As a modern society, we love convenience. From cars that park themselves to in-home robots that remotely change the channel, we can’t seem to get enough of products and services that keep us from getting up. While these amazing advancements make our day to day lives easier, it’s important to consume responsibly before shelling out our hard-earned cash. In our Calgary office, we get a lot of questions regarding mail order orthodontics, so this week we are going to discuss the risks and rewards of this seemingly splendid new smile trend.  

 

Quick and Easy

Many companies who sell online orthodontics will boast that their process is quicker and simpler than going in to see an orthodontist. But when it comes to altering the shape of your face, manipulating your jaw bone, and adjusting your teeth, do you really want the process to be “quick and easy”?

 

Custom-Fit

An orthodontist will have a real-time conversation with you and take incredibly accurate measurements and impressions. Mail order aligners, on the other hand, means the only measurement the dental professional receives on the other side is a selfie and the results of a DIY impression kit. This one-size-fits-all mentality is the orthodontic equivalent of placing a bowl on your head and cutting your hair around it. Except instead of living with a terrible haircut until you can get it fixed, you’re living with an appliance that could be causing irreparable damage to your mouth. Your mouth is unlike any other mouth on this planet. In order for treatment to be successful, you need care that can be custom-fit to your unique oral anatomy. 

 

Cost

Some companies like to tout that they will save you 60% on aligners because they cut out the “middleman.” The middleman here is a trained orthodontist. Do you really want to bypass that part of treatment? Would you order vaccines over Facebook or DIY laser eye surgery from an Instagram ad? In any of these situations you risk something going horribly wrong, and the only outreach you’ll receive is a customer service hotline number. At the end of the day you’ll be coming to the professionals to sort out your mess, which is going to cost you more than it would if you went to them in the first place.  

Instead of taking a chance on a risky online appliance, invest in a local orthodontist who can offer payment plans that fit your lifestyle and budget. For those in the Calgary area, check out our cost calculator to see how we can work with you. Your perfect smile may be more attainable than you think!