In the last few years, people have been excited by the opportunity to get their teeth straightened using braces-by-mail services instead of going to the dentist for orthodontic treatment. Now, with additional concerns related to COVID-19, this might seem like a more attractive alternative for straightening teeth than ever.
However, it’s still best to see a dentist for teeth straightening. Here’s why.
Coronavirus Risks Minimal at Dentist
The truth is that although there are potential risks from visiting the dentist right now, the actual risks are very minimal. There is still no confirmed case of coronavirus transmission at a dentist’s office. A few potential cases have been mentioned, but when the CDC has investigated, they turned out to not be related to the dental office.
This is in part because dentists are very aware of the potential risks and have done many things to mitigate them. At Irresistible Smiles, we follow all the recommended strategies for reducing the transmission of coronavirus at our office. This means that the risk of visiting our office is minimal, and shouldn’t be much of a consideration when looking at your options for orthodontics.
The risk for orthodontics is further reduced by the fact that you don’t have to visit our office very often to complete your treatment. If you choose Invisalign, you can take several aligners home at a time, spacing out the visits to our office by several months.
Not Big Savings for Mail Service
The big selling point for using orthodontic treatment by mail is that it’s supposedly much cheaper than going to the dentist. However, people who have done comparison shopping say that the savings might be minimal, perhaps $100 or so. It’s our experience that our fees are comparable to the cost of using this service.
They advertise big savings by contrasting the cost of a full orthodontic treatment against their costs. However, this isn’t a fair comparison, because the full orthodontic treatment is only necessary for cases they can’t handle anyway. When you look at the costs for treating the same case, you will see that the difference is small.
Benefits of Seeing a Dentist
And while you’re not paying much more to get orthodontic treatment from a dentist, you are getting many benefits. First, you have the option to talk to a dentist about your case and learn all your alternatives. This might include “instant orthodontics” with porcelain veneers and/or dental crowns.
In addition, a dentist can monitor your treatment and make sure that it’s progressing as it should. We can make adjustments as necessary to help ensure you get the results you want. And we can make sure your teeth stay healthy during treatment and give you advice for caring for your oral health during orthodontic treatment.
Risks of Braces-by-Mail
On the other hand, without much savings, it’s probably not worth the risks to get orthodontic treatment at home. We don’t want to focus on these risks too much, but you can check out the risks.
It’s a bad bargain to give up the benefits of seeing a dentist and take on risks for minimal savings.
You’re Welcome at Irresistible Smiles
Irresistible Smiles’ offices in Chula Vista is open for orthodontic treatment.
To learn more about getting orthodontic treatment at this time, please call (619) 656-6785 today for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at Irresistible Smiles.