Below is an excerpt from our Clear Aligner Information Evening where Dr David Kerr shared openly and honestly about the potential dangers of using DIY clear aligners.

Watch the video below, or if you prefer to read, continue scrolling down the page :)

The Hidden Complexity of Orthodontic Cases (Potential Danger #1)

The Risk of Working With Start-Up Companies (Potential Danger #5)

Potentially the biggest risk to consider in all of this is the risk of working with start-up companies that may not be around to support you if something goes wrong with your treatment plan.

The reality is that DIY clear aligners are new on the scene and in the midst of a particularly risky phase of their business journey. If a company goes bankrupt after you’ve started your DIY treatment, you may find yourself struggling to get help.

Whereas here at Today’s Dentistry, we’ve been providing judgement-free dental care to our patients for over 30 years. And we partner with industry leading dental supply companies to provide clear aligner treatments to our patients, which means you’re fully supported throughout your treatment journey to get the best possible outcome.

To discover everything you need to know before straightening your teeth, watch the replay of Dr David’s recent Clear Aligner Information Evening. (No email address required - access the recording by simply clicking here.)

Or if you’re ready to get started on your journey to a straighter smile, click here to book a consultation with Dr David Kerr to find out if you’re a suitable candidate for clear aligners.

Tooth loss is related to the above issue of gum disease, but gum disease is not the only reason a patient might lose a tooth through DIY aligner treatment.

Your jawbone is an essential supporting structure for your teeth, so your jawbone needs to be healthy enough to support whatever tooth movements you’re trying to achieve. The only way to monitor the health of your jawbone is by seeing a dentist in-person for x-rays and professional assessment.

The reality is that replacing teeth is a big investment. Replacing just one tooth with a dental implant can cost $5,000 or more. And nobody wants to start a treatment thinking “I’m going to straighten my teeth” only to find out you’ve lost a tooth because of improper DIY treatment.

With that said, tooth replacement can be combined with orthodontic treatment - it’s what’s known as a multi-disciplinary treatment and we can get really fantastic results for patients by straightening their teeth as well as restoring damaged teeth. Here’s an example of a multi-disciplinary smile transformation:

The Risk of Tooth Loss (Potential Danger #4)

Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss, with 70% of all tooth loss happening due to gum disease. One of the things that happens when a patient has gum disease is that the supporting structures around the tooth are destroyed, so the tooth becomes loose.

Gum disease absolutely must be treated before attempting to straighten teeth.

Gum disease can be a silent disease (with no symptoms), particularly in smokers. 

But it does often involve symptoms including:

• Swollen or puffy gums
• Bright red, dusky red or purplish gums
• Gums that feel tender when touched
• Gums that bleed easily
• Pink-tinged toothbrush after brushing
• Spitting out blood when brushing or flossing your teeth
• Bad breath
• Pus between your teeth and gums
• Loose teeth
• Pain when chewing
• New spaces developing between your teeth
• Gums that pull away from your teeth (receding gums), making your teeth look longer than normal

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If you have any of these symptoms, it’s important not to delay going to the dentist. Gum disease will only get worse the longer that it is left, and the damage can become irreversible.

The Impact of Gum Disease (Potential Danger #3)

The scary thing about these DIY kits is that they can be started without any in-person assessment of your teeth by a professional dentist. At Today’s Dentistry, we’ve had new patients come to us mid-way through their DIY treatment, only for our dentists to find that the patient has tooth decay and needs multiple fillings, which interrupts their DIY treatment plan.

If you have undiagnosed tooth decay, you could end up wasting the money you’ve paid for your DIY aligners.

At this point, people may wonder if they can just get the okay from a dentist first, then progress forward with DIY treatment. Technically this is possible, and really an essential step if you are considering DIY treatment. However, the reality is that orthodontic treatment needs to be monitored.

For example, let’s say you get to aligner #5 and something isn’t quite right. The tooth isn’t moving as expected, and something needs to be done about it. You’re not going to know this if you’re doing DIY treatment. Technically you could book in to see a dentist throughout your DIY treatment, but they would be powerless to adjust your treatment plan if something wasn’t working properly using a DIY aligner kit.

I’ve seen many patients who have spent the money on a DIY kit… only to end up reaching out for professional help because they didn’t get the result they wanted using DIY aligners. So whilst these companies pitch themselves as being cheaper, for many patients it ends up far more expensive because they pay twice: first for a DIY kit, then a second time for proper professional help.

The Impact Of Tooth Decay (Potential Danger #2)

If you’ve got a fairly minor orthodontic issue, you might find yourself wondering if DIY clear aligners would work for you. For example, if you had braces in the past but have had a relapse after not wearing your retainers, you might be considering the DIY option.

Unfortunately, these DIY companies don’t acknowledge that even seemingly simple orthodontic cases can actually be complex. The teeth that you can see externally might seem like it’s just a simple problem to fix. But underneath the surface, the health of your jawbone could significantly impact the treatment plan we recommend.

So it’s always essential to have an x-ray and thorough consultation with a qualified dental professional before starting orthodontic treatment.