Since our blog on June 8th, 2017, Smile Direct has opened up smile shop locations throughout major cities in the U.S. At these locations patients can have their teeth digitally scanned, thereby eliminating the need for the home impression kits which the company initially required.
Who Should Use Smile Direct Club?
When patients take their own impressions, they run a risk of distorting the model, which leads to aligners not fitting 100%. When the aligners do not fit as they are supposed to, teeth do not track accordingly. The digital scanning method (which SDC and our office both have) greatly improves the accuracy and fit of the aligners and would be the method of choice for all patients.
Smile Direct Club is limited to only treating cases that have a mild to moderate crowding or spacing issue. But those patients who have a more difficult treatment, Smile Direct Club might not be the way to go. One would need to seek an orthodontist to help complete their case.
Smile Direct Club may be the first choice for some because it is a nice savings for patients, but there are some disadvantages to Smile Direct Club.
(1) The patient is treated more as a customer and not as a patient.
There is no interaction with the prescribing doctor. Nor any updates on how treatment is progressing.
(2) What if the aligners don’t fit?
When (and if) a tooth is not tracking correctly during treatment, SDC cannot correct it right then and there. An orthodontist would be able to notice the issue before it got worse and could correct the aligner before treatment was finished. Our patients are seen every 8 weeks which allows our doctors to track each patient’s progress.
Let the Leading Orthodontists in Gilbertsville and Collegeville Help You Out
Today’s lifestyle is to order everything online and if many of you are members of Amazon prime, you know that you can receive pretty much anything within two days. With that being said, should one order their aligners online too? Well the answer is – it depends. Each and every person has a different type of treatment. So what worked for your neighbor, might not work for you (especially if you have a more difficult case). The more severe the condition, the more important it is to choose an orthodontist with a lot of Invisalign experience. And remember that straight teeth also need a properly functioning bite, the two go hand in hand. Come stop into our two convenient locations in Collegeville and Gilbertsville. We can answer any questions that you might have about Smile Direct club and advise on whether or not this is a good option for you based upon your needs. We have two locations to conveniently serve you:
Collegeville:
430 Park Ave #200
Collegeville, PA 19426
P 610-489-6032
Gilbertsville:
1831 Swamp Pike #200
Gilbertsville, PA 19525
P (484) 945-0336
Author: Dr. David McSurdy