Cheap teeth aligners and braces - are they really worth it?

When we consider starting orthodontic treatment, one of the key determining factors when deciding on one option or another is the cost.

We might be tempted to opt for orthodontic treatment with low-cost teeth aligners or cheap braces, but we have to bear in mind that some providers of cheap dental aligners and braces don’t guarantee safety or results. While it makes sense to seek out affordable options for clear aligners or braces, orthodontic treatment must meet the necessary medical requirements to ensure that it’s safe and doesn’t put the patient’s oral health at risk.

In this article, we’ll review the average price of orthodontic treatments, the risks that cheap teeth aligners or at-home braces without medical supervision can pose for our oral health, and what requirements should be taken into account when it comes to making a decision.

The average cost of orthodontics

To avoid putting your oral health at risk with low-cost teeth aligners or braces that have questionable medical backing, below we give you a guideline on how safe and reliable orthodontic treatment should be priced.

In the UK, the cost of orthodontic treatment generally falls between £1,500 and £10,000. However, you should bear in mind that different factors can affect the price:

• The type of orthodontic treatment: traditional metal braces, self-litigating braces, lingual braces, clear braces or clear aligners.
• The equipment and devices used for diagnosis at the clinic.
  
• The location of the clinic and the specialists working there.
  
• The complexity of the case and the duration of the treatment.
  
• The age of the patient.
  

If you find a cheaper price for invisible teeth aligners or braces that are inexpensive, you should tread with caution as, while the teeth alignment treatment is cheap, you need to ensure that it fulfils the minimum requirements to guarantee oral health and safety.

Do cheap teeth aligners and braces work? The risks involved

Here you’ll find out about the dangers cheap clear aligners or braces that do not meet medical requirements can have on oral health.

Inexpensive teeth aligners or cheap braces without medical supervision can cause the following problems:

• Orthodontic problems: cheap teeth aligners used to straighten teeth at home can aggravate the original problem or cause new issues to develop.
• Oral health risks: Tooth sensitivity, tooth decay or tooth loss can occur. The gums can also be affected by gingivitis, gum recession or worsening of periodontitis.
  
• Functional risks: speech, chewing, swallowing and breathing can all be impacted by cheap dental aligners that do not meet medical standards.
  
• Aesthetic risks: the appearance of the face can be altered if the position of the teeth is modified using cheap teeth aligners at home and without medical supervision.
  

So, if you were wondering, “do cheap teeth aligners work and are they safe?”, now you know that there are risks involved in undergoing cheap teeth alignment treatment with inexpensive clear aligners or braces that don’t involve medical supervision. To find out more about the risks, you can take a look at our article about the risks of using cheap aligners to straighten teeth at home and without medical supervision.

Requirements for a safe orthodontic treatment

If you find inexpensive teeth aligners or braces, here you’ll find out what requirements you need to look our for to ensure that they’re safe, efficient and reliable:

• Professional diagnosis: many orthodontic treatments using cheap dental aligners or braces to straighten the teeth do not involve a medical diagnosis and can compromise your safety. A face-to-face visit for an oral examination by an orthodontist and an orthopantomography are essential for a safe diagnosis and treatment.
• Appropriate impression of the teeth: Some low-cost providers of teeth aligners require the patient to make an impression of their teeth at home. This should be avoided. A qualified orthodontist should make the impression of your teeth in a dental clinic, using either moulds or 3D printing.
  
• Personalised treatment: the treatment plan and aligners must be designed and produced according to the individual needs of each patient. In addition, complex treatments may require the extra elements, such as attachments or intermaxillary rubber bands. Cheap and pre-designed teeth aligners offered by some orthodontic companies should be avoided, as all teeth are different. Aligners are not one-size-fits-all and can be counterproductive if they are not personalised to each case.
  
• Ongoing professional monitoring: The treatment provider should ensure that a qualified professional monitors the progress of treatment to assess whether the treatment is progressing as it should.
  
• Clinic visits: There are some providers offering cheap teeth alignment with invisible aligners that do not have any physical clinics. At Impress, we believe it is essential for all cases to have at least the first visit in person and, in addition, complex cases should be able to visit the clinic from time to time. There are cases that can be monitored mostly digitally with medical supervision from home, whereas some will require more clinic visits to ensure they are developing correctly.
  

Impress, affordable clear aligners with medical guarantee

At Impress, we are aware that price is an important deciding factor when it comes to starting orthodontic treatment. This is why we offer orthodontic treatments like clear aligners at affordable prices, but always ensure we meet the requirements when it comes to safety, professionalism and efficiency:

• We have an experienced medical team that diagnoses, plans and supervises your treatment.
• We produce personalised aligners with top precision.
  
• We offer medical supervision of your treatment from start to finish, either via our app or in one of our clinics.
  
• We guarantee that your first diagnostic visit will be face-to-face in one of our clinics or partner clinics, and with an orthodontist from our team.
  

In addition, at Impress we offer fixed prices with no surprises as well as different financing options, so that we can adapt as much as possible to the needs of each of our patients...

If you are thinking about affordable clear aligners, but you want to do the treatment safely, you can contact us without obligation and we will assess your specific case. You can contact us by calling on +44 20 3808 1072 or by WhatsApp, sending us an email to london@smile2impress.com, or by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you at your nearest Impress clinic!