Invisalign vs Braces
Who should I choose to do my Invisalign or braces, or orthodontic treatment?
A dentist?
An orthodontist?
Which orthodontist?
Many dentists are now offering Invisalign or Clear Correct or clear aligners or braces to their patients and are NOT orthodontist specialists. They are licensed dentists and may be exceptional dentists, trusted and admired and loved by their patients but it is very difficult to be good at everything (eg all aspects of dentistry and orthodontics). Dentists are trained in dentistry. Orthodontic specialists are dentists that were selected and have gone back to university and chosen to specialize only in orthodontics and they do not do general dentistry, only orthodontics.
Choose a University-trained orthodontist that is an exclusive specialist instead. There are many good reasons for this:
- An orthodontic specialist is much better qualified and much better trained and much more experienced provided you choose an orthodontist that is university trained with formal specialized training of at least two to three years. Then choose an orthodontist that has been in practice for many years with extensive experience. If an orthodontist has been practicing orthodontics for more than 20 years and has had a chance to treat and see his or her results, 20 or more years after treatment is completed – he or she will generally have a much better appreciation for what works for your individual case.
Choose an orthodontist specialist that is kind and interested in showing you options and alternatives and willing to spend time educating you, and help you decide what may work best for you or your children.
If it is for your children, an orthodontist and his staff (team) that is exceptional, can have an enormous impact on your child’s development. Each visit he or she can also spend lots of time, encouraging, educating, inspiring, teaching and reinforcing good oral hygiene habits and excellent compliance.
Parents, and children, as they grow up, have told us about the enormous impact their orthodontist had on their lives and how much they enjoyed the experience. Others have commented how mediocre or negative their experience was, for numerous reasons, including poor results and extended length of time wearing braces. Modern technology and an exceptional orthodontist can make the world of difference. Treatment times can be significantly reduced, with stellar results and the experience can be very positive in every respect.
Questions:
Which braces are best?
What about Invisalign, or Clear Correct or Smile Direct or Byte or Snap Correct or Candid Company or The Invisible Orthodontist or 360 Orthodontics.
Which is the cheapest?
Does consumer direct, or do-it-yourself kits or Smile Direct work?
What are the dangers?
Should I let a dentist rather than a specialist (orthodontist) do my Invisalign or braces?
Why not?
Is a dentist good enough to do Invisalign? Is a dentist cheaper than a specialist (orthodontist)?
Answers:
Invisalign vs Braces.
Which is better?
The best way to find out is to contact me, either online digitally or in person (call 310-454-0317 or e-mail DoctorRichardJacobson@yahoo.com). You can schedule an online conference call or send me a photograph of your teeth and smile and face and schedule a follow-up telephone consultation.
I have proprietary simulation software and a comprehensive library of over 5,000 patients, immaculately documented, including ‘like and similar’ cases to yours, that I can compare your case to. I also have extensive experience treating thousands of patients and tracking their short term and long term results over more than 30 years. I can also give you a very good idea of the cost and time to improve or correct your teeth, smile and/or bite and options of treatment.
What orthodontic treatment is best?
What is the most cost-effective?
The key to straightening your teeth correctly – including making certain that your bite is optimal and functional for your health and well-being over your lifetime, is always, selecting the best orthodontic
specialist (not dentist) and not consumer-direct companies that advertise or companies that advertise that they use a dentist or orthodontist for their setups and then send the aligners to you or hand them to you to wear.
Why?
There are literally many thousands of combinations of corrections possible for any one person. You may think that there cannot be so many variables to correcting e.g. a simple set of slightly crowded teeth. But there are. Choosing that optimal combination for variables to correct your teeth or smile or bite is so important and can often be done in less time and with less cost if analyzed and Rx correctly. It truly is an art and a science.
The correct combination of variable incorporated in your correction can last a lifetime and feel good, look natural and function optimally for your unique condition. This is true for Invisalign or braces or any orthodontic appliance or clear aligner.
Some people believe that the results of Invisalign by one doctor will be the same as the results of another doctor, and this is NOT so. That is like giving two artists the same oil paint and brushes, with the same model and model lighting. The results will be very different.
Invisalign vs Braces effectiveness
It is not the plastic aligners or Invisalign plastic that is critical to the success of your treatment. It is the specialist, of course. It is what the specialist chooses to do with the plastic aligners or braces or Invisalign that is important. And there are literally thousands of different possible combinations including nuances, some significant and some less so, that can be incorporated into your results.
Generally, plastic aligners are NOT as efficient at all tooth movements than traditional braces. However, a very skillful and highly experienced orthodontist can learn how to manipulate clear aligners and Invisalign aligners in a way that he or she can obtain excellent results. That specialist will specifically study and prescribe exactly what he or she recommends. You may be surprised to know that there are literally thousands of combinations of variable outcomes to consider and specify in correcting even simple amounts of misalignment. A specialist must take a detailed history, and complete a detailed personal examination, with appropriate records in order to arrive at a diagnosis, and formulate his or her individualized treatment plan and then incorporate bite balancing and teeth and jaw adjustments that are best done by a highly trained, and very experienced specialist.
