Why you should avoid direct-to-consumer aligners...

Recent years have seen a significant boom in the options available to potential dental patients. 

And with the pandemic especially, this also means a rise of direct-to-consumer orthodontics. This term usually refers to clear aligners – but where every step of the treatment is carried out remotely. 

Although this may sound appealing – particularly as these aligners tend to be cheaper – there are many reasons why you should steer clear.

Dr Emma Laing, a specialist in orthodontics, explains why you should avoid direct-to-consumer aligners and instead opt for in-person treatment by a qualified dentist. 

Five top tips

1. Your dental health is fully assessed before you start. So you have peace of mind that it is safe to start treatment
2. Your progress is monitored and anything untoward, such as a gum recession, is closely checked
3. You have the skill and expertise of an experienced clinician to ensure that your treatment runs smoothly
4. Your case is planned by a clinician who has trained for over five years (eight years in the case of an orthodontist) to ensure everything is done correctly. Tooth movement is a biological process and consideration needs to be given to how and when certain movements occur
5. The General Dental Council do not permit cases being unsupervised. 

Another crucial check to make is that your dentist has the appropriate experience and qualifications. 

All practising and qualified dentists should be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC). If you're unsure, you can simply search for them on the register by visiting www.olr.gdc-uk.org/SearchRegister

Alternatively check out a practice near you by visiting www.comparethetreatment.com/practice