The digital age has reshaped many aspects of our lives, including how we approach dental treatments. With the surge of online aligners delivered right to your doorstep, many ponder whether they’re on par with established treatments like Invisalign.

Before you make a decision that impacts your smile, delve into our comprehensive comparison and find out which truly stands up to scrutiny.

It’s a minefield for a patient. At first glance, sometimes things like buying your braces online and getting them posted to you can seem like a better solution. It’s cheap and convenient, why not?! 

This blog aims to help you make an educated choice and explain why these things are not always what they seem. So, today’s blog theme: Why do we think Invisalign orthodontics is better than online aligners?

• One-to-one interaction with our expert dentist

One of the top reasons you should choose Invisalign Orthodontics over an online provider is that you will work one-on-one with our dentist. From your initial consultation to your final appointments, you will meet with them, and they will be in charge of looking after you and ensuring you get the desired result!

Everything is done virtually with online providers, meaning a dentist never looks in your mouth. You sometimes don’t even meet with a dentist- and if you do. Will it be that same dentist every time?! Or are you just with any randomer? What experience do they have? Have they been on a two-day course? Or are they like our dentists and have studied how teeth move and how to do things safely?

• Training

With online providers, you do not meet the dentist and have no idea about their qualifications and skillset. Some dentists say they can do straightening and have only done a one-day or two-day course! This can be dangerous for your teeth and lead to unfavourable results. Let’s compare that to our practice. We have Dr. Tanna; she has been transforming smiles at Billericay Dental Care in Essex for over eight years and has been straightening for many more than that. She is trained in fixed braces and Invisalign orthodontics and recently completed a two-year diploma in aligners. She is an accredited member of the Aligner Dental Academy and has many happy patients at Billericay Dental Care- check out her reviews on Google and Facebook.

So the advantage of picking Invisalign orthodontics with us is that you have a known quantity- she has done it repeatedly again and again. We have repeatedly happy patients, and she consistently produces this year after year.

• Detailed Screening process

Invisalign orthodontics in practice involves a comprehensive screen process, including a complete mouth examination of your oral health and bone structure, your face shape, your teeth

positioning, their size, and an analysis of what smile would suit your face shape. Everything is personalised to you. We scan your teeth to create digital images of your teeth, and then, from here, get a step-by-step plan of how we will reach your final result so you can see the result before you start. By doing this analysis, our dentist will ensure you know everything and that she has considered everything. For example, if you are prone to gum shrinkage, your teeth must NOT proceed, as this will worsen it. Our dentists will have identified this in your examination. They will, therefore, ensure this movement is limited or not at all such that you get the desired result without damaging your teeth.

The screening process is much less comprehensive if you use an online provider. You are asked to take moulds of the teeth yourself! And no one looks in your mouth! You could do dangerous movements- and have no idea. You could have decay festering, which is being worsened by wearing the aligners, and you’d have no idea.

• Dentist takes a Scan

At the practice, our team are trained to scan your teeth to ensure we have all the details so your aligners will fit perfectly and are made for you. This ensures they are comfortable, discreet, and move effectively. Did I mention you also have no GUNK in your

mouth? Just a simple tiny camera to take the images- no gagging, no mess! You are doing it yourself with the online providers- it’s a fiddly job! And you have no idea what you are looking for. Your product can only be as good as the person taking the mould,

and it’s messy and tastes gross! After all, that is highly likely to be nowhere near as good as the hassle-free scanner we use.

• Complex Treatments

Our dentists have advanced training, so they can address almost anything with your braces, such as crowding, malocclusion, overbite, underbite, etc. because they have studied it and

understand tooth movement and how it works. With online providers, they can only address minor to moderate movements at best. There have been cases where they thought they could do it, and halfway through, they realised it was too hard. Our dentists, on the other hand, will assess everything and, due to their further training, will address almost anything. But more than anything, they will always be safe, so if they think you need a specialist, they will never hesitate to refer you. Ultimately, practices are not a money-making exercise; we put the patient first.

• Hassle Free Treatment

Invisalign orthodontics in practice means that the team are with you every step of the way through Invisalign orthodontics. We are monitoring you weekly on dental monitoring and seeing you in person at the clinic. Contact with the practice is straightforward, and we have a dedicated team always on hand to help you.

Unlikely online providers, we don’t have wrong aligners arriving for patients, and we don’t have late aligners or aligners with poor fits, as everything is personalised for you. If there are any issues, you can rest assured they’ll be dealt with quickly and efficiently.

• Guaranteed Results

Unlike online providers, Invisalign orthodontics in practice will get as many aligners as needed to get the job done, so you can rest assured you will end your treatment when you are happy. There are no hidden extra costs for more aligners or limitations on how long

treatment should be. Your price is fixed and will get you to your agreed outcome.

• Retainers

There is no point in straightening if you can’t keep them straight. An online provider can only provide removable retainers, but an Invisalign orthodontics provider can do fixed retainers stuck to the back of your teeth as well as removable ones, meaning you can be reassured that after all this work, your teeth will remain straight!

The initial outlay for online providers may be less. But From the above, hopefully, you can see you get what you pay for! You have one set of teeth; look after them. If you are straightening, things can go wrong- in the wrong hands. Don’t go cheap as you think it’s a quick- fix!

To book a free smile consultation, which includes a scan of your teeth worth £200, and to discuss possible options for your teeth, please get in touch with us on WhatsApp/ call 01277 625456 or by email: smiles@billericaydentalcare.co.uk!