If you're considering straightening your teeth, you may be wondering if clear aligners are a safe option. The good news is that research has shown that clear aligners are generally safe. However, there are some potential risks associated with using them, and it's important to be aware of these before you start treatment. Clear aligners are a popular choice for teeth straightening because they are less visible than traditional braces and can be removed for eating and cleaning.
However, if they are used for a long period of time, they can affect gum health and lead to problems such as periodontitis and gingivitis. A study conducted with aligners reported that they can also weaken tooth roots, which can cause slow resorption of dental roots over time. Another potential risk of using mail-order aligners is the lack of supervision during treatment. When you receive treatment from an orthodontist's office, they require routine appointments to ensure that your teeth move at the safest and most efficient pace.
An orthodontist will adjust your treatment plan as needed along the way, but this isn't possible with homemade home aligners. With mail-in aligners, teeth can move slower or faster than expected, and you can develop gum disease or tooth decay without any orthodontist or dentist being able to treat you because they can't see your teeth. It's normal to sometimes have moderate bleeding and swelling of the gums while wearing clear aligners, especially during the first few days of using a new tray. The movement of gum tissue can cause additional sensitivity and bleeding around the affected region where the movement occurs.
Poor home care can also cause bleeding. The edges of the trays can sometimes rub, scratch and cut against certain surfaces of the mouth, so it's important to make sure they fit properly and are trimmed or flattened as needed. If the bleeding and swelling are deep and persist for weeks, it could be a sign of neglect of oral hygiene on your part or a symptom of periodontal disease that persists and resists your oral hygiene efforts. I would suggest to anyone that no treatment is much safer than unsupervised treatment.
It's important to remember that clear aligners may not be suitable for everyone's needs. Companies that offer clear aligners should only be used under the supervision of a licensed and experienced orthodontist to ensure safe, quality treatment. Your orthodontist may want to treat severe periodontal disease before beginning treatment with a clear aligner, as well as adjust your treatment plan as needed along the way. Periodontal ligament tissue will need time to acclimate and stabilize to the new position of the teeth, so the same transparent alignment trays are used for a few weeks before changing them.
But despite all that, it would be a misnomer to say that clear aligners could directly cause gum disease. In addition to being generally safe, clear aligners may even improve your dental health in some cases. One of the great advantages of removable clear aligners for many patients is the smoother relationship between the appliance and their teeth. However, if it turns out that you use a mail-order aligner kit and end up with teeth that look worse than before or have serious orthodontic problems because the aligners are too tight, you may need to undergo regular orthodontic treatment in addition to paying for mail-order aligners - meaning double the cost.
