Are you interested in straightening your teeth and want to get the best option for it? Your approach for a Dental Aligner is correct. Orthodontic teeth aligners, such as Invisalign, are a smart and innovative way to make your teeth look naturally straight without any visibility, like that of dental braces. It helps you to get a natural smile that makes you feel confident, attractive, and happy, with nothing visible over your teeth.

These endodontic treatments have hit the market trend and become one of the most popular ways to align your teeth beautifully. However, if you spend your time online, you must have gone through some ads showcasing at-home aligners over the past few years. The products that the online ads offer may be cheap and seems like an easy way to get a beautiful smile back without ever visiting a dentist! It may seem very attractive to you and looks like a good idea. But, sad to announce that it isn’t. 

Earlier, orthodontic treatment was limited to a dental clinic, but now, with transformation, these at-home aligners have given rise to “DIY dentistry.” Although these alternatives are cheaper than dental clinic treatment, it has plenty of issues.in this blog, let’s understand the significant risks of trying to apply these products for your perfect smile.

What are at-home teeth aligners & how does it work?

Undoubtedly, these at-home aligners work similarly to the dental aligners delivered by a dentist. The process of these aligners is explained as follows:

• • The patient will have to give the impressions of their teeth made to determine the aligners’ shape. 

• • The first step can be done in two ways – firstly, by visiting a specified clinic or, secondly, with the help of an at-home impressions kit.

• • Once the company has received your impressions, the patient will get a set of aligners designed in a remote lab.

• • The team will deliver it to you, along with a follow-up treatment plan.

Although the process seems easy and cost-effective, it is advised to be more cautious as the treatment plans may end up causing more damage to your mouth. Following are some big problems you may face with this set of ready-made aligners. 

Risks and Dangers of at-home aligners

One of the typical taglines of the at-home aligner companies is that you can perform the complete process of straightening your teeth and get back your natural smile back from the comfort of your home without the help of a dentist or orthodontist. This might blast your interest. But, it might be the most significant risk of all. When you try your at-home aligners, you are more likely to miss out on the essential tips and tricks for your individualized care, which your dentist could only guide you can provide. Here are some potential risks and the damage they may cause to your smile.

1) No Consultation

It is a fact that whatever your dental problem may be, your dentists will always start your proper treatment with a consultation. You might visit a dentist for your oral problem. Still, a certified dentist will not only analyze your dental problem but will also work on analyzing your fitness, body issues, and medical history to understand the cause of your problem. The proper treatment plan is decided, including all the internal and external factors of your body, keeping all the underlying conditions in mind.

One of the significant drawbacks of at-home aligners is that they are limited to delivering the braces with the impressions you made at home using the kits.

One of the significant risks of not consulting a dentist is that without proper consultation, you might not get any advice at all, which means if you also want to consult the dentist for any mid-treatment consultations or a follow-up appointment when your treatment is done, you’ll unfortunately not get any support or advice during the process. 

Moreover, the danger is much more. As you send the impression of your teeth to an at-home aligner company, that impression is the only thing that the company will observe and create aligners for them. They will not even notice if you have gum disease, cavities, TMJ, or other dental problems that could dangerously affect your treatment plan. Without adequately analyzing the actual situation in your mouth, the company cannot deliver you a solution that perfectly meets your needs.

2. Inaccurate fit

The purpose and use of the orthodontic treatment are to know and understand the cause of the problem, the proper fitting of the aligners, and to analyze the external factors. A dentist will examine and then adjust the aligners to ensure the orthodontic brace fits perfectly on the teeth. On the contrary, the at-home aligner will not be able to diagnose and check the fits at all, causing more damage to your teeth in the long run. 

Putting on a set of aligners with inappropriate fit will eventually damage the gums, may cut your mouth while chewing food, and may cause you immense discomfort till you are under orthodontic treatment.

3. Risk of Skipping pre-treatments

As we know, proper consultation and dental check-ups will help you avoid the immense problem. A proper pre-treatment consultation is crucial to understanding and identifying the root of the problem, which will help plan the treatment plan accordingly. It is also essential to understand the actual scenario in your oral region.

Let’s imagine a patient who wants to straighten their teeth already has cavities in a tooth. With proper pre-treatment analysis, the dentist will resolve the issue of cavities first, before the orthodontic treatment. If cavities are not cured beforehand, they will cause an immense problem during and after the orthodontic treatment. Therefore, a proper examination before the treatment is a must for the success of the orthodontal treatment.  

4. Eventually, treatment costs will increase.

As we hear about the discounts and cost-effective methods of home aligners, we get attracted to them. However, we must also understand that home aligners are ineffective, including no pre-treatment analysis, no follow-ups, and no check-ups. They do not even give you a chance to check the fitting of your aligners, leading to discomfort and damage in your mouth. Eventually, treating all these damages and discomforts will cause you more treatment costs.  

Conclusion

In this blog, we have understood that the home aligners available in the market will give you all the essentials to take impressions at home. After you give the impression, the team will prepare and deliver the aligners and a treatment plan. Although the process may look like a comfortable, cost-effective, and convenient alternative, it may cause immense damage afterward as it lacks the personal touch of orthodontists and proper check-ups. Therefore, choose your alternative wisely. Reach us today to know more.