Mail Order Smiles?

Okay, this effort might not be 100% politically correct; it’s all about you (the consumer) providing your own imitation Invisalign care. But I won’t be mobilizing dentists of sound minds against deep state organizations encouraging folks to do their own freakin’ Orthodontics…not yet anyway.

If your vision is receiving successful clear aligner orthodontics with closely supervised care following a thoughtful diagnosis and a shared conversation addressing possibilities and expectations; hate to break it to you, but you’re gonna need to see a dentist. And, if the journey to properly aligned dental arches and straight teeth includes the use of proven methods, the best materials, the latest technology, and the most complete research, Invisalign care will be your resounding choice.

The lab fee for Invisalign care closely approximates the total “patient” fee when the choice is one of the many do-it-yourself models running wild on social media. The “remote” care models began surfacing straight outta the dental geological goo in October 2017, following the expiration of various Invisalign design and manufacturing patents. After consistently contributing thoughtful commentary on any and all DIY posts, I’m positive I’ve been blocked by them all.

What’s frustrating is seeing people with the best intentions; looking for health, happiness, and being more fully self-expressed, settle for less than what they deserve. When a perceived cost objection is met with a low-price tag and basically a fraction of the value coming from 23-years of Invisalign research and development, the choices people make should arrive with some education.

The colleagues I know see patients as family. We learn far more from a conversation before, during, and after our viewing a screen together with our patients and learning from an oral health scan than we can by sending you a kit and asking you to do our work. Our training is ongoing and it’s only natural to share with family.

I’ve been providing dental care since the Reagan Administration and Invisalign care since 2002. But I’ve never taken my own impression and my selfies aren’t up to much more than minor league Instagram standards. We’ve won awards and I mentor other Invisalign providers, but I’d never provide my own Invisalign care. If I’m proceeding with dental care that impacts my health, standard of life, and maybe even the length of my life; I need ongoing conversation and supervision.

The irony of an Invisalign cost objection is the number of ways Invisalign care can be tailored financially to a range of lifestyles and budgets. With no down payment required and monthly payments the equivalent of little more than a Latte per day with available financing, why not choose the best alternative, not the cheapest? And the cheapest choice won’t necessarily account for your final orthodontic experience; your second experience might need to be Invisalign (as a fixer upper.)

One of my first non-Von Bulow mentors told a story about his early life in Mesquite, Texas. Seems there was an experienced, talented stylist in town who provided first-class haircuts for $20. Eventually, a “managed care” stylist rolled into town, advertised like crazy, and told all Mesquite they did haircuts for 10-bucks. The ole boy Mesquite stylist thought about it for a little while and then posted a sign reading, “We Fix $10 Haircuts.”

Please think twice before you spend a substantial fee for the equivalent of a “$10 haircut.”

When I was just starting out in the 80s and long before Invisalign was a glimmer, Nancy Reagan used to say. “Just say no.” All I ask is that you simply give some thought to the important choices you make that impact your health.