972-444-9337
7429 Las Colinas Blvd., Suite D100Here at Smiles Family Dental, we have a dedicated dental team that never stops their education, training and innovation to provide the best possible treatment for each and every one of our patients. It is our devotion to oral care and dental health that removes any potential risks for our patients — risks like those presented by mail-order aligners. Schedule a consultation with our dentists, Dr. Angelie Zamora and Dr. Rebecca Kim, for Invisalign® clear aligners in Irving, Texas, today by calling 972-444-9337.
What Are Mail-Order Aligners?
Quality corrective aligners can be costly, which has created a business opportunity for some companies that promise cheaper alternatives through mail orders, or teledentistry. This business model attempts to reduce overhead by eliminating the professional opinions of orthodontists and dentists, focusing instead solely on providing the consumer with their products.
How Do Mail Order-Aligners Work?
These teledentistry companies attempt to appeal to a broad consumer base by playing up the cost and convenience of their product. After all, their business model is simple: Direct-to-consumer companies will supply you with an at-home impression kit to take impressions of your teeth.
Once you mail them in, they are reviewed by one of their technicians (who may not have the proper certifications), where they determine if the patient is a candidate for their low-cost aligners.
The criteria for approval of their product can be questionable, as they cannot provide a patient-dentist consultation. Remember, these mail-order aligners are produced by companies who have created a business model by cutting out the important step of meeting with a dental professional. This can lead to severely compromised standards of orthodontic and dental care products.
What Are the Results of These Teledentistry Methods?
Teledentistry is market-focused instead of product-focused, meaning they have intentionally lowered standards to mass-produce dental treatment. This has created thousands of lawsuits from unsatisfied customers who regret not consulting dental professionals before trying the cheaper alternative of mail-order aligners.
Remember, it is important to protect your smile with the help of certified, skilled dental professionals like those you will find at Smiles Family Dental! We are here to improve our patients’ health and help you get the smile you deserve, not to make a quick profit.
The Dangers of Mail-Order Aligners
When it comes to your dental health, you never want to put yourself in a position where quality is compromised for convenience. Unfortunately, this is often the case with teledentistry, which has several inherent risks built right into their products.
These risks include:
Patients Are Not Evaluated by a Licensed Orthodontist
Despite the common claims of teledentistry companies, straightening your teeth is much more complicated than simply wearing a tray mold. Standard treatment with braces (whether they are traditional or Invisalign clear aligners) requires frequent office visits because it is medically necessary, not because the orthodontist is trying to inconvenience you.
Additionally, orthodontic treatment is about more than just fixing crooked teeth. This is why a consultation with dental professionals is so important; it allows them to assess your needs and get a better look at other aspects of your oral health. This dentist-patient process is completely eliminated by mail-order kits, who never see their patients at all.
The “One Size Fits All” Approach
When it comes to a subject as important as your smile, you want to make sure that the procedures you are undergoing are completely personalized to suit your dental needs. This is not the case with mail-order aligners. The mail-order trays stay the same during the course of your treatment and may not reflect the steps your teeth actually need to go through.
This presents a slew of medical concerns. What if your teeth start moving in unanticipated directions? What if your trays are slightly misaligned and start to cause big problems like dental discomfort or pain?
If any of these things occur, you will have to see a real dental professional, as teledentistry companies have created a mass-marketed product with a single impression sample, not truly personalized orthodontic care.
Do Not Put Your Smile at Risk! Contact the Professionals at Smiles Family Dental Today
When it comes to your teeth’s cosmetics or corrective treatments for improved dental health, you should not leave anything to chance. At Smiles Family Dental, we have a thoroughly trained and talented dental team to help craft your ideal smile.
Contact us today for your consultation, and you can experience the results only professionals can produce!