SmileMeUp

SmileMeUp is a do-it-your-self aligner for which you take dental impressions at home with an impression set in order to return it to the company. Further support is provided via an app or – if available – a partner dentist on site. Like all do-it-your-self-aligners, SmileMeUp is only suitable for simple treatments that can be performed with simple tilting tooth movements. The limited range of applications is due to the fact that SmileMeUp does not require attachments on the teeth, so that complex tooth movements such as angulation control, torque and intrusion are hardly possible.

Like all do-it-your-self-aligners, SmileMeUp undercuts standard 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 also results in a number of disadvantages, which we have summarised in our warning notice.

Web: smilemeup.com

Warning notice on do-it-your-self-aligners: Orthodontic treatments are always dental procedures. 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 all do-it-your-self-aligners 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/