Critical Evaluation of DIY Aligners: Advantages and Disadvantages

January 31, 2024

The dangers of following online medical advice or using medical products purchased from internet retailers are well-known. Where people often go wrong is in thinking that seemingly basic and simple medical or dental procedures can be easily done at home using DIY kits purchased online. These products come with tempting writeups about how good, effective and economical they are. There are also testimonials from "users" about how their lives changed after using these products. Maybe they work, maybe they are only partly effective, maybe they are ineffective or, worst of all, maybe they have hidden risks and using them could do more harm than good. One such product is DIY teeth aligners.

DIY Aligners - The Pros

DIY aligners are marketed because they are:

• Cost-effective
• Convenient
• Produce results in a short time

There is no way to define how accurate the so-called benefits are and when something goes wrong, you will have to go to the dentist anyway.

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DIY Aligners - The Cons

There are various downsides to using DIY aligners. They include the following:

• There is no professional help to know if your teeth and gums are in a state of health that allows for alignment to be done. If they are not healthy, only a dentist can create conditions where alignment is safe and effective.
• Alignment is not an overnight process. The progress of alignment needs to be carefully monitored to know if it is proceeding as planned or if adjustments to the procedure have to be made, not only to avoid damage to the teeth and gums but also to produce the desired results.
• DIY aligners often only focus on the front teeth. Proper alignment to produce a strong and healthy bite, along with a great smile, requires that the teeth and gums be treated as a whole to produce the best long-lasting results.
• When using DIY aligners you have to make the dental impressions yourself. This is simply not possible for a person without dental training. A dentist will create a 3D plan of how the alignment process will progress so that before the treatment begins, you will have a clear idea of what the result will be.
• The up-front cost of DIY aligners may appear to be attractive, but because they often do more harm than good, people have to eventually go to a dentist to have their teeth fixed. This will typically cost more than what it would have been if they had gone to the dentist at the beginning. Also, many of the products have hidden costs or add-on fees that you will know about only after you have started using them.
• Many companies marketing DIY aligners make patients sign nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from saying anything negative about the products. What you read is usually just a small part of the real story.

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If you need to have your teeth alignment corrected, it is not worth the risk of using DIY products. Your smile is the first thing the world notices about you and it should be the best it can be. The only way to ensure this is to have your tooth alignment done by your dentist. Not only will she have the expertise to apply the right processes to ensure the best results, but she will also have access to the latest in alignment products and technologies, such as Invisalign® which uses state-of-the-art invisible aligners to straighten your teeth in a planned and controlled manner. This kind of technology and the excellent results it produces are neither available online nor do over-the-counter products give such results. And, of course, you will have access to a full range of dental services to ensure that your smile and oral health remain great.