately, possibly resulting in irreversible damage to the skeleton and teeth.
Untended Emergencies
DIY orthodontics treatment is missing the ready availability of an orthodontist in case of emergencies that may surface during course of treatment.
Benefits of Professional, In-Person Orthodontic Treatment
There is value to routinely visiting an orthodontist’s office during your treatment that doesn’t appear as a line item on the bill, regardless of whether braces or a clear aligner promise the most ideal results. In addition to knowing your treatment is directed by a trained professional, there are the following added benefits.
Treatment Adjustment Immediacy
Routine check-ins with an orthodontist allow a professional to monitor changes in your bite and to have more control of the individual tooth movements. They can identify any unwanted movement immediately and fix it. Because orthodontic work involves more than simply straightening teeth, in-person appointments provide orthodontists with a better, 3-dimensional view of the position of the teeth, jaws, face, and any soft tissue deviation.
Additionally, face-to-face interaction enables the patient to describe what they’re experiencing so the orthodontist can examine any areas of concern immediately with equipment in the office.
Consistent Accountability
If you talk to anyone who has worn braces and had a removable retainer as part of their orthodontic after-care, they will often tell you that they didn’t wear the retainer like they should, they lost it, or it broke and they never replaced it. Orthodontic backsliding provides a glimpse into human nature. If we don’t “have” to do something, we often won’t. The same phenomenon could easily be true of DIY aligners. Without accountability, treatment results could be subpar. As a result, what was initially decided as a means of saving money turns out to be the opposite: money spent with less than ideal results.
Retain Your Unique Smile
Many of the DIY options work to create straight smiles, but those smiles are manufactured to look almost identical. In other words, there is no character in the smiles, nothing that keeps that smile uniquely yours. At the end of the day, orthodontics should be about more than just straight teeth. They should be your straight teeth that set well with your jaw and your face.
The Best of Both Worlds
Can’t decide between visiting an orthodontist’s office or trying your hand at a DIY aligner? There’s good news for you. You can have the best of both worlds. Many orthodontist offices are offering clear aligners as a treatment option for qualified patients. You can have many of the benefits of wearing aligners alongside the benefits of seeing the orthodontist regularly during your treatment. The key is to confer with a trained and experienced professional to determine the treatment solution that best suits your specific situation and your specific smile.
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