We have posted in the past about the Dangers of Straightening Your Teeth at Home using DIY teeth straightening kits (clear aligners or braces), but another BBC News article about Smile Direct Club has recently caught our attention, so we felt it necessary to post about the problem once again.
The internet has made it easier than ever before to order clear braces or aligners for teeth straightening. However, buying these products from a website can be dangerous, as there are many fake or low-quality products available online.
Furthermore, the business model of many of these so called “remote orthodontics” companies is to ensure that there is as little time or effort required as possible on their part. Therefore, they offer Do It Yourself (DIY) teeth straightening kits (such as invisible aligners or clear braces), which do not require any consultation with a qualified Dentist, Orthodontist, or other suitably qualified professional. As stated in the BBC article, often these companies advertise that you will “have regular virtual check-ins” with a UK-registered Dentist “remotely from beginning to end”, but many patients have instead had no contact with a qualified Dentist.
Additionally, Smile Direct Club’s clear braces and aligners may not be approved by UK regulatory bodies, which means that the product may not be safe to use.
To make matters worse, many patients report not ever seeing or speaking to a Dentist in person throughout their treatment when purchased online (even after they have experienced problems). They have been asked to take their own impressions themselves at home, rather than have them taken by a trained professional. This can easily result in poorly fitting aligners or braces which can then result in damage to teeth and gums. These problems associated with DIY teeth straightening kits can lead to serious dental problems, such as misaligned teeth, injury, or even tooth infection.
Many patients who have used these online companies have now had to see a Dentist or Orthodontist to help correct the treatment that went wrong. This all comes with additional cost, and in some cases damage which is very difficult or impossible to rectify.
The BBC News article goes on to talk about the handling of complaints by such companies, and indicates that patients are asked to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement in order to receive a partial or full refund, ensuring that the patients are unable to share their experience with the world, including through reviews (for example, on Google or TrustPilot).
Something else to look out for is companies with what seem to be fake reviews. It is relatively cheap for a company to buy hundreds or thousands of fake reviews, in order to appear to attract more customers or patients – one recent trend with fake reviews is to name people (supposedly staff) in the review, to make them seem appear more legitimate.
If you do decide to go with these online companies, please do read their TrustPilot reviews, and look for an unusual number of reviews naming people, and don’t forget to look at the negative ones!
Qualified Dentists are here to create not only beautiful smiles, but also healthy ones. Please do go see a Dentist if you are considering teeth straightening, and avoid the high-risk and heartache of online Dentistry.
Thames Street Dental offer Invisalign teeth straightening in Kingston. We ensure that there are regular consultations about the treatment, and ensure that potential complications are identified upfront, prior treatment.
Contact Us now to see what Invisalign can do for you!
020 8546 6546
