Mail-order aligners continue to grow in popularity due to lower prices and the perceived convenience of avoiding having to visit a local orthodontist. But just like your mom always told you, a deal may not be a deal when you look at all the facts. We’ve laid out a few points for you to consider before choosing which route is best for you when it comes to your aligner treatment!
1. Mail Order Aligners Don’t Come With A Clinical Exam.
The most crucial part of any healthcare service is the clinical exam. Like a medical specialist is a generalist before a specialist, your orthodontist is a dentist and an orthodontic specialist. Dental training allows your orthodontist to identify changes in your mouth that are critical to long-term dental health. During the initial examination, your orthodontist looks closely at the tissue and bone supporting the teeth and determines the best strategy to provide you with a great smile. Aligner treatment
without a clinical exam is both risky and not recommended. Having practiced orthodontics for over 33 years, I can assure you that photographs are not a substitute for an in-person examination.
2. Mail Order Aligners Do Not Come With In An In-Person Initial Seating Appointment
Once your orthodontist evaluates the clinical examination findings, we develop a detailed treatment plan to move your teeth from where you are now to the perfect smile. Seating the first aligner is critical to the success of the entire treatment. Patients often cannot determine when the aligner is properly seated because the signs of not seating may be very subtle. Your orthodontist and supporting team members can ensure that your aligners are seated and working correctly from the start.
3. Mail Order Aligners Do Not Come With Professional In-Person Monitoring
Once you move along with your aligner treatment, the aligners can sometimes go “off track” and begin not to fit correctly. This problem is not always easily identified in photos, especially with the back molar teeth. Your orthodontist and team can spot this change and redirect the treatment by creating new aligners to replace the initial set. In short, a computer cannot perfectly predict tooth movement, and we must make changes to keep you on schedule.
4. Mail Order Aligners Do Not Come With Efficient Professional Monitoring
With mail-order aligners, the patient will eventually realize that the aligners are not fitting and will be redirected. Still, the process is much less efficient than in the orthodontic office. When off track, the orthodontist can take new scans in a few minutes and minimize the delay in moving your treatment forward. Don’t be fooled; delays are frustrating to the patient, and in-person care is critical to keeping your treatment on track.
5. Mail Order Aligners Do Not Come With In-Person Aftercare
Once you have the perfect smile and bite, the most important part of the treatment is commonly called the retention phase. During this phase, your orthodontist and team will monitor and address any subtle changes in your smile and bite, ensuring you keep this vital investment for the long term. Just like the initial exam, only an in-person appointment can do the job. Mail-order aligners have grown in popularity due to the lower price and convenience. While these are significant factors to consider, patients should be aware that mail-order aligners are not a true substitute for aligners provided by an orthodontic specialist.
Top Quality Aligner Treatment at Coreil Orthodontics
The Coreil Clear experience begins with a Virtual Consultation where you provide images of your teeth to Dr. Coreil for evaluation without having to leave the comfort of your home. This allows you to learn about treatment options, price, and time needed to address your concerns. The details of your treatment can be discussed over the phone, or even better, we can meet live via Zoom. This allows you to get a personalized plan, ask questions about the possibility of needing clear dental aligners, and know an experienced orthodontic specialist is taking care of you. It’s the best of both worlds. Schedule a consultation with us today!
