THE perception of beauty has changed, in dentistry many people consider straight teeth as the ideal thing.
Orthodontic treatment has turned into a scavenger hunt, screen time has increased, the search history overcrowded, data bundles exhausted in hopes to find affordable and perfect ways of achieving this perfect straight looking smile.
Braces, aligners and the whole treatment itself however come with costs, because the treatment is not simple and takes a lot of skill, time and precision.
Orthodontists take years to attain this skill because it is not just about moving teeth and attaining a straight looking smile, but rather, it is about mastery of the art.
Therefore, it is very important to consult these professionals first before attempting to do anything to your teeth.
In the past decade or so there was the introduction of some do it yourself (DIY) braces, they are cheaper, more accessible, easy and may take you less time to place them.
The question is if there are DIY braces why do we still need dentists and why is it so important to consider them.
In medicine, there is no one size fits all.
When doctors or dentists administer treatment to a patient, they treat them as if it was their first time because every case is different even though the cases may look the same.
However, for the DIY method, it is the opposite.
Why is this important? It is vital because people have different dental conditions, some have periodontal diseases, abscesses, tooth mobility of different levels etc.
Before the dentist performs any kind of treatment, they have to make sure all these problems have been solved.
An attempt to start treatment before solving these issues can worsen them, leading to advanced infections, mobile teeth and incredible pain.
Hence DIY methods of treatment can come with a lot of drawbacks.
What do people use for the DIY technique
To try to straighten teeth, people employ a variety of techniques.
A few of these involve the usage of everyday household or personal care materials like paper clips, rubber bands and/or bobby pins.
The most common way to fix gaps is to wrap rubber bands around the teeth, but without the knowledge and specialised equipment an orthodontist has, consumers can end up creating more issues than they can fix via do-it-yourself techniques.
Another popular technique is the use of the direct-to-consumer aligners.
Some companies now provide orthodontic appliances to people instead of them having to visit an orthodontist.
When they do their marketing, they try to convince you that you do not need to go to the dentist and that ‘we can just deliver the package at your doorstep’.
The package contains an impression kit that is used to make the mould required for the fabrication of aligners, which is to be completed at home and shipped back to the business for a review.
Following acceptance, the business will create aligners and return them along with instructions for at-home orthodontic treatment.
This process skips a lot of stages in orthodontic treatment; no planning, no diagnosis, no examination of the mouth, no proper treatment administration.
Hence what good is a treatment without a proper sequence.
The disadvantages of the DIY method
Risk of serious infection
If there is underlying gum or tooth disease, moving teeth can exacerbate it and may result in tooth loss.
Sadly, X-rays and clinical exams are not part of the do-it-yourself orthodontics process to identify pre-existing problems.
Specialist orthodontists, on the other hand, are skilled at identifying these underlying issues and treating them prior to repositioning the teeth.
Damage to the teeth and jaw
Dentists just do not move teeth to anyhow, they consider different types of positions and see if they are in alignment with the laws of occlusion and find the best way to provide straight teeth but not at the expense of a patient's oral health.
There should be a balance between the two, but with the use of DIY techniques there is no accuracy considered. If you manage to achieve a straight smile and the bite is not right it could be problematic.
Incorrect bites can cause jaw joint issues, dental enamel deterioration and tooth breakage or chipping and this will cost you even more.
DIY orthodontics does not alter or enhance a patient’s bite; they merely straighten teeth.
Root resorption: When the body experiences improper pressure, the teeth’s roots may literally disintegrate, shortening them and ultimately causing tooth loss.
The death of your teeth: Often used in do-it-yourself projects, tiny rubber bands can easily slide up the teeth and under the gum line.
There, they cut off the tooth’s blood flow responsible to keep the tooth alive and nourished, which results in the tooth dying, turning dark and needing to be extracted.
Gum damage and bone loss: The force intended for the tooth damages the soft tissue and underlying bone that support it, resulting in issues much more serious than a simple gap.
More costly and time-consuming in the long run
Orthodontists are unfortunately often left to fix the damage caused by DIY treatments, which can cost patients vast sums of money and takes years to correct because of the distorted bite.
Repairing the damage from DIY procedures can be far more expensive than investing in the right specialist orthodontic care from the start.
In conclusion, straight teeth will not be ideal if things go awry.
Save up your money even if it will take years to do it and go the dentist for proper treatment.
It is better safe than sorry.