Have you seen commercials talking about how great their companies orthodontic aligners are and how they can just mail them to you? It may sound like a great idea, but let me tell you why it's not.
Why you shouldn't get orthodontic aligners in the mail.
The orthodontic mail-in aligners are coming from molds you have made on yourself and possibly even photos you have sent to the company of your teeth. But what if the molds and pictures aren’t accurate--remember you aren't an expert in this area. Your bite may be off in the pictures and this could damage your teeth because of the treatment plan the mail order company formulates could be incorrect. An orthodontist is a dentist who has gone through years of extra schooling as well as training to make teeth straightening their specialty. You should be seen by an orthodontist in person to have your records taken and molds or scans done properly and a treatment plan formulated by an expert in orthodontia. With mail-in aligners you are not getting the personal time you deserve or the full experience. Moving your teeth is very serious and should not be done by anyone other than a doctor who is specializes in this area.
There could be underlying issues that could only be seen in an x-ray, so if you are only sending molds and photos to a mail-order company they will not be able to properly assess your treatment plan.
Do mail-in aligners really save you time and money?
The mail-in aligners may seem like they are saving you time from having to fit another appointment into your already busy schedule but your orthodontic appointment will not take more than 15 minutes max if you are getting aligners in the orthodontic office. You will receive enough aligners to fit with your busy schedule so it's not like you are at the orthodontists every week.
The mail-in aligners also claim to make your treatment faster than in house orthodontia which is why there seems to be a need but it's not good to move your teeth too quickly and can cause damage to the roots. There is a significant difference in each orthodontic case and how treatment should proceed also how the end goal is reached.
The mail-in aligner companies attact people by advertising the low price point but again, you are not paying for a professional, you are technically paying a company to send you aligners. You are the one who still has to do all the work, (taking the molds, taking photos, figuring out how long to wear each set).
Retention
When you are completely finished with your treatment, you will receive a retainer that is molded to exactly like your new smile -(hence the name retainer). The orthodontist will continue to see you every couple months to make sure no changes happen and take x-rays to see how the bone has settled around the tooth to make sure there won't be a relapse and need treatment again. When you receive mail-in aligners there will not be any follow up to make sure the retainers fit and see how your teeth settle.
You only have ONE smile. Shouldn’t you trust it to an orthodontic specialist to create that perfect smile and not yourself?