I just learned about a way to save a bunch of money on Invisalign. It’s an app called Orthly. Is it a safe way to go? If so, I’d have enough money for teeth whitening too!
Laura O.
Dear Laura,
I can certainly understand wanting to get the most bang for your buck. You asked a great question, which was is it safe? The answer is, “It depends.” If everything goes exactly according to plan. I mean perfectly throughout the entire time of treatment, then it could be safe. But, here’s the catch. Orthly has no one to check that for you.
This app was developed by two college students who wanted to find a cheaper way to get Invisalign treatments. While I do applaud their initiative and heart, there are some key things they left out that could be dangerous to patients.
Why is Orthly Less Safe than Invisalign?
- The founder has no dental experience. You’re having a dental treatment developed by a young man with no dental training. In fact, he makes it clear himself. In an interview he said, “Orthly does not practice dentistry nor do any employees in the company.”
- The main way they keep the price down is by limiting visits with an actual orthodontist. I think you go in to one of their contracted dentists to see if you’re a candidate and then the rest is done by sending photos to the dentist throughout the treatment. Here’s the HUGE problem with that. How can they determine things such as mobility, root absorption, periodontal disease, and oral hygiene through a photo? If they don’t catch these problems quickly you can not just damage your teeth, but lose them altogether.
You Can Do Teeth Whitening and Invisalign at the Same Time
One of the reasons you wanted to save money was so you could afford teeth whitening at the same time. In most cases, you can allow your Invisalign aligners to double as teeth whitening trays. Then the only cost to you is the whitening gel. That significantly cuts your costs for whitening. It also allows you to do both procedures at exactly the same time.
I hope this helps answer your question.
This blog is brought to you by Invisalign Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis of Portage, MI.