Invisalign

Smile direct Club Safety

I’ve been wanting to straighten my teeth for years, but wasn’t able to invest the amount of money into it required. I’d run across Smile Direct Club on Facebook. They are significantly cheaper than Invisalign.I did wonder in the back of my mind whether they were too good to be true. Is it okay to use this? I was especially interested because we can’t go in to see a dentist at the moment for routine care because of COVID-19. This seems like a quick, easy way to get my teeth straightened while still social distancing.

Mercy

Dear Mercy,

Invisalign aligner
Invisalign aligner

Smile Direct Club advertises as a more affordable way to invisibly straightening people’s teeth by comparing themselves to Invisalign. While there are some similarities, the differences are the most striking. First, how they’re similar:

  • They use clear aligners
  • You switch your aligners out as your treatment progresses.

That’s about it.

The Shortcomings of Smile Direct Club

It’s the ways in which Invisalign is different that create my biggest concerns.

The Pre-Exam

With orthodontics under the care of a dentist, you get a thorough pre-exam. This is important. You need a dentist to look for things like decay, failing fillings, gum disease, and signs of TMJ Disorder. Ignoring these can have serious consequences. For instance, if you do orthotdontics with untreated gum diease, you could end up with you teeth coming loose.

With Smile Direct, there is no real exam, putting you and your teeth at risk.

The Impression

An accurate impression of your bite is essential for a proper treatment plan. It’s so imperative it’s done right that many dentists won’t even let their hygienists do it.

What you’ll get with Smile Direct is a do it yourself kit. If that impression isn’t free of imperfections, it will throw off your treatment.

The Treatment

Though many cases go as planned, not all of them do. Sometimes teeth don’t turn the way they should or you need more space opened up than originally planned. In that case, a dentist will need to carefully shave some of the sides to your teeth.

I honestly think you are safer waiting for COVID-19 to calm down. This will be the safest way to straighten your teeth.

An Added Benefit with Invisalign

In addition to being able to safely straighten your teeth, the Invisalign aligners can double as teeth whitening trays enabling you to straighten and whiten your teeth simultaneously. It’s like getting a mini smile makeover.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.