Shopping for clothes is easy! You get to try it on before you buy it. Retailers even accept product exchange after your purchase. This process of '"try & buy" gives us the gratification for the money we spend. Imagine a similar process in healthcare industry, more specifically in orthodontics when you seek smile correction. How cool would it be to see your teeth in perfect alignment before you start with your treatment!!!
Taken the consumer market by a storm, are, quiet a few companies offering an esthetic mode of smile correction with what is called an aligner. These aligners are marketed as an alternative to the conventional orthodontic treatment with fixed braces. They employ fancy 3D imaging softwares to simulate the smile correction.
It's an intriguing process. On your visit to the orthodontist, the clinician / technician takes a photo scan of the teeth which is rendered digitally on the computer screen. The algorithm programmed in the software will animate the teeth (in 3D) to a picture perfect alignment. It is fascinating for the patients to see their smile trasform to what they desired all their life. But in reality, how reliable is the software in predicting the treatment results. The 3D viewer comes with a disclaimer that reads "actual clinical results may vary".
Aligners have been around in the market for quite some time now. The product has undergone significant evolutionary changes ever since it was first launched. There is no doubt that aligners can move teeth, but can they deliver treatment results as good as the lingual braces or the traditional braces? Google is flooded with sponsored reviews by Instagram influencers and YouTubers marketing for the aligners. Unbiased articles by reputed researchers on various medical journals reflect a different reality to what's being marketed. A few companies boldly made claims to degrade the conventional braces, again unbiased research prove otherwise. (Find links below.)
My aligner experience: Story of my relationship with Aligners has been love turned to hatered (sort of). Soon after my post graduate program, my quest to get trained in the newest treatment technologies, took me to Korea and the US. I was also keen to get certified in a certain aligner brand in the US, but didn't as their services was not available in India. Several years later, when they made their way to the Indian shores in 2015, I was excited. I got certified in what I belived as the the most innovative technology.
Cautiously, I started only with a few cases, as I did with lingual braces. Much to my disappoitment, I could not see a result as per the board certified standards. This was all despite adhering to the treatment protocol issued by the aligner company. However the patients were happy with the result that was achieved, even though it was not the 100% I wanted.
I felt I let down my conscience. I did offer my patients to refine the treatment results with lingual braces, but many declined the offer due to the already lengthy duration of treatment. That's when I lost the love for aligners, as I knew I could have gotten better treatment results with lingual braces or the conventional fixed braces. Nevertheless, I still continue to offer aligners at my private practice and at Apollo, but only if it is a very simple correction. I avoid cases which requires IPR or Inter Proximal Reduction (trimming the promixal surfaces of teeth).
IPR is a procedure that is done to gain space between teeth. This space is utilized to align the crowded teeth. Though there are other conservative means by which an orthodontist can gain space, aligners work best only with IPR. My wife, a Conservative Dentist (tooth decay specialist) herself is a skeptical about IPR. With her years of research in dental decay, she firmly believes that I would put the patients at a risk of tooth decay whenever I perform IPR. Another reason as why I prefer lingual braces or the conventional braces over Aligners.
The soul of dental health-care is under the threat of commercialization. It is strange and scary how consumer marketing woos us into submission and fall trap to latest fad. One shouldn't be gullible to sponsored influencers on social media. Seeking a particular mode of smile correction for social acceptance would be a fatuous, one could end up worsening the overall dental health. Do engage your orthodontist with a healthy discussion, find out if you are an ideal candidate for the said mode of correction. Explore the merits and demerits of the system, keep your options open and choose wisely. After all your smile is forever yours to flaunt, while the treatment is only short spanned.
Your smile is your emotion. Choose wisely.
Regards,
The bearded orthodontist.
Crest Clinic, Chennai.
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