On the surface, mail-in clear aligners can seem very appealing. After all, why go to the trouble of making an appointment with your dentist when you can simply have smile-straightening aligners sent right to your home? However, the truth of the matter is that this option carries quite a few risks compared to Invisalign clear aligners provided by a dental expert. Below is a closer look at 4 dangers of mail-in aligners.
1. There’s No Comprehensive Examination Before the Treatment Starts
When it comes to Invisalign, your dentist begins the process by thoroughly examining your teeth. That way, they can catch and address gum disease and other oral health problems that could interfere with your orthodontic treatment. But with mail-in aligners, no such examination is performed; the aligners are designed based on photos or a putty impression. Consequently, if there are any issues that might disrupt the process, they may not be caught until it’s too late.
2. There’s No Direct Supervision
Sometimes the teeth move faster or slower than planned during orthodontic treatment. Unfortunately, with mail-in aligners, this type of problem is unlikely to be identified in time because there’s no one keeping an eye on the progress of your teeth. In contrast, over the course of the Invisalign process, you’ll regularly visit your dentist so that they can confirm that everything is going as planned and adjust your treatment if necessary.
3. The Treatment Could End Up Being More Costly Than Expected
If something goes wrong while you’re straightening your smile with mail-in aligners, your teeth could end up in an even worse state. There’s a good chance that you’ll need to pursue additional orthodontic treatments to have the damage corrected, thus canceling out the initial savings of mail-in aligners. With Invisalign, the treatment will be handled by a dentist who will take every step necessary to ensure that you achieve the results you want the first time.
4. You May Not Be a Candidate for Clear Aligners
The lack of an examination or direct supervision from a dentist means that the mail-in aligner process fails to address a very important point: whether clear aligners are even right for you to begin with. They can be a great option for plenty of patients with mild to moderate orthodontic issues, but more severe alignment problems may require a different type of treatment altogether. As such, it’s best to see a dentist who can directly confirm that you’re a viable candidate for clear aligners before you commit to anything.
About the Practice
At Brown, Reynolds, Snow, LeNoir Dentistry, our patients have the benefit of receiving comprehensive, fully personalized care from an entire team of dental experts. We’re proud to offer Invisalign clear aligners for patients who have crooked teeth or other orthodontic issues. To schedule a consultation at our practice in Richmond, visit our website or call (804) 754-4161.