At-home aligner companies create your aligners based on images and impressions you take yourself. In an orthodontic office, your orthodontic team will use high-tech 3D imaging to take the most accurate pictures of your mouth. X-rays are taken at your consultation. These images provide your orthodontist with a comprehensive picture of what is happening in your mouth, including below the surface. The orthodontist can catch any issues that could impede your treatment, including issues of decay or gum disease that might alter your results. An orthodontist can spot these issues and recommend you visit your dentist to correct them before beginning treatment.

With at-home aligner programs, you will not have in-person follow-up visits during your treatment. At-home programs such as Smile Direct Club have patients send in photos of their progress during their treatment. But these photos may not be enough to tell if the treatment is working. By visiting an actual orthodontist throughout your treatment, you will be able to know for certain that your treatment is working as it should. Each person reacts differently to treatment. Often treatment does not progress as planned. The only way to ensure your treatment will go as planned is to be doing regular visits to your orthodontist. This way he or she can get your treatment back on track if the teeth are not progressing as they should. Many at-home aligner companies have dentists on their teams who can answer questions online. But these dentists will not have access to your full dental history, so they are not going to be aware of other oral health issues that may impact your treatment.