CONSUMER ALERT
Before you decide to proceed with a direct-to-consumer orthodontic company, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) believes there are a number of factors and questions you may want to consider.
Fresh off the wire:
75%
An estimated 50-75% of people could benefit from orthodontic treatment.
1/3
3.9M
An estimated 3.9 million children are orthodontic patients in the U.S.
AAO in the news:
- BBC: SmileDirect Club, the $8bn braces firm boosted by selfies
- Forbes: “What Investors Need to Know About SmileDirectClub’s (SDC) IPO”
- KOB Albuquerque: “4 Investigates: State leaders weigh legality of do-it-yourself teeth straightening”
- Bloomberg BusinessWeek: “A Tooth-Straightening Startup Runs Into Resistance”
- TechCrunch: “SmileDirectClub files to go public amid concerns from dental associations”
- Fortune: “Brace Yourself: SmileDirectClub Is the Latest Unicorn to File for an IPO”
What’s trending?
Orthodontic Treatment with Clear Aligners
Like traditional braces, clear aligners are designed to move teeth a little at a time. The aligners are plastic replicas of your teeth. Wearing them puts gentle pressure on the teeth, ever-so-slightly repositioning them.
The Dog Ate My Retainers
The working theory is that dogs are attracted by the smell of the materials from which retainers are made, as well as saliva. With their powerful jaws, dogs can render retainers useless in no time.
Will My Teeth Stay Where My Orthodontist Moved Them?
While small changes after treatment concludes are normal, retainers prevent teeth from going back to their original positions.