Hi Dawn. Thanks for a very interesting question and one that is receiving a lot of attention lately. These new DIY places are starting to inundate the orthodontic community right now, trying to make a quick dollar in our opinion, taking advantage of the unknowing buyer and possibly causing long term harm. One of the major problems is that sometimes it’s unhealthy to move teeth. These places are only seeing pictures of the teeth, rather than evaluating the conditions of the mouth through a proper exam and x-rays. You can actually cause cause bone, gum, or tooth loss if moving teeth in unhealthy situations. The other major issue is that these places are only concerned with moving the front six teeth into a better position. This is how they keep the cost and time down. Again, this can lead to major problems with the supporting structure of your teeth, excessive long term wearing of the enamel, and possible problems with the functioning of your bite and jaw joint. Your teeth may look better for a while, but may not last you for so long. Would you want to do this kind of treatment on any other part of your body? If you really sit back and think about it, having someone remotely (could be anywhere in the world) treat you through pictures, possibly and likely someone who is not even a trained DR., only concerned with the appearance of you front six teeth, doesn’t sound like a good idea to us. We pride ourselves on a thorough examination and diagnosis of the entire mouth, teeth, and bite and treating you to the best and healthiest smile and bite possible. We also value the relationship with our patients we create and look forward to working together to achieve the best possible outcome that can be achieved.
