Why you should never get your aligners in the post all at once

So you’re interested in getting clear aligners to perfect your smile? If you’re considering getting all the aligners in one go, stop and think. If you’re offered all the aligners at once, some alarm bells should sound. Let’s examine why this is the case and how technology can be used to ensure optimum teeth straightening results when receiving aligners in the post.

#1 What are aligners in the post?

In order to save time and money, it’s now possible to order aligners online based on an impression of your teeth. You receive an impression kit at home, and a smile simulation showing you how your smile will look with straight teeth. To make it as convenient as possible, the aligners are carefully labelled and packaged to be shipped directly to your doorstep, so all you need to do is wear them as prescribed by your monitoring dentist.

#2 What exactly are you buying?

Although you’re buying aligners, you’re actually receiving much more than just a product. We believe you’re investing in your individually best smile, not just plastic in the post. You’re buying the end result, and that’s why we designed the Straight Teeth Direct™ integrated teledentistry system.

Aligners play a vital role in achieving your straightest smile, but everyone’s response varies. In some situations, teeth don’t move the ways the computer model predicted, which means that future aligners won’t fit or sit in place properly. Verifying the position of your teeth throughout treatment is called “tracking”, and it’s why you need to be supervised by a dentist every step of the way to ensure you are progressing correctly. In a clinic, your dentist has to reboot the case and order ‘refinement or midcourse corrections’ if you progress differently than expected. These refinement aligners are additional sets of aligners that are fitted to help stubborn teeth complete necessary movements. But what does that mean for aligners in the post?

A frequent problem people have with aligners in the post is that they receive all of them at once, so what happens if some of them don’t fit? Are they sent back to be replaced by new ones? Does this cost more money? Can you even continue treatment? Let’s take a closer look…

#3 Tele-monitoring your aligner treatment

At Straight Teeth Direct™, our goal is to use technology to make orthodontics accessible and affordable as well as high quality. We guarantee your end results based on original predictions. That’s why you are monitored through the world’s first teeth straightening app by a dentist who makes sure your teeth are moving along the forecasted route. It’s kind of like following the GPS when you’re driving – if you take a wrong turn your car recalculates the new direction and route. It’s the same with Straight Teeth Direct™: your aligners are sent in stages, so that your progress can be verified or adjusted step by step, and you can feel confident in your treatment.

In the instance that some teeth don’t move as predicted, your dentist can feed the information into the system to request power features in the aligners, which are individually programmed aligners to ensure certain specific types of movements. This AIM system (Aligner Intelligent Monitoring) keeps you on track. It’s part of what is known as Industry 4.0, a smart system where the results are tracked and used to make changes to the production of the future aligners. This way, no aligners are wasted because they are only ever manufactured in pre-approved stages based on individual treatment progress, saving you both time and money.

So, if you’re told that you will receive all your aligners in the post in one go, it’s time to look elsewhere. Make sure you do your homework and check where you’re getting your aligners from. For a great place to start if you want to learn more about getting aligners in the post and what to be aware of, check out our blogs on The 10 most common customer complaints with aligner at home companies and What can go wrong with braces in clinic VS mail order braces. Remember: if you want to save money by straightening your teeth from home, always make sure you still do it under the step by step supervision of a dentist!

Invisible aligners don’t have to be expensive or difficult to buy. Why not complete your free e-consultation today to find out if you’re suitable for affordable, clear aligners in the post!