To some, quarantine is the perfect time to make a big change – maybe you’ve started working out from home, dyed your hair, or perhaps you’re looking at ways to make an impact on your smile. The temptation is there, we get it. You’ve got extra time, and so many online options to choose from.
At Tooth Works, we’ve spent over a decade consistently delivering quality, patient-friendly care and expertise. We’ve developed lasting relationships with our patients and truly want the best for their oral health. From that perspective, we strongly urge our patients avoid trying at-home orthodontics.
There are now businesses that will offer to take digital impressions of your teeth in shopping mall kiosks and non-clinical office space. They will create an orthodontic treatment plan for you, and then mail you a series of plastic trays (aligners) that will move your teeth over time.
There are numerous risks to this approach of orthodontic care, many of which can have irreversible consequences. Many of these risks stem from the fact that you are not seeing dental professionals should you attend one of these businesses for a digital impression. There are no x-rays taken at these facilities to assess your bone, or the health of your gums and teeth prior to starting treatment. The DIY orthodontic industry does not involve dental practitioners in their treatment planning, the way a specialist or fellow colleague would request to review the x-ray history from a patient’s regular dentist. For this reason, the treatment planning could overlook critical bone and tooth root stability issues that are of severe detriment to the patient in treatment.
In addition, the retail sales staff that work for the DIY orthodontic industry lack the training required to diagnose tooth decay (cavities). In the hands of you dental professionals at Tooth Works, orthodontic treatment is never started if there are any cavities present. Should you have the misfortune of starting orthodontics while there are active cavities in your mouth, you are at a very high risk of requiring root canals, and other extensive restorative work to repair the damage caused by such negligence.
“These orthodontic aligners are not passive appliances. They move teeth, they change the bite and they can affect the structure of supporting soft and hard tissues – the gums and the bone.”
– Dr. Mitch Taillon, President of the Canadian Dental Association
Sometimes, the size of the teeth may simply be too big for the jaw. In such cases, some teeth might have to be extracted to create more room. If the alignment is not done correctly, it can result in numerous problems, such as improper bite, uneven wear, pain in the jaw joint and tooth loss. What’s more, pre-existing gum disease can reduce the chances of success.
Patients need to know all the pros and cons – plus alternative options such as traditional metal braces – in order to provide “informed consent” before starting treatment.
What might be most important, is what are we going to do at the end of your orthodontic treatment? For adults especially, who have had slightly misaligned teeth for a long period of time, their teeth will have worn in irregular ways. Once aligned, despite being straight, the teeth still have rough, uneven biting edges, which prevents a truly ideal aesthetic result. When we are planning your orthodontic care at Tooth Works, we will discuss your wish-list for your outcome. If there is going to be any “manicuring” of your teeth to make them look perfect to you after they’re straight, we build that restorative plan into the tooth movement plan. We start with the end in mind. This is yet another major hole that cannot be filled in the DIY model of orthodontic care.
We are pleased you’ve chosen us as your dental home. We care about your smile, and most importantly your oral health. We urge you to consult with us, should you ever consider a retail kiosk or online retailer for your orthodontic care!
If convenience is your primary motivator for a DIY approach, we are implementing Virtual (Zoom video conference) Consults, as well as Virtual Appointments to assess your orthodontic progress once you are in treatment. If this is something that interests you, whether you are currently in orthodontic treatment with us, or are considering straightening your teeth, let us know! We will make it happen for you.
Yours in better dental health,
Tooth Works
