dr smile
dr smile is an aligner product, for which a 3D scan is made in one of 11 German partner practices. This scan is processed centrally and the dr smile aligner is then offered to the patients in the partner practices. Like all aligners that work without attachments, dr smile is only suitable for simple treatments that can be performed with simple tilting tooth movements. In any case, this is only a small part of the wide range of malocclusions that adults want to have corrected.
Similar to other do-it-your-self-aligners, dr smile undercuts usual prices in orthodontic practices by 30-50%. Since there is hardly any room for savings in production, savings must of course be made elsewhere, and this can only be in the practices – mainly by minimizing contact with the doctor and by having non-specialized dentists provide support. Of course, this can also result in a number of disadvantages, which we have summarised in our warning notice.
Link: www.drsmile.de
Warning notice on do-it-your-self-aligners: Orthodontic treatment is always also dental surgery. Who is responsible for accompanying dental diagnostics during do-it-your-self-aligner treatment? Who takes care of bad fillings/crowns, caries, periodontitis and temporomandibular joint diseases? Who makes the patients fit in their dental care so that no damage occurs? The care is often not provided by orthodontists, but by non-specialized dentists – who guarantees that they have a sufficient knowledge of the special field of orthodontics?
Since do-it-your-self-aligners all do not use attachments (small glued-on buttons for precise anchoring) on the teeth, complex tooth movements are basically impossible with these products. The result will be that the teeth will regularly be tilted (expanded) strongly outwards, which in the long term can lead to receding gums and exposed tooth necks. Who takes responsibility for this?
The care is usually provided via an app. An app cannot be used to reduce the enamel, which is often necessary to gain space, nor can it be used to attach the fixed retainers that are necessary for stabilisation after the end of treatment.
Patients with very simple positional deviations can therefore possibly save some money with do-it-your-self-aligners, but in return they receive much reduced care and may pay with limited quality of results and all the disadvantages of remote care. This is certainly not the orthodontic treatment of the future!
Critical thoughts on do-it-yourself orthodontics:
kevinobrienorthoblog.com/do-it-yourself-orthodontics
kevinobrienorthoblog.com/do-it-yourself-orthodontics-revisited-invisalign-and-smile-direct-club/
www.zm-online.de/usa-aligner-therapie-zum-selbermachen/