What are the possible risks of at-home teeth straightening kits?
Nowadays, many people are interested in getting DIY braces, teeth-straightening at-home kits. They forget that closing gaps between teeth, revamping the dentition are the domains of orthodontists and should be performed with dental supervision. We have witnessed eliminating such dental supervision in teeth straightening activities made many cases gone wrong.
For instance, many self-treated teeth-straightening cases end up in damaging effects like loose teeth, broken teeth, etc.
In essence, DIY braces and at-home teeth braces are not safe for your teeth. Keep reading to know the reason(s).
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How do the at-home teeth-straightening appliances work?
Similar to in-office orthodontic treatments, the at-home teeth-straightening process also begins with taking the impression of your teeth.
The company will provide you a kit with which you can create a 3D mold of your teeth. Once you sent the impression to them, they will fabricate the appliance through their people and mail the brace or Invisalign you asked for.
It means you have just received your dental brace yourself without stepping into a dental clinic. Right?
Despite it seems affordable and easy, the teeth braces you received are not safe and effective as the ones fabricated in a dental office.
Why are at-home dental braces are not safe and efficient?
1) Lack of professional supervision
In general, teeth straightening requires timely checkups to review the progress of the treatment. Dentists take a close look at the movement of the teeth and recommend appropriate solutions if they diagnose any underlying problem. It ensures the treatment’s success rate.
Keep in mind that wearing dental braces without the supervision of a dental doctor is a frightening thing.
2) At-home dental braces are not suitable for everyone
Orthodontists suggest an array of dental braces such as metal braces, Ceramic braces, Self-ligating braces, Lingual braces, Invisalign, etc. Apart from the needs of a patient, dentists choose the right one after analyzing the degree of teeth misalignment and bone condition.
In essence, dental doctors derive a customized treatment plan and recommend the appropriate orthodontic appliance to match your conditions.
Such customized options are not available in direct-to-consumer teeth straightening kits and may end in causing irreparable damage to the teeth.
3) You may neglect significant issues
As mentioned earlier, dental doctors take a close look at the x-ray of your teeth, jaw bone level and assess the gums before suggesting teeth straightening plan. Such assessment will aid in diagnosing the possible problematic conditions such as infection in gums, dental caries, or others.
Those infectious or dubious conditions should get treated before wearing the braces else they will intervene in the straightening process followed by leaving a harmful impact on your teeth.
4) Inadequate retention
Retainers are vital to keeping the straightened teeth to stay in their new positions. You should wear permanent or removable retainers for a few months after removing the dental braces. It is important to prevent the shifting of teeth when they grow.
Even many at-home teeth straightening appliances manufacturers offer retainers, they cannot work efficiently as the ones an orthodontist provides.
This is because the at-home braces companies fabricate retainers in a way quite different from dentists and are not fit well your repositioned teeth.
Bottom line
Teeth straightening treatments involve adjusting the jawbone in which dentists expertise in orthodontics have deep knowledge and understand the way how teeth, bone, gums move and grow during the treatment. Hence getting teeth braces from those dental specialists is the right way to revamp your dentition.
