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Straighter Teeth by Mail

well.blogs.nytimes.com

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Re: Straighter Teeth by Mail

#11

Post by radiorental »

natosaichek wrote: post #8

The thing that bothers me is things like this: "the American Association of Orthodontists, a trade group, warned consumers against moving teeth without an initial exam and continuing supervision by an orthodontist. “Our concern is that patients who don’t see an orthodontist for regular checkups and/or for a complete diagnosis are more likely to be harmed,” said Dr. Rolf Behrents, a spokesman for the association" Ever…

I have better than average dental coverage and a pretty good dentist. The crowding in my lower front is starting to cause problems.

Even with coverage, Invisalign would be 4-5K out of pocket. Faced with that or putting the money in my 401 or 529 - cheerio offending tooth when the time comes, it's been a pleasure chewing with you.

I didn't know about the mail order option. Definitely going to look in to it.

As an aside. Overbite, and hence one of the main reasons for lower crowding, only came about once we invented cutlery. Humans up to the middle ages ripped meat with their teeth. The wear & tear kept lengths in check and edge-to-edge.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/how-forks-...

Edit: I applied to one of the companies mentioned in the article.

Background. My dentist had suggested that Invisalign could rectify my issue.

This particular company took my credit card details, then asked me to submit photos of my teeth (great design, otherwise I may have not gone through with the laborious process). After inspection of the images they advised me to talk to my dentist and canceled the charge to my card.

I knew it was a longshot and would have gone ahead. I'm impressed this particular service turned down the business when my dentist was willing to roll the dice.

Re: Straighter Teeth by Mail

#13

Post by hatty »

grantlmiller wrote: post #7

A few months ago, I was thinking about the opportunity to use 3d printing/imaging to drastically lower the cost of these types of devices. Ultimately the biggest hurdle is going to be getting an extremely accurate scan (not sure if you could do some combination of using dental x-rays, along with 3d imaging tech from mobile cameras to build the mouth model for each customer). Part of the solution could be in home try-…

I made an entire workflow with open source tools and materials that cost less than $100.

Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfjuUN0E5yc

Like you said, the limiting factor is the extremely accurate scan. My workflow is not rigorous, just a proof-of-concept until the printing and scanning tech comes around.

Re: Straighter Teeth by Mail

#14

Post by [deleted] »

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #2

I would NOT recommend these or invisalign to anyone. I had invisalign and while it's great at pushing teeth closer or further apart, the aligners cannot twist or pull teeth into position, and it's unnecessarily painful. You can get traditional braces for the same cost and get your "perfect smile" results with less pain. Why are they painful? Because every time you "conveniently" take them off to "eat or brush your te…

[deleted]

Re: Straighter Teeth by Mail

#15

Post by pkaye »

natosaichek wrote: post #8

The thing that bothers me is things like this: "the American Association of Orthodontists, a trade group, warned consumers against moving teeth without an initial exam and continuing supervision by an orthodontist. “Our concern is that patients who don’t see an orthodontist for regular checkups and/or for a complete diagnosis are more likely to be harmed,” said Dr. Rolf Behrents, a spokesman for the association" Ever…

I don't think many dental coverage plans cover orthodontics for adults and the cost can be significant.

Re: Straighter Teeth by Mail

#16

Post by lern_too_spel »

radiorental wrote: post #11
natosaichek wrote: post #8

The thing that bothers me is things like this: "the American Association of Orthodontists, a trade group, warned consumers against moving teeth without an initial exam and continuing supervision by an orthodontist. “Our concern is that patients who don’t see an orthodontist for regular checkups and/or for a complete diagnosis are more likely to be harmed,” said Dr. Rolf Behrents, a spokesman for the association" Ever…

I have better than average dental coverage and a pretty good dentist. The crowding in my lower front is starting to cause problems. Even with coverage, Invisalign would be 4-5K out of pocket. Faced with that or putting the money in my 401 or 529 - cheerio offending tooth when the time comes, it's been a pleasure chewing with you. I didn't know about the mail order option. Definitely going to look in to it. As an asid…

South Asians also have overbite, even in regions where people still eat with their hands. The thesis of the article in The Atlantic seems preposterous.

Re: Straighter Teeth by Mail

#17

Post by radiorental »

lern_too_spel wrote: post #16
radiorental wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have better than average dental coverage and a pretty good dentist. The crowding in my lower front is starting to cause problems. Even with coverage, Invisalign would be 4-5K out of pocket. Faced with that or putting the money in my 401 or 529 - cheerio offending tooth when the time comes, it's been a pleasure chewing with you. I didn't know about the mail order option. Definitely going to look in to it. As an asid…

South Asians also have overbite, even in regions where people still eat with their hands. The thesis of the article in The Atlantic seems preposterous.

Without delving too deep in to race differences, I think you're comparing apples to oranges.

The research behind the article is based on analysis of western skulls/teeth.

Re: Straighter Teeth by Mail

#18

Post by jonah »

radiorental wrote: post #11
natosaichek wrote: post #8

The thing that bothers me is things like this: "the American Association of Orthodontists, a trade group, warned consumers against moving teeth without an initial exam and continuing supervision by an orthodontist. “Our concern is that patients who don’t see an orthodontist for regular checkups and/or for a complete diagnosis are more likely to be harmed,” said Dr. Rolf Behrents, a spokesman for the association" Ever…

I have better than average dental coverage and a pretty good dentist. The crowding in my lower front is starting to cause problems. Even with coverage, Invisalign would be 4-5K out of pocket. Faced with that or putting the money in my 401 or 529 - cheerio offending tooth when the time comes, it's been a pleasure chewing with you. I didn't know about the mail order option. Definitely going to look in to it. As an asid…

I'd probably add cleanliness of food. A little sand in your lettuce and gravel in your bread will wear on your teeth.

Re: Straighter Teeth by Mail

#19

Post by shitlord »

Magi604 wrote: post #4

I had braces for six years, and if I had to get my teeth straightened today, I would probably go this route. Don't forget, braces mean: - More cost - Monthly trips to the orthodontist The physical act of having to go to the orthodontist every month for years costs you time and money in terms of gas, parking, etc, not to mention the time cost. Think of your schedule today. Can you fit in another 2-3 hour monthly appoi…

I wish I could have done this too. Braces were painful and actually scarred the inside of my cheeks. I can actually feel where the wires sliced my cheeks.

Something similar, in another domain, is PocketDerm. They are also pretty cheap, and hopefully a good sign of things to come: cheaper access to specialists for simple problems.

Re: Straighter Teeth by Mail

#20

Post by jostmey »

I would try this product for one simple reason: I care about my health more than anyone else possibly could. Frankly, I don't trust that a dentist would do a better job at casting the mold than me.
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