There are plenty of clear aligner providers out there, either online or advertising on TV, all vying for your attention but, unfortunately this is the issue with such types of promotions. Clear aligners are orthodontic tools and whether a tool is appropriate or not will depend on its effectiveness; there is little motivation for an online aligner provider to refuse a customer, even if the effectiveness is guaranteed in the particular customer’s case, or not.
Invisalign
Invisalign in St John’s wood is one of the oldest aligners providers and has always provided its prescription and dispersal via dental sugerys. This has allowed dentists to be informed, unbiased vendors, assessing patients and, if suitable, suggesting the use of a clear aligner on not with no financial incentive of a sale.
Invisalign has always operated in this way, so the only way you could receive treatment is via your local dental surgery. Thankfully the vast majority of dental clinics have the invisible braces as part of the orthodontic treatment options.
Are aligners effective?
There have been some questions about the effectiveness of aligners; this seems to have come about since the online aligners via the mail became popular. The BOS (British Orthodontic Society) is an advocacy group for orthodontics within the General Dental Council (Or GDC). It considers clear aligners effective for mild to moderate orthodontic issues when used under the guidance of a qualified professional.
Aligners online vs aligners in the clinic
The truth of the matter is that there are very few differences in the aligners you would receive via the post than the aligners you would get in a dental clinic. So why does the postal option seem less effective? Achieving the end goals of a straighter simile, or closing poorly meshing teeth is achieved faster and more reliably when used with the guidance of your local dentist. There may also be the factor that patients who cannot be helped by aligners alone are being offered alternative treatment by their dentist, whereas online providers are accepting cases that are not in the patient’s interest for the sake of a sale.
After an initial assessment in the clinic, it is normal to have a set of dental xrays and then either a scan of your teeth or a dental mold. Online aligners ask for a series of photos taken with your phone, which is used to make the assessment of whether aligners are suitable before signing you up for treatment and sending out a DIY at home dental mould kit (which you post back to the provider).
There is a high risk of error in the latter, with even the most skilled dental professional making errors when looking at photos alone to determine orthodontic problems.
Treatment lengths
The length of your treatment is heavily dependent on the case and the goals of the treatment. This is a trend with online providers, who will promise treatment time without assessment. It is hard to give an acute treatment range without a correct assessment, so this is usually promised to lure patients in.