Over the past few years, many companies focusing on orthodontic procedures through mail-in products have been growing in popularity. These services are generally cheaper than what you’d find at a typical orthodontist, and for good reason. Not only are the products not nearly as advanced as traditional procedures, but they lack a key part of the treatment process: an orthodontic professional.
Furthermore, leaving your smile’s future in the hands of a company whose only trying to capitalize off innocent consumers is dangerous, unsafe and just plain bad practice. Keep reading to learn why an orthodontist in McMurray says to just stay away.
No Professional Evaluations
Many of these mail-order orthodontic companies are willing to send devices to patients either with no professional evaluation or simply based on a series of photos you sent to that company. Even X-rays are rarely part of the evaluation, an essential step in determining which orthodontic treatment would work best for you. How is the company supposed to confirm the exact problems you’re trying to solve based on a single photo or questionnaire? How do they know if traditional braces or clear aligners will work best for your case?
No Previous Dental History
One of the most important parts of visiting an orthodontist is establishing your dental history with that doctor. By doing so, they can make more accurate predictions on how you would respond to orthodontic treatment based on numerous other factors. These include current missing teeth, teeth that have not yet erupted or impacted teeth that still require removal. A mail-order braces service is not going to bother taking this information into account after they send your dental device.
Impossible to Follow Up
Let’s say you begin a treatment with a mail-order orthodontic company and something goes wrong in the middle of treatment. Whether you’re experiencing pain while wearing their device or you lose or damage the device at some point, how do you go about contacting that service? What if they aren’t responsive and your teeth begin shifting back due to the lack of a proper response? Is that something you’re prepared for?
They’ll Perform Treatment On Anyone
As mentioned, mail-order braces don’t pay much attention to the history of the patient or the person who’s purchasing the device. It’s entirely possible that they don’t comply with the dental laws that apply in your state. There’s essentially no way to know if the treatment their selling is even appropriate for your case.
The Long-Term Health Risks
In the event that you undergo treatment and the results are catastrophic, who can you go to who’s responsible? If you knew that in-person appointments weren’t possible, how would you go about fixing the damage that’s already been done? This is of course assuming that the damage that’s occurred isn’t permanent, which is often the case for consumers doing business with these companies. Alveolar bone, tooth roots and gum tissue can all be damaged to the point of no return, proving these services to be dangerous and often reckless.
Don’t take the risk. Seek a professional if you want real braces in McMurray!
About the Author
Dr. Gary Cartwright has been practicing orthodontics for over 20 years. After receiving his degree in orthodontics from the University of New York, he went on to earn Board Certification from the American Board of Orthodontics. To learn more about his expertise or orthodontic services, you can contact him through his website.