Everyone wants a beautiful, healthy smile. But the most common option for doing so – braces – scares some people away. This is especially true for adults, who often associate the look of braces with teens or kids.
For those turned off by the idea of old-school braces, Invisalign is a very attractive option. Rather than fitting unsightly metal over your teeth, Invisalign uses a set custom-fit aligners that you change out weekly or bi-weekly, based on your treatment needs. Over time – and with the supervision of a dental professional – the aligners give you the straight, beautiful smile you’ve always wanted. And since they’re built from Invisalign’s proprietary SmartTrack™ plastic, which has helped create 10 million smiles to date, these aligners are clinically-proven to move teeth 50% faster and with 75% more predictability in movement.
Because braces have traditionally been viewed as expensive and time consuming with constant visits to the dentist’s office, Invisalign can often be looked at – incorrectly, we might add – the same way. This has resulted in a lot of DIY teeth alignment options flooding the marketplace, promising the efficacy and convenience of Invisalign (sometimes, but not always at a lower cost) without in-person visits. Unfortunately, many of these solutions are a bit too good to be true, and when you’re realigning your teeth, it’s wise to trust a pro.
Why Should You Avoid DIY?
At-home aligners work in a very similar way: through a series of custom fit molds that slide over your teeth. Usually you receive a kit to take the mold yourself, mail it off, and then the company sends you a set of molds that you go through over time. Many do not require a professional to oversee the process.
However, there are a few problems with this “hands-off” style of alignment:
- Crowding and overlapping. Many alignments require teeth to be mechanically slenderized to free up space prior to using molds. Without this, results are usually poor.
- Limited efficacy. Invisalign can correct over- and underbites, rotated teeth, crossbites, and other more complex issues that DIY kits often cannot.
- Unexpected issues. Realigning teeth is both an art and science, and sometimes treatment has to be adjusted as you go. DIY kits simply aren’t equipped for that kind of attention to detail
- Cavities and infections. These common tooth problems, especially if they’re discovered during the alignment process, cannot be fixed with DIY kits.
- Poor results. Because they lack the professional attention of Invisalign, DIY solutions also simply don’t work as well, especially for more complex cases.
Need your teeth aligned? Trust a professional! Klooster Family Dentistry is proud to offer Invisalign to our patients for as little as $85 a month. Consultation is free, and you can explore the possibilities for a new smile using our iTero scanner. Contact us today to schedule your appointment!