People of all ages have come to realize that feeling shy in public have something to do with teeth alignment. Over the years, crooked teeth had come to be recognized as one of the reasons why people are bullied. In recent years, both children and adults have crowded orthodontist’s offices for relief of the state of their teeth alignments that gave them psychosocial problems. Studies have shown that the reasons for seeking treatment were one or more of the following: (1) crooked teeth, (2) spaced teeth, (3) protruding jaw, or (4) dentist referral for orthodontic consultation for aesthetic improvement. For many of these problems, teeth aligners were offered as solutions. So, how much do teeth aligners cost?
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What are teeth aligners?
Teeth aligners have come into use as a form of treatment for mild teeth disorders like crooked teeth in both children and adults. While teeth retainers keep the teeth in place, teeth aligners make the teeth move so as the alignment desired will be achieved. Teeth aligners have been shown effective for moderate crowding of the front teeth, but less effective than conventional braces for serious teeth alignment problems. In general, for serious dental problems, first braces are employed, then retainers, then aligners.
Some teeth aligners are called clear aligners, like Invisalign®, others are called invisible aligners, like that of AlignerCo. Invisalign® uses thin, transparent plastic shells to move teeth in small increments when worn consistently. Other materials are used for other brands.
Teeth aligners are removable devices attached to the teeth, but aside from being removable, they are usually changed at regular intervals, usually weekly, or once in two weeks. These are attached after a model of the teeth is mapped out, usually done digitally these days, and a mold of the teeth is cast using medical-grade polyurethane materials. The aligner is designed in such a way that the teeth will slowly move towards the desired alignment.
How do aligners work?
The design of the teeth aligners require that it put enough pressure on the teeth. This pressure is transferred to the roots of the teeth and unto the jaw bone which responds in such a manner as to make the teeth move by themselves. Aligners are designed to make small movements at a time, by putting gentle pressure on the teeth. That pressure is transferred through roots of the teeth to the jaws. The jaw bone responds to this pressure by essentially moving the sockets and this moves the teeth along. This mechanism requires that the material used for aligners should be good enough to exert the initial pressure required. This partially explains the cost of aligners.
The extent of work the aligner is expected to do also explains the other part of the cost because it will dictate the number of times the aligners are changed. Usually the number of aligners used will run from 10 to 50. The frequency of change depends on how good the materials used were, how well the teeth were mapped, what kind of food are eaten, the kind of jaw movements in the day, and how consistently the aligners are worn, which usually should be at all hours of the days except when eating and cleaning the teeth.
How Much Does the Treatment with Aligners Cost?
Unlike braces and retainers which could be permanently in place for years, teeth aligners are all removable and are only put to use for a short length of time, say 2 to 7 weeks, the most. In some cases, the treatment requires a series of aligners.
Some tooth problems, however, can be solved by applying aligners alone and in this way, tooth aligners are the cheapest device to straighten what is crooked in the mouth.
The total cost maybe forbidding to some but some dentists or orthodontists offer dental plans for teeth aligner installation. The overall cost depends on the degree of damage to be solved, the kind of materials to be used, the kind of services required, and after application services. Other expenses, of course, will include expenses for meeting the dentist or orthodontist whether online or in the office.
The main questions to ask in determining the cost is this: How much of your confidence is determined by your teeth? How much do you value your mental health? To what extent can you sacrifice (perhaps your time, talent, and treasure) to make your teeth formation look better?
While there are a lot of options for treatment, there are also a lot of aligner services to choose from. Some accept insurance plans, others have dental plans and promotional discounts, while others have innovative solutions like online services that reduce the cost.
In general, aligner treatment run from 1000 USD to 5000 USD or 500 to 1500 Euros. Over at Straight My Teeth, they offer a plan for 67 Euros a month or 799 Euros for the whole package treatment. At AlignerCo, the plan is 1150 USD or $110 per month for invisible aligners. Candid Co has a plan for 1900 USD while SmileLove has offered it for 1450 USD recently although the regular plan was for $1895.
For clear aligners, Invisalign is the most popular brand. Quotes for the whole Invisalign treatment package have been shown to run from $3,000 to $8,000. Insurance for this treatment may cover as much as $1600 and some clinics offer discounts. In India, Invisalign treatment costs reportedly range from Rs.150,000-Rs.350,000.
Pros and Cons of Teeth Aligners
The decision for a teeth aligner treatment only rest on two issues: aesthetics and economics. Behind aesthetics of course can be a psychological harvest from having good vibes from people due to a confident smile and spontaneous laughter and behind the issue of economics is cost, sacrifice and, perhaps, some discomfort due to the sacrifices to be made.
The question of orthodontic treatment being behind psychosocial goals has long been debated in academic halls but the answers have always been that aesthetics often plays a pivotal role in a patient’s decision to seek orthodontic treatment, even in cases of clear medical necessity and that the motivation to improve one’s aesthetics has clearly a psychosocial origin. Other studies have confirmed that dental aesthetics contributes to physical health, and beauty and is, therefore, a key factor to overall physical attractiveness. Since all of that contribute to self-esteem, then dental aesthetics affects one’s overall sense of well-being. Can there be anything that can be said against it?
Smile aesthetics, which may light up a room, is important not only to the one smiling but also to the people smiled upon. No smile, however, sincere is more perfect than with healthy, perfectly aligned teeth. This smile has to be balanced with the cost of that smile.
Smile economics, therefore, is the other side of the balance. The smile is also not healthy even with a perfect set of teeth if the eyes and the eyebrows project worry and anxiety for the mounting bills. The trick, therefore, is to know what kind of treatment is necessary, what kind of aligner if needed will solve the problem, and what dental plan could be availed of.
In general, smile aesthetics, including the application of dental aligners, has been found to generate a significant improvement in adult patients’ quality of life. Anyone can in fact start using teeth aligners as soon as the teeth becomes permanent for this purpose. It remains now for the person to be informed enough to strike a healthy balance between smile aesthetics and smile economics.