Life is always changing! The last post, I wrote about what has changed and what is new in my life and in the practice. Well, we have a new addition to the family! A couple of weeks ago we adopted a wonderful dog, who we have named Tippy (the name is a long story so if you want to know more ask me in the office). She was surrendered to the rescue as her original owner could not take care of her anymore due to health concerns. It was an interesting first few days but she has settled in beautifully and the kids love her! The cat, very much on the fence still… Hopefully in time.
We get a lot of people in the office who are interested in Invisalign, and why not? Invisalign has come a very long way in the last few years and has become a very effective treatment option for a large percentage of people seeking orthodontic treatment. This includes adults and teenagers. A question that we get on occasion (and I’m sure people are thinking more than they ask) is: my dentist does Invisalign, isn’t it all the same? The answer is a complicated yes, and no. How can this be, you ask? Let’s dive into it.
Invisalign is a treatment option that is composed of a series of clear aligners. These clear aligner sequentially, and slowly move your teeth into their new positions. The aligners are changed weekly since the average amount of movement per aligner for each tooth is approximately .25mm (a very small amount). While it is true that the Invisalign that you from Dentist A is the same as from Orthodontist B, which is the same as you would get from TDR; the truth is that the result for the same case can be very different between the three offices.
The reason for the difference is that there are varying levels of experience using Invisalign as a treatment option. The way that Invisalign works is we collect a set of records and intraoral scan (those messy impressions haven’t been around at TDR for years). This data is sent to Invisalign where a technician works up the case according to your preferences and instructions. Here is where the big difference comes: the more Invisalign you do the greater the chances that you have a dedicated team of technicians to work with who learn your preferences and techniques and the more knowledge that we have as providers as to what movements are predictable/less predictable. The software automatically suggests attachments according to advanced algorithms that have been developed over the last 20 years and 3 million cases treated. However, even the best software can’t trump years of clinical experience with the system. At TDR, we work closely with our dedicated techs and customize each treatment plan according to what the goals are. The Invisalign technicians may be very good, but they have no official orthodontic training and may now know what is viable in the real world versus the digital world. This is something that not every Invisalign provider can claim. It is much more common for providers to simply accept the initial plan that is generated by the Invisalign technician versus modifying and perfecting the plan according to the provider’s experience. We take great care to ensure that every patient experiences efficient and effective Invisalign (and braces) treatment. In fact, TDR is among the top 1% of Invisalign providers in North America and consistently the top Invisalign provider in the Midwest. That is a lot of smiles created!
So now you understand how the answer to: Isn’t all Invisalign the same? Is a resounding yes, and a very convincing no at the same time!
If you are interested in a complimentary evaluation for Invisalign (or braces) please give our office a call!