Yes; we have offered clear braces (both the Invisalign based transparent aligners and the glass-ceramic options) for many years, seeing patients from the first assessment to completion of orthodontics. One of our medical team Dr Recheal Ibbotson has made Invisalign her speciality. So why would there be any downside to invisible braces?

Why are there doubts about clear aligners?

For a well-established treatment method, it seems strange to us at Clapham South Dental Centre that there would be any doubts but there seems to be confusion in the public consensus. Invisible orthodontic procedures are not a new or untested treatment- the first of the aligners called plastic sprinters were trialled in the ’60s, with there being attempts to fashion clear braces from glass for over 100 years before this.

These earlier attempts were unsuccessful but many decades of iteration has gone into creating the approved treatments which we use in our clinic today.

Aligners to your door

What has developed in dentistry over the last 5 or so years is DIY or at-home orthodontics. It’s a variation on the method that Invisalign uses to produce clear aligners. After registering and making a payment online, a manufactured dental mould kit is sent out to you; these are simplified compared to the ones that we use in our surgery.

You’re expected to take your own dental mould and post back the kit, so the scanning and creation of the aligner can take place.

Bigger picture

The idea of sending of mould to have various pieces of dental equipment made in a dental lab by a technician or a 3D printer is not out of the ordinary- we do it all the time. But taking that mechanism and lifting it out of dental practitioners hands causes some obvious problems.

The first is the underlying motive of the practitioner; the dentist has a full array of treatment options available and, even if the best option for your teeth is to do nothing, they will not be paid compensation to inform you of that fact. An aligner manufacturer does not and has a more financially based interest in you using their service.

Our Clear Braces in Clapham come from local dentists, serving their local community and must put their reputation above making a quick sale.

Clear aligner lawsuits

Different nations regulate orthodontics differently, one of the largest providers of at-home aligners globally has run afoul of this. By moving all aspects of the pre-screening and suitability assessment to a company owned mobile app, they have lost the right to provide orthodontic aligners in USA and India.

This matter of business law and regulation seems to have had a damaging effect of the perceived trustworthiness of Clear Braces in Clapham. This is uncalled for, as it is not the effectiveness of the treatment when used appropriately which is in question. Only the business practises of the manufacturers who choose to work outside the established dental institutions and their safeguards.

We are more than happy to provide Invisalign to our patients, as this company works exclusively within dental clinics.