Why Online Braces Programs Put Your Smile In Danger
Back in the early days of orthodontics, metal braces were the only option if you wanted to straighten your teeth. Today, you have a variety of options to choose from for your orthodontic treatment, from clear ceramic braces and Invisalign to the traditional metal braces that are now smaller and more comfortable than ever before. You can find all of these options here at Choonara Orthodontics in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The field of orthodontics is always evolving and as a result, new treatment options emerge. Unfortunately, this is something that we are seeing with new orthodontic treatment programs that are becoming known as “online braces,” which pose more risk to your smile than the benefits that they offer.
How Do Online Braces Programs Work?
While there are some online braces programs out there that have gained a bit more popularity than others, they all work in a very similar fashion. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how online braces and do-it-yourself orthodontics works:
- Taking Your Own Impressions - You are sent an “impression kit,” dental trays, and a lengthy instruction manual for you to read through before you start. You then take your own dental impressions, and put them back in the package they came in to mail them back out.
- Aligners Delivered To Your Door - Your orthodontic aligners are created using the impressions you took. Each aligner needs to be worn for about 2 weeks, but can be longer in certain cases.
- Repeat Until You Have Your New Smile - As your program continues to send you sets of aligners, you will continue to switch sets every few weeks until you have your new, straighter smile.
This is a fairly simple and straightforward process, and the main advantages that these programs tout are that they are cheaper compared to other orthodontic treatment options, and they can be done in the comfort of your own home. However, these advantages come at a much greater cost than many patients are led to believe.
The Risk Factors Of Online Braces
When you get your new smile, not only do you want that smile to last for a lifetime, but you also want your treatment to be free of discomfort and difficulty. Despite the intention of making orthodontic care cheaper and more convenient, online braces programs put their patients at risk of experiencing problems during treatment or having more permanent effects when it comes to their smile. Below are some of the main dangers of choosing an online braces program.
Higher Chances Of Discomfort & Poor Treatment
One of the biggest risks of online braces programs is right at the beginning of treatment: having patients take their own impressions. While taking an impression may seem simple enough, there are a lot of different factors that could lead to an imperfect impression, such as the slightest movement of your teeth or jaw. The result of an imperfect impression is the creation of imperfect aligners throughout every stage of treatment. This increases the chance that each aligner doesn’t fit comfortably over your teeth, leading to potentially high levels of pain and discomfort.
No Professional Support
Imagine that you just switched to a new set of aligners but they don’t fit completely over your teeth, or a piece of plastic is sticking out and cutting up the inside of your mouth. Since you don’t know what the best way to fix the problem is, wouldn’t you want to reach out to someone who might know the answer? With online braces programs, those who find themselves in this situation are out of luck.
Unlike getting treatment from an orthodontist, there are no professionals or staff with years of experience that are there to support you when you have questions or run into problems. Besides the option of searching the internet for an answer or trying to improvise a solution yourself and hoping for the best, the quality of your smile at the end of treatment is practically left up to chance.
Bite Problems In The Future
There’s more to a perfect smile than straight teeth. If you follow your teeth down to their root underneath the gums, you’ll find that they’re anchored to your jawbone. For those with misaligned teeth, the problem does not completely lie within the teeth themselves. That’s why orthodontists offer treatments that precede braces or clear aligners, designed to fix these jaw issues first before aligning the teeth. If the jaw is not properly treated, issues with your bite could lead to more serious dental problems in the future, such as an uneven wearing of your teeth or a painful and uncomfortable bite.
Unfortunately, online braces programs are only designed to straighten teeth and not treat jaw issues. Once you finish with your treatment, you may be able to enjoy your straighter smile for a short while, until issues arise that require you to get more orthodontic treatment.
Get Your New Smile With Professional Care!
When it comes to getting a perfect, healthy, and radiant smile that will last for years to come, there’s no better choice than your local, professional orthodontist here at Choonara Orthodontics. We work with patients of all ages, providing the quality orthodontic care that you deserve out of our local office here in Johannesburg, South Africa. If you have any questions about online braces programs or orthodontic care, just contact us and a member of our staff will be more than happy to provide you with all of the information you need. If you’re ready to get started on the path to your new smile, you can schedule your first appointment with us by giving us a call or using our online appointment request form. We look forward to seeing you in our office soon and helping you achieve the smile of your dreams!