Smile Direct vs Invisalign?


This tittle is a little misleading because based on a little online research it seems that presently Smile Direct trays are manufactured by Invisalign and it owns19% of Smile Direct. Smile Direct explains that their process is a more affordable version of tooth movement and is supervised by dentists via tele dentistry. Their Blog maintains that" SmileDirectClub  aligners are designed for minor to moderate teeth correction, including gaps, crowding, rotation, and some bite correction"

(In my opinion, these are the exact type of cases that Invisalign works best for, but there is a diffence in treatment protocols. Invisalign providers  often use attachments and proximal reduction to better accomplish these movements. Even so many Invisalign patients require refinements to achieve results approximating the planned results shown in their initial Clincheck. )

The Smile Direct blog goes on to explain how to start the process:

"Take our free, 30-second Smile Assessment to see if you’re a candidate. Then schedule a visit to your local SmileShop for a 3D scan of your teeth. No SmileShop near you? No problem. Purchase an at-home impression kit to make molds of your teeth that you’ll send back to us. It’s entirely risk-free: If the dentist or orthodontist determines you’re not a good fit for SmileDirectClub, we’ll refund you the cost of the impression kit. You’ll be assigned a state-licensed dentist or orthodontist." who can monitor your case remotely" (via the internet?)

The blog explains that this process is 60% less expensive than traditional orthodontics and makes the whole process seem simple. It actually seems to good to be true and if the company can actually achieve the type of results that their blog implies, without causing unintended problems, then  smile direct will be a real disrupter for licensed dentists and orthodontists who can not afford maintain private dental offices and compete financially with Smile direct.

There probably are some buyer beware cautions. Presently SmileDirect doesn't require preoperative x-rays the way that Invisalign requires, so they may not be aware of pre-existing conditions. Also one can anticipate that there will be times when a "physically present" dentist will have to interact with their patient. Does the SmileDirect have this capability? I am not sure. Also in my opinion where anterior crowding is involved I have found proximal reduction and utilization of  some attachments has often been needed, so I am not convinced that smile direct can predictably resolve all anterior crowding without using any attachments or proximal reduction.

from Ask Dr. Spindel - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/2018/10/smile-direct-vs-invisalign.html - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/

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