Most people wouldn’t perform surgery on themselves, and many don’t even want to risk giving themselves a tattoo. So why wouldn’t you leave dental realignment up to a professional? Invisalign is an orthodontic method of realigning teeth using transparent plastic appliances, and receiving this treatment directly from a qualified orthodontist produces results far superior to anything that a similar DIY method can do. Here’s why you should trust your smile to an orthodontic professional’s personal attention.
How Are Invisalign and DIY Realignment Different?
While similar clear aligner technology is used for both in-office treatment and at-home DIY methods, the way in which it is applied makes all the difference.
Invisalign involves in-person orthodontic visits, allowing for robust supervision of the treatment. The dentist performs the necessary digital scans, plots the course of treatment, orders the aligners, and monitors the patient’s progress through regular checkups.
DIY solutions require patients to give informed consent about receiving a recent dental checkup. Then, the patient can either get a digital dental scan from a partnered facility or take teeth impressions with an at-home kit. After receiving the results, a remote dentist gives the okay for the treatment and monitors progress with periodic remote checkups.
Invisalign’s in-person attention provides advantages that are just not possible with remote visits. These include:
Supervision
DIY realignment treatments do not include in-person dental visits. They rely on photos, updates, and remote checkups. It is simply impossible to receive an accurate and thorough dental exam through a pixelated digital image compared to an in-person appointment. Because of this, Invisalign can catch problems that remote visits with DIY services can miss.
Professional Approval
The American Association of Orthodontists does not condone the use of any DIY orthodontic services. In fact, it has issued a consumer warning about the risks involved with them. The American Dental Association itself has filed a formal complaint against a particular DIY realignment service provider. These are both organizations of dental professionals that regulate the practice of dentistry in America. Unlike DIY providers, Invisalign has these organizations’ approval as a safe and effective treatment.
Complex Cases
Some smiles are more out of alignment than others, making their orthodontic treatments more complicated. Sometimes teeth are more stubborn than anticipated and require corrections and reevaluations in the middle of treatment. Because of the lack of in-person attention, DIY realignment methods are not able to handle these situations as deftly as fully professional treatments.
Invisalign can provide the best and most dynamic orthodontic treatment possible. Keeping your dental realignment directly in the hands of an orthodontic professional is the best way to ensure the ideal result.
About the Author
Dr. Dennis E. Stansbury earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas. He has served patients’ dental needs for more than four decades and is a member of the American Dental Association and the Southwest Academy of Restorative Dentistry. His practice provides services including preventive, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry in addition to Invisalign treatments. To learn more about how Invisalign produces results superior to those of DIY realignment services or to schedule an appointment, contact him online or dial (903) 561-1122.