Benefits Of Installing Smile Direct Club Aligners

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Invisible mouthguards for correcting bite defects are a revolutionary device, so its advantages, of course, prevail over disadvantages.

Among the positive aspects of treatment with aligners, we note the following:

  • Ease of use;
  • High aesthetics – mouthguards are absolutely invisible to others;
  • The design is removable, and can be easily removed and put on by the patient himself;
  • The material from which the mouthguards are made – polycarbonate, is not subject to staining from food products;
  • Thanks to the effect on the entire surface of the tooth crown, full control over the movement of the tooth is achieved;
  • The mouthguard does not injure the soft tissues of the oral cavity;
  • Getting used to aligners happens very quickly – from several hours to 1-2 days;
  • Daily oral hygiene when using aligners is not difficult – they are removed before the procedure;
  • There is no need for special hygiene for the mouthguard itself – it is enough to clean it with a brush and wash it with warm running water;
  • The mouthguards are securely fixed on the teeth thanks to the technique of manufacturing according to individual impressions. If necessary (if the mouthguard falls off), the doctor can apply a special retaining compound to several teeth;
  • Teeth whitening can be performed simultaneously with occlusion correction.
  • A patient who wants to install aligners in Moscow or any other city with a dental clinic providing services of this kind should have an idea of ​​the stages of the procedure through which they have to go.

Regardless of the choice of the manufacturer of the mouthguards, the installation and wearing process has the following approximate form:

The doctor collects data on the patient’s bite: makes impressions from polyvinylsiloxane material, plaster models, occlusal template, orthopantomogram. In addition, it is imperative that

 photographs of the patient’s face in various angles with and without a smile, photographs of the dentition. A treatment plan is drawn up, an application is filled out, and all collected materials are transferred to the company that manufactures mouthguards.

The stage of computer 3D modeling includes the creation of a volumetric model of the patient’s teeth, modeling of the intended advancement of the teeth and the intended result. At this stage, the required duration of treatment is predicted, the issue that is most of all interested in the patient who wants to install aligners is finally resolved – the cost of treatment.

At the manufacturing stage, the aligners themselves are cast directly; on average, their number for the treatment of one patient is about 30 pairs. However, depending on the degree of curvature of the bite, the given figure can vary widely. By the way, the number of aligners required for a course of treatment is a very significant pricing factor for invisible braces, the price here directly depends on the duration of treatment.

The stage of wearing aligners. The duration of the course of treatment with aligners is on average 1 year, but it can vary from several months to two years, depending on the degree of malocclusion. Before starting treatment, the doctor instructs the patient in detail about the rules for using aligners, issues several sets of aligners for self-replacement.

The basic rules for wearing aligners are as follows:

Each set of aligners is replaced with a new one (designed to develop a gradual advance of the tooth in a given direction) two weeks after installation. The patient carries out the replacement independently;

Aligners need to be worn for 20-22 hours a day, they should be removed at the time of eating and carrying out daily hygiene procedures;

Do not use damaged aligners (for example, those with cracks);

The patient visits the dentist every 5-6 weeks to monitor the treatment.

Aligners Invisalign – the price of these aligners in relation to the maximum degree of comfort and effectiveness of treatment makes them the best option. This statement is confirmed by the statistics of treatment with mouthguards of this American manufacturer – Invisalign mouthguards are very popular today in Russia. The peculiarities of the aligners of this brand can be considered a very thin material, which contributes to a very quick adaptation and the achievement of the greatest wearing comfort.

Aligners Star Smile is a worthy alternative to Russian-made Invisaline devices. Aligners of this company are manufactured in Moscow, which allows Russian patients to save time and start dental treatment much earlier. At the same time, the cost of treatment is somewhat lower.

Among the popular models of aligners should also be called

Ortosnap mouthguards – budget aligners of the American manufacturer;

Clear Correct – aligners positioned as environmentally friendly and non-irritating to the oral mucosa in the most sensitive patients;

Invisible All In – aligners from the Italian manufacturer.

Indications Of using Byte Aligners

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The device is a completely transparent aligners, gradually and gently affecting the patient’s dentition, directing each tooth to the ideal location (to put it simply, aligners are a kind of transparent braces). Thus, the advantages of bite correction with aligners stem from the features of the design itself, and the first of them is invisibility.

The Smile-City clinic  on Voikovskaya  offers its patients the services of qualified specialists in bite correction – dental treatment with aligners in Moscow. We have many years of experience working with aligners Invisalign, and these are not just words – behind this statement hides several hundred ideal smiles of our patients (you can see the photos of our work using aligners – before and after – you can see below).

Of course, the advantages of transparent aligners cannot be underestimated. However, before making the final decision – to install braces or aligners to correct a specific defect – it will not be superfluous to study the key points of installation and use of the latter, as well as familiarize yourself with their few, but in some sense, significant shortcomings.

In this article, we will touch in particular on the most important point that worries all, without exception, patients who want to install aligners to straighten their teeth – the price of the issue.

Aligners for teeth – price

Those who consider aligners as a way to treat malocclusion, the cost of such a device in Moscow or another city in Russia, of course, is of primary interest. Note that the main pricing factors are:

  • the complexity of the correction;
  • the duration of the course of treatment;
  • the required number of mouthguards.
  • Aligners Invisalign will be the most expensive for a Russian patient (including postage), but their cost is still comparable to the price of a high-quality and aesthetic bracket system. If we talk about Ortosnap aligners, the price (in Moscow) will be much lower, since this way the company does not include postage in the cost.

You can get advice from a qualified orthodontist regarding the possibilities of successful treatment with aligners in your particular case by contacting SMILE CITY dentistry. With us you will forever forget that you were once ashamed of your smile. You will learn more about the possibilities of modern dentistry (about the latest methods of removable dental prosthetics and occlusion correction and much more) from the materials presented on our portal.

The Smile-City clinic  on Voykovsko  in Moscow offers patients the correction of malocclusion with 3D-Smile and Invisalign aligners. Orthodontic aligners are invisible, easy to use, do not break diction. Good transport accessibility of the clinic and profitable promotions and discounts are additional benefits that our patients receive.

What problems will dental aligners solve?

If we talk about the possibilities of treatment with aligners in comparison with braces, it should be noted that it is unlikely that it will be possible to correct serious smile defects with the help of aligners. Nevertheless, much in this case depends on the professionalism of the orthodontist leading the process, as well as the patient’s persistence and diligence.

Let’s list the main indications for the use of aligners in orthodontics:

  • The presence of gaps between the teeth, including the diastema (a fairly common defect is the visible gap between the upper central incisors);
  • Crowded Teeth – Teeth that are too close together, in clusters, overlapping each other;
  • Deep bite – significant forward movement of the upper dentition;
  • Crossbite – teeth from the upper row are located on both sides (in front and behind) of the teeth in the lower row;
  • Mesial bite – protrusion of the lower jaw;
  • Disturbances in the shape of the dentition;
  • Slight inclination of the teeth.

However, treatment with invisible aligners has contraindications. So, aligners are not used for such diseases and conditions:

  • severe pathologies of the nervous system;
  • anomalies of the jaw skeleton;
  • periodontal disease;
  • the presence of unerupted (impacted) teeth;
  • the presence of hard dental deposits;
  • diseases of the alveolar tissues;
  • severe somatic diseases;
  • age up to 12 years.

WHAT’S GOING ON WITH INVISALIGN?

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The post is dedicated to the recent opening of Invisalign shops and the new advertising company Invisalign.

The introduction of aligners by Invisalign has been one of the most significant developments in orthodontics. As a result, Invisalign has become a major orthodontic company supplying aligners to orthodontists and dentists. Invisalign recently acquired a large stake in Smile Direct Club (SDC). Smile Direct Club delivers aligners directly to patients, bypassing dentists.I have already written about this earlier.

It is now clear that Invisalign has decided to adopt this business model by opening Invisalign stores in California. The scheme of work is as follows:

A person interested in orthodontic treatment comes to the store.

Store employees, who may not have a dental education, discuss treatment and scan his teeth.

Technician makes a ClinCheck and discusses it with the patient.

The patient then selects a dentist / orthodontist to “oversee” the treatment.

Invisalign sends data to the “observing” dentist / orthodontist. He, in turn, decides whether he accepts the patient and makes changes to the treatment plan if necessary.

After that, the patient is transferred to the dentist / orthodontist for alignment fittings and “observation”.

Invisalign has also launched an ad campaign claiming that braces are an obsolete technology. Here is a screenshot of an advertising banner.

Interestingly, to this day, I have not seen a single qualitative study that proves that Invisalign aligners are as effective as braces. The image in the ad for dental extractors is also odd. Is this a hint that treatment with braces must necessarily be with the removal or enhancement of the effect of the words “tightening”, “twisting”, “twisting”? (tightening, cranking, twisting)

In connection with the publication of this advertisement, AAO and CAO contacted Invisalign, after which the latter wrote an open letter of apology… However, in his letter of apology, the CEO of Invisalign writes:

“We know that doctors and clients are free to make their own decisions about the method of treatment, and although we believe that aligners are the best and most modern method of treatment, we decided to take our claims back so as not to harm our brand.”

Invisalign appears to advertise aligners as superior to fixed devices.

Is there a problem with this?

I will only evaluate the actions of Invisalign from the point of view of the British Dental Care Regulatory System. I think there are some nuances here. I have concerns about the qualifications of the people doing the examinations at the Invisalign shops.

I’ve sent emails to Invisalign but they haven’t responded. However, visits to Invisalign shops indicate that non-dentists work there.

Dental health assessment

The first step in any dental intervention is to assess the patient’s dental health. Such an assessment can only be carried out by a professional with appropriate training and qualifications. I do not know how this requirement can be met in Invisalign shops, because patients are not directly examined by dentists. This is a serious problem.

Consent

The informed consent must be signed by the patient prior to starting treatment. The only person who is entitled to obtain consent from the patient is the dentist. Therefore, the patient cannot give consent directly in the Ivisalign shop. And if the patient signs the consent in the store before receiving the aligners from the “observing” dentist, then this will be a retrospective consent. In this case, there are potential risks. However, if the “observing” dentist again conducts his own examination and then again gives the patient consent for signing, the risks can be eliminated.

Illegal dental practice

I’m not 100% sure, but my assumptions are: dental scans are performed by unregistered dentists. And since these scans are later used for treatment planning and aligner production, the scanning process can be considered a dental practice. In the UK, only registered dentists are allowed to practice dental practice. As a result, in the UK, such a business model could be regarded as illegal dental practice, and employees of Invisalign shops were prosecuted.

Who is responsible for the treatment?

Everything is obvious. The dentist “overseeing” the treatment. The shop workers who planned the treatment are not responsible. As a result, in case of problems with treatment, the responsibility will lie with the “observing” dentist.

I don’t know about the regulation of dental care in the United States. Probably the rules are different in different states?

Why Do Doctors Demand To Ban The Startup Smile Direct Club?

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Two years ago, the American startup SmileDirectClub entered the US market with a very lucrative offer. Plastic aligners for straightening teeth are half the price of braces from an orthodontist. Plus a bonus: patients don’t need to go to the dentist at all.

The concept was so successful that the company immediately had a dozen small competitors. But SmileDirect still has a big problem, Bloomberg found out . Patients complain of damaged teeth, and the American Association of Orthodontists demands that the state take control of the dangerous practice. In Russia, this business is only gaining momentum. “Secret of the Firm” found a similar Russian startup and found out what was happening to it.

Dentists from business

Six years ago, the founders of the SmileDirect startup, Alex Fenkell and Jordan Katzman, were making money by replacing their old driver’s licenses. For days, future startups hung out in the office of Jordan’s father, venture capitalist David Katzman, and listened to what serious businessmen were talking about. This is how they learned about one of Katzman Sr.’s most lucrative investments – contact lens manufacturer 1-800 Contacts Inc.

Future startups realized that they needed to invest in a business in the field of medicine. The choice fell on transparent plastic braces Invisalign, which was developed by Align Technology Inc. in the 90s. The advantage of the development was obvious: patients could put on and take off the aligners themselves. But only a licensed dentist could prescribe treatment. Then the idea appeared to work remotely – by mail.

The startups created a test site, attracted 500 clients, and in May 2014 they officially registered SmileDirect. After a while, the company’s services were advertised literally everywhere: in American social networks, on street signs and in public transport. By 2017, 342 SmileShops had opened in the USA and Canada, including 94 points in the CVS pharmacy chain.

A billion on my teeth

SmileDirect’s motto was simple: orthodontics is not as difficult as dentists say. It worked almost flawlessly: in the first half of 2019 alone, the startup sold 232,000 sets of aligners – almost the same as in the whole of 2018.

No doctors

The scheme works like this: the patient goes to the store where they take a picture of his teeth, or he buys a set and takes an impression of the teeth and gums himself. The results are sent to a licensed dentist in the state where the patient lives. Sometimes a company asks for a copy of a medical record or an X-ray. In addition, the patient must confirm in writing that they have recently been examined by a dentist and that their oral cavity is in good condition.

Then the dentist prescribes the treatment remotely, and SmileDirect manufactures a set of individual aligners for several months. The patient takes pictures of the teeth from time to time and sends them to the dentist. He keeps track of all the changes.

A basic set of aligners costs $ 1,895 (122,863 rubles) – about 60% cheaper than braces.

SmileDirect does not work directly with licensed dentists, but rather acts as a platform through which they can offer their services.

Jagging aligners

The SmileDirect user agreement states that the company’s services are not the same as a visit to the dentist. “Since I have not been examined in a dental clinic, I take responsibility for the fact that the condition of the teeth may deteriorate,” the document says.

Four orthodontists interviewed by Bloomberg say it is dangerous to prescribe aligners without a detailed examination. A person may develop diseases of the gums, teeth and jaw joints. In addition, they note, it is much more difficult to diagnose a disease from a photograph than live.

Dr. Jeffrey Sulitzer, head physician at SmileDirect, says that the company’s work is practically no different from the medical practice of ordinary dentists. Patients do an excellent job of photographing, and medical records and x-rays only create additional difficulties. According to him, “Moving teeth is a simple, safe process. It is selective and non-invasive. “

However, the more popular SmileDirect becomes, the more patients complain of damaged teeth. The website of the Bureau of Impeccable Business has already accumulated about 1050 complaints.

And what about Russia?

When the startup SmileDirect conquered the American and Canadian markets, Russian businessmen copied the concept to implement it in Russia.

The business seemed profitable. At the same time, the partners copied the idea of   aligners by mail and opened a website that offered to align teeth without leaving home. The profit was divided in half, but the agreements were oral. The service was adapted to Russian conditions. You do not need to go to the store for a picture or take an impression yourself. The dental technician came directly to your home or office and did everything for free. The treatment plan also did not require any costs – you only had to pay for the aligners. The order amount seemed quite hefty: 5,500 rubles a month or 99,000 rubles for a year and a half.

The businessmen promised that a licensed orthodontist would be assigned to the client for the entire course of treatment. He will monitor the treatment process every two months. A special application will remind the patient of changing aligners. Instead of going to the dentist, you can send photos of the dentition, and the doctor will look at the dynamics of teeth movement.

What about the USA?

Most patients complain that as a result of treatment, their teeth have become loose and broken, or their bite has deteriorated. Some require SmileDirect to pay damages. But the money can be returned on one condition: you need to sign a confidentiality agreement in which you undertake not to discuss your experience, and to withdraw all complaints from government agencies.

Smile Direct For The Poor – Straight Teeth Direct.

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Aligners are transparent aligners for teeth straightening, made individually from impressions. The number of mouth guards depends on the complexity of the situation, each mouth guard is worn for two weeks, then changed to a new one until the dentition becomes even.

Teeth aligners are gaining popularity and are becoming cheaper due to increased competition. Already in Russia, they began to produce a domestic analogue to the American invisaline (Star Smile). In the USA, a competitor to Invisalign is Smile Direct Club, which offers to correct teeth remotely without visiting the dentist. They only need impressions of your teeth, they will send aligners and instructions for them, and any questions you can ask “your ” dentist through the application.

Recently, such an opportunity has appeared in Europe – to correct teeth with aligners without going to the doctor. The company name is very similar – Straight Teeth Direct.

I decided to try to fix crooked teeth with aligners after an unsuccessful attempt with a silicone mouthguard. My one year experience is described in this review .

Before contacting Straight Teeth Direct, I still went to the orthodontist to find out what methods of correcting teeth would be right for me. The doctor said that in my neglected case there are only two ways: either invisalign or braces. Treatment with invisalign aligners would cost me 4,500 euros and the treatment would take a year and a half. Treatment with braces for about 2500 euros and two to three years.

I still didn’t have that kind of money, but I found out the main thing – in my case, aligners fit. I started looking for an alternative to expensive invisalign and found it! These are aligners from Straight Teeth Direct, which I refer to myself as “poor man’s invisible.”

Stages of treatment with Straight Teeth Direct aligners

1 . You need to order a box with tools for taking impressions. The price includes further analysis and compilation of a demo video of changing the dentition. Determine the time of treatment. If everything suits you, then proceed to the next stage.

2. A contract is concluded, a treatment program is signed and paid (1500 euros). The company sends aligners approximately every two months and monitors changes in my monthly photo reports.

3 . Fixing the result with removable retainers (included in the price).

How it looks in practice.

Taking casts. Taking casts is not very difficult. There are three attempts for each jaw, so even if you screw it up somewhere, the rest will be saved. I was told that a computerized model of teeth is built on the basis of all six impressions, even unsuccessful ones. As if uniting the results.

Having sent back the box with the casts, I was looking forward to the demo video. The resulting video shows how the lower and upper dentition will change. In my case, all the front teeth on both jaws should protrude strongly forward in order to form a free space, and their inclination will change slightly. The contract said that there would be no changes in the bite, as well as displacement of the teeth in the center (although I would need to). So the goal is just straight front teeth. It was also indicated that I did not need any tooth extraction or tooth separation.

Here I made screenshots from the demo video. My teeth as they are and what they should be.

Duration of treatment. The contract determined the duration of treatment: for the upper jaw 11 months, for the lower 12. The lower ones are more crowded.

If after this time the teeth do not stand exactly as in the video, then the treatment continues at no additional cost.

Aligners. Aligners are sent in two types: soft and hard. They need to be alternated, each pair should be worn for two weeks at least 22 hours a day. Soft aligners prepare teeth for hard ones. Numbered 1a (soft), 1b (hard), 2a (soft), 2b (hard) and so on.

How aligners are felt on the teeth. The soft aligners are easy to take off and on. The pressure on the teeth with the soft aligner is felt only for the first two hours. With hard ones, the jaw sometimes hurts and it hurts to chew solid food for two or three days, then it passes. Then there is a feeling that nothing is happening, that the teeth are not moving and in general there is no sense from them. Rigid aligners are difficult to remove (I use the plastic hook that came with the kit, otherwise there is no way).

Lisp occurs only with rigid aligners and only in the early days. Some people around me noticed this. My husband said that I talk as usual. Some have noticed that I correct my teeth only because of the lisp; visually, no one sees anything point-blank.

Profuse salivation was when I first put on the aligners. It also stops after a couple of days, when the body gets used to the presence of a foreign object in the mouth.

Aligners in the mouth – is it noticeable? When I saw my first mouthguards, I was upset, because they are not completely transparent, not smooth. The structure is clearly visible in the photo.