As at-home clear aligners increase in popularity, it’s natural to wonder whether in-person orthodontic care or at-home orthodontic care is the better decision for you or your child.

You may believe “at-home” has a comfortable ring to it, but when it comes to you or your child’s precious smile, do you really want to leave room for error?

Take this quick quiz to understand why in-person orthodontic treatment is the right decision for you!

1. Initial Exam You decided on Invisalign® clear aligners as your treatment. Now, let’s begin. For your initial exam, do you choose Option A or Option B?

Option A: At-home clear aligners

You took the questionable route and chose at-home orthodontics. For your initial exam, you receive an impression kit in the mail. You bite into the impression mold of thick “goop”, your hands shake and you aren’t quite sure if you’re doing it correctly. You send your molds back through the mail and await the arrival of your clear aligners.

Option B: Clear aligners from the orthodontists

You played it smart and scheduled your free exam with us. You meet Dr. King, who asks you what your goals are with treatment. Dr. King then completes a thorough exam of your teeth and bite. He takes x-rays of your condition and shows you diagnostic photos of previous success stories. Dr. King discusses your treatment options with you and suggests the most efficient and effective treatment to fit your lifestyle. He thoroughly explains your chosen treatment and proceeds to take impressions of your teeth and bite, using the iTero Digital Impression system. Your dental molds show immediate results, without the use of “goopy” impression materials. Dr. King crafts a treatment plan, personalized to your current condition and your unique orthodontic goals. He explains every aspect of your custom treatment plan and answers every question you have. Now, with an extensive understanding of what’s to come, you await the arrival of your clear aligners.

2. Your initial exam is complete!

Now it’s time to receive your aligners and begin treatment. If you chose:

Option A: At-home clear aligners

You receive your clear aligners in the mail. You place a set in your mouth, and they feel slightly off-kilter. You can feel that your bottom teeth are dramatically compressed in the bottom aligner, and your top aligner is fitting loosely. You place them in and begin treatment, but you have a few questions, so you resort to searching Google for answers. You continue referring to Google with questions throughout your treatment. Four months have passed, and you snap a picture of your teeth to compare with a picture of your teeth from the beginning of treatment. You don’t notice a difference, but you assume it’ll take a little longer to see results. So you continue treatment and await the results.

Option B: Clear aligners from the orthodontists

You receive your clear aligners from Dr. King. You place a set in your mouth, and they fit snuggly with just enough pressure exerted on your teeth. Dr. King gives you detailed instructions with your clear aligners, and you ask questions to ease every concern. You leave our office with your new orthodontic treatment and a comfortable, comprehensive understanding of your treatment plan. You visit our office regularly, every couple of months, so Dr. King can monitor your progress and order your next few sets of aligners. You visit Dr. King or call the office as often as you’d like with any questions or concerns. (You’re sure to address the hard hitting questions, like “Can I drink wine with Invisalign”?) Four months into your treatment, you compare a picture of your ‘before’ teeth with a picture of your current progress, and you notice a dramatic difference! You’re ecstatic with your current smile, and you can’t wait for the final results.

3. Your treatment is over!

How do you like your new smile?

Option A: At-home clear aligners

Your smile looks different than it did at the beginning of your treatment. You realize you were misinformed on the amount of hours to wear your aligners each day, so your treatment progressed at a slow pace. Your bottom teeth are crowding each other. Your top teeth don’t fall into perfect alignment with your bottom teeth, and it feels awkward to chew food. You realize that you must’ve taken inaccurate molds of your teeth at the beginning of your treatment. (Remember your shaky hands?) Looking at your results in the mirror, you decide that your at-home orthodontic venture was not worth the money or time. You call Jupiter Orthodontics to schedule your free orthodontic exam, and your treatment period starts back at square one.

Option B: Clear aligners from the orthodontists

You love your new teeth! Your smile reveals perfectly aligned teeth on the top and bottom rows. Your previous condition has vanished, and your top and bottom teeth align comfortably with a healthy bite. Your new smile exceeds your expectations, and you can’t wait to maintain it during the retention phase. You walk out of Jupiter Orthodontics with a confident smile that you can’t stop sharing. Your in-person orthodontic treatment was a success.

The risks in at-home orthodontic care should not be ignored!

In this scenario, at-home orthodontic care resulted in an ineffective treatment that required in-person orthodontic care in the end to reverse damage. (At-home orthodontic care can lead to even greater damage than this scenario!) When you choose in-person orthodontic care with an orthodontists, you’re choosing a path that will save you a considerable amount of time and money.

At Jupiter Orthodontics, we want you to experience a confident smile without damaging your teeth or gums. If you’re seeking an orthodontists in Jupiter, we would love to meet you! Please feel free to reach out to us or schedule your free exam with Dr. King today.  Jupiter Orthodontics is proud to serve the Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, and Hobe Sound, FL communities.

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