Last month, the British Orthodontic Society teamed up with the BBC to publish an article about the dangers of ordering aligners online to be fitted yourself at home without dentist supervision. The article was the result of an 18 month investigation into the shady business practices of the firms that offer this service.

Risks of Remote Dentistry

The business model of delivering aligners directly to people at home has taken off in recent years as people look for a cheap way to get that perfect Instagram smile. However in the article published on the BBC website last month, many people came forward to speak about experiences including enamel damage, wobbly teeth and teeth loss as a result of using aligners ordered online.

The first step in remote dentistry is typically to take an impression of your teeth or to have a scan in a high street location. These options will assess the position but not the health of your teeth.

Traditional Dentistry

Aligners and braces should be fitted by a dentist, orthodontist or trained orthodontic therapist. There should be a full check-up to ensure that teeth are healthy before the course of alignment treatment starts. Skipping this step can lead to problems as the treatment progresses if decay or gum disease is present and untreated.

At Glow Dentistry, we offer a full dentist supervised teeth alignment treatment with Invisalign® that starts with a healthy mouth assessment and includes regular appointments to check that the realignment is proceeding as planned.

To book a free consultation, contact our Mill Hill or Hampstead clinics.