Selfies And The Rise Of Orthodontic Treatments
Be careful how you achieve that great ‘selfie’ smile!
Dental braces have been around for many years now, but for quite a while, the only people who were happy to have them typically had teeth that were badly crooked and so very detrimental to their appearance.
Minor imperfections such as slightly overlapping teeth, were more likely to have been accepted by most people as just ‘one of those things’, and one that didn’t warrant treatment.
Things have changed though and one of these is the rise of the ‘selfie’ on social media. Not only are these images very often close up and very revealing of any flaws in your smile, but are also there for others to comment on, and those comments can often be very far from complimentary!
A business article out recently has claimed that a large American firm who ‘specialise’ in ‘online orthodontics’ has been successful, largely due to the popularity of the selfie. In today’s blog we will look not only at why you might want to improve your smile through orthodontics, but why you should do so using a reputable dentist such as those in the team here at our Greenwich dental surgery.
The Selfie smile
Especially if you are someone in the public eye; if you post a selfie, you can almost guarantee that not only will your fans be complimentary about it, but a whole host of others, sometimes deemed to be ‘trolls’, will do exactly the opposite. Although we might consider ourselves to be thick skinned, it really isn’t any fun being attacked by hundreds of people because of our appearance. This is probably one of the reasons that we are seeing an increase in the number of people expressing interest in our modern braces treatments.
Whilst some treatments are predominantly used to realign teeth that have become significantly crooked and uneven, there is also a wide range of orthodontics that are great for those minor imperfections that can spoil an otherwise attractive smile. One of the most popular of these is the Inman Aligner.
Unlike many orthodontics that can take a year or more to work, the Inman Aligner is designed to correct the appearance of the bottom and top front teeth, commonly known as the ‘social six’.
It is a removable brace which means that you can take it out to clean your teeth. This is important as tooth decay can occur more easily for those who wear fixed braces. Depending on the type of misalignment problem, the treatment time for this particular type of dental brace is between 8 and 16 weeks, often significantly less than most.
You will need to see one of our experienced dental team to make sure that this is the right approach for you, but if your issue is relatively minor, this may well be the best method available to give you straighter teeth.
Use a qualified dentist
It is important to remember that it is not only the way that your teeth look that is important, but the health of them too. This is highlighted in the concerns some have about the company mentioned at the start of this blog which provides orthodontics either from impressions that the patient takes themselves and returns by post, or by visiting one of their centres. What concerns many dental professionals most though, is that there is no ‘hands on’ supervision during the treatment. Instead, the patient sends photographs which are then checked remotely by a dentist.
Like many others, our Confidental Clinic dentists have concerns about this approach. It is difficult to see how an accurate assessment can be made from a 2D photograph, and only by checking the actual teeth can we be sure that things are going as they should and that no adjustments need making.
Of course, both for the company and the patient, there are cost cutting benefits to this ‘remote’ approach and a high profile social media campaign has certainly boosted their presence. There are arguably significant risks for the patient though, and the company has come under fire from the medical community for their approach, noting the problems of incorrect bites and gum loss where orthodontic treatment has not been carried out correctly.
Although we completely understand the appeal of a cheaper method of teeth straightening, we also feel that the risks simply aren’t worth it. Even the initial diagnosis shouldn’t be carried out remotely and you may require more extensive correction than these aligners are capable of.
Our patients should always remember that their teeth are important and, like the rest of your health, should not be taken lightly. Our dentists have undergone many years of training and many years of experience working in clinics and practices UK-wide. We strongly believe in ‘hands on’ examinations for our patients to make sure that they receive the right treatment.
If cost is a deterrent to getting your teeth straightened, please talk to us. We offer a range of financial plans that can help you to spread the cost of your treatment over a longer period of time. This helps to negate the need to seek out cheaper options. It simply isn’t worth taking any risks in our opinion.
To find out more about our orthodontic treatments and our payment plans, please call the Confidental Clinic on 020 8858 1422.