Over the past decade, and greatly accelerated by the recent international disruption, there has been a concerted effort to take dentistry out of the clinic and practice a more decentralised form of orthodontic care. With a plethora of companies leading the way, straight teeth at home London is now very much a reality for a lot of patients with dental misalignment.
The options
Traditional orthodontic tools like braces, headgear and various forms of aligner like the Inman aligner not only require a complicated fitting process, but also regular meetings at the clinic for regular tightening and adjustment. This is because the treatment process requires close professional supervision as the teeth take on a new position. The archwires and/or springs need to be tensioned in a correct way to continue coaxing the teeth on to their next positions, giving them full control and continued guidance throughout the procedure.
And this has changed with a very different method offered by clear aligners like Invisalign. During the design and fabrication stage, the entire treatment process that the patient’s teeth will go through is simulated in an extremely anatomically correct software that monitors how teeth will react to force and change over time. This results in a road map of how, where and when these forces need to be applied to the teeth. The aligners are pre-designed with all those future adjustments in the sequence, minimising the need for continued trips to the clinic.
The role of online dental guidance
Aligners may not need continued guidance throughout treatment and can realign teeth with minimal in-house application. The patient can contact clinicians directly and promptly via a downloadable app, which also provides a framework to upload clinically relevant images. The app also comes with your clear aligners treatment schedule but these functions minimise trips to the clinic. So, the majority of care can carry on independently of a local clinic with intervention reserved for when it is truly required.
When a good idea goes too far
There have been several cases of people attempting to alter their tooth position with no previous medical experience or guidance of any kind. They are usually informed via websites like YouTube videos and other viral information sources. Some patients have attempted to straighten their teeth with “gap band,”repurposed rubber bands which pull teeth together, bunching them up, or even filing their teeth at home. This is not advised and any kind of orthodontic treatment should only be undertaken under the advice of an orthodontist.
The modern role of traditional braces
Despite a large number of orthodontic cases being treatable with clear aligners and other non brace alternatives, there will still be a role for traditional braces in more complicated cases, which will be carried out under the supervision of an orthodontist. In the same way that braces displaced full headgear in common practice, it seems aligners are fated to do the same to the brace.
Reliable at home options
Reliable home brands which offer aligners like Invisalign include Clear Braces Direct, Smile Direct and Spark but there are many more in excellent ratings accredited by orthodontic and dental societies.
