The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself/Mail Order Orthodontics
The internet contains a wealth of information…but it also contains an equal amount of misinformation. Scroll through any social media newsfeed and you will find a solution to every problem. Unfortunately, there is an increasing amount of “skip the dentist and do it yourself” solutions being marketed to people who are looking to straighten their teeth. Mail-order clear orthodontic aligner companies are popping up everywhere, with a majority of the marketing being done on social media. They ask you a few questions, send you an impression kit and voila – your aligners arrive and you begin your treatment. Foolproof, right? Well…..
Orthodontic Treatment Starts with Your Dentist, Not the Internet
During orthodontic treatment, your teeth are moving but so is the surrounding bone. For this reason, when orthodontic treatment planning is being done by your dentist or orthodontist, a full examination and a full set of X-rays are part of the evaluation to be sure you are a candidate for clear aligners, or if another course of treatment would be better suited for you.
What would you do if you had a fall and you think you broke a bone? Would you head to the internet to attempt to diagnose it and then cast it yourself? Chances are, you would head to your doctor so they could examine the injury and order and X-ray. Without the aid of an X-ray, the doctor would not know what course of treatment may be needed, be it a splint, cast or even surgery.
The same goes for orthodontic treatment. Mail-order companies do not request X-rays or have the ability to read X-rays, therefore you could be moving teeth and bone that may not be candidates for this type of treatment, or there may be issues that need to be corrected first before embarking on your orthodontic journey, such as chronic infections (which may not have outward symptoms), periodontal disease and cavities, to name a few.
In addition, with teeth that have a larger degree of crowding, some adjustments typically need to be made to the teeth themselves to accommodate the movement – this can not be prescribed or accomplished by mail-order orthodontics and therefore the outcome of cases such as this are less than satisfactory. For patients who have this outcome with mail-order orthodontics, they are left with no choice but to repeat the orthodontics with a dentist or orthodontist.
Proper orthodontic treatment planning involves an in-person exam by a licensed dentist or orthodontist, as well as X-rays, accurate impressions (that are done at your dentist and not by the patient), 3D and/or panoramic imaging, at the very least.
“Do-It-Yourself” Dentistry? Please Don’t!
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