How Does Your Invisalign Provider Stack Up?

by Dr. Laura Milnor

The technology of clear aligner therapy or Invisalign has become increasingly capable of correcting most all smile and bite problems. Additionally, clear aligners are comfortable, convenient, and often require fewer appointments. You likely have noticed orthodontists, dentists, and even non-medical professionals or direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies are starting to provide clear aligner treatment due to the non-invasiveness of this treatment. Everywhere you look, there are ads for invisible teeth-straightening options. So how is a person supposed to decide which Invisalign provider is best for them?

Invisalign Provider Training and Education

Regardless of whether you are considering braces or Invisalign, there is only one group of professionals that has received the education and training needed to properly correct your smile and bite—orthodontists. After completing their degree in dentistry, orthodontists receive an additional two to three years of education and complete a residency in orthodontics before they start practicing. Continuing education is also a huge component of providing the best clear aligner treatments for patients. Your provider should complete additional training in clear aligners every year, especially with how fast technology is evolving.

General dentists have a dental degree as well, and they can take continuing education classes in orthodontics, however this is not equal to the training orthodontists have received and continue to receive and focus on. When it comes to the DTC companies that offer plastic aligner treatment through the mail, you will have little to no knowledge as to the training and education of whoever is designing your treatment.

Additionally, it is incredibly important to make sure your bite does not end in a harmful position at the end of your treatment or you could have long-term problems with excessive wear, gingival or gum problems, loss of teeth, cracks, or excessive mobility of teeth. Even with limited treatment to align the front teeth you need to have the bite in mind.

My team and I continue to invest hours upon hours of time learning the details of creating a beautiful smile and functional bite with Invisalign so we can provide the best care for our patients.

Invisalign Treatment Experience

As with any subject, if Invisalign knowledge is not put to use on a regular basis, it either remains theoretical or begins to fade. Orthodontists focus all their education and expertise on the movement of teeth, smile esthetics, and functional bites.

Invisalign is not something we simply dabble in. It is something we decided to specialize in several years ago, and it is a large part of our practice. Many patients prefer Invisalign because they want to straighten their teeth and correct their bite, but they don’t want to wear braces. If you go to an experienced provider, Invisalign offers a very predictable treatment with results as good as, if not better than, braces. And patients can still eat whatever they want, brush and floss their teeth like they do now, and smile confidently throughout treatment.

The photo above shows Allie, our financial coordinator, putting away one of our daily shipments from Invisalign. As you can see, we handle numerous Invisalign cases every day for satisfied patients, which is why we are an Invisalign Platinum Provider.

Invisalign, or any clear aligner company for that matter, simply provides the plastic trays to move teeth—they do not do orthodontic treatment. Who you choose for your orthodontic care is who will design your healthier, beautiful smile, so choose wisely.