Invisalign at home – Should you consider it?

 

If you’ve already spent some time researching Invisalign at home options, then you probably already know that there’s some various options available. But how good are these options, and should they be trusted? We give you all the information that you need below so you can make an informed decision. Read on for more information.

What does Invisalign at home entail?

To be clear, when we talk about Invisalign at home, we are referring to a range of at-home aligner treatments that have appeared on the market that offer so-called ‘DIY Dentistry’ – the option to carry out some or all of the elements of your aligner treatment yourself at home. Whilst these kits might promise great results at a low price – you need to be careful here.

There are some distinct advantages and disadvantages to using a home treatment compared to doing it through a dentist. Let’s examine these now.

How do at-home-aligners work?

At home aligners do work in a similar way to the proper Invisalign treatments you can get through the dentist. Before the aligners can be made for your teeth, you need to get impressions of your teeth done. This can be done in one of two ways – either using an at-home impressions kit – or you can visit a clinic to get the initial impressions done.

Once your impressions have been done, then the aligner kit will be sent to you in the post. It will typically come with instructions and a plan that you have to follow. But what are the other things to think about?

So what do you need to watch out for with Invisalign at home style treatments?

Whilst these kinds of treatments can often promise to save you time and money, there can often be significant disadvantages that you need to be wary of. Let’s cover some below.

No consultation by an experienced dentist

One of the main things to watch out for is lack of a proper consultation. At-home aligner treatments will often lack the all-important personal touch that you receive when you get proper dental treatment at a highly capable practice. Although Invisalign at home style providers might well have dentists on their team, you’ll usually only see them at the initial impressions stage. The danger here is that without a full consultation, you might miss out on vital advice and guidance that will help you to get better results. It will usually skip various assessments during your treatment and after your treatment has completed, meaning you might not get all the support you need throughout the course of your aligner treatment. This can increase the risk of problems.

Invisalign at home Aligners not fitting properly

Because you are receiving your aligners in the post, you don’t get to try them on before you start your treatment. This can cause issues with the exact fit of the aligners. This can lead to unnecessary pain and discomfort during your treatment, with the worse-case scenario being that the ill-fitting aligners do not work as required. Definitely something that you need to think about.

Can incur additional costs

Although the often low upfront costs of at home aligner treatments can be appealing, you need to be careful that you don’t incur additional costs further down the line. If the aligners don’t quite fit properly, or there are any complications during treatment which require you to seek in-person help from a specialist, then the costs can quickly escalate, and before you know it you might be paying the same (or more) than getting proper Invisalign treatment at a registered practice. So it can be a false economy of scale to go for at-home aligner treatments.

Avoidable risk of damage

Aligner treatment and Orthodontics can be a complicated field that requires specialist knowledge and training. One of the reasons it’s often wise to consult a professional at a practice is that they are trained to spot potential problems, and can deal with them before they escalate. If such problems are not dealt with in a timely fashion, you might risk damage to your teeth and gums. Potential issues could include gum damage, loosening of your teeth, and recession of your gums.

How to research this further

There are some great and highly useful resources available online from people who have tried at-home aligner treatments and then written about their experience. There’s also plenty of further advice online from other qualified professionals in the industry that have added their expert opinion to the debate. Here’s one such article on Huffington Post that you might find useful.

If you’d like to know more about our Invisalign treatments where you get regular personal advice, guidance and checks at our practice, then visit our dedicated Invisalign page. Visit: https://simplyteethessex.co.uk/should-you-consider-invisalign-at-home/