August 2, 2019
A healthy mouth translates to a healthy life and with the help of an orthodontist you can reap all of the benefits of dental health. Orthodontists work in a specialized field of dentistry that focuses on the correction of misaligned teeth and misaligned jaws. Who should visit an orthodontist? The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children have their first orthodontic appointment no later than the age of seven. By that age, a child would have a blend of both permanent and baby teeth. This gives the orthodontist a chance to recognize any need for early orthodontic treatment to prevent complications later on in life. However, orthodontic care isn’t just for children, studies have shown that 1 of 5 orthodontic patients is an adult. It’s never too late to start orthodontic treatment.
Every orthodontist is a dentist but not every dentist is an orthodontist, this is important to remember when choosing a specialist to work with. An orthodontist is a dentist who has completed a graduate program in dentistry to receive their DDS or DMD and has also gone through a residency at a CODA-accredited orthodontic program for an additional 2-3 years. This time is spent being trained exclusively in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. They also receive certification from the American Board of Orthodontics, which is the only orthodontic specialty board recognized by the American Dental Association and the American Association of Orthodontists. Working with a certified orthodontic specialist can give you peace of mind that your doctor is committed to providing lifelong, quality patient care.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has always been an advocate for safe and quality dental treatment. With the rising popularity of at-home dentistry kits, it is important that consumers are aware of false claims that can be misleading. On June 27th, 2019, The ADA filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against SmileDirectClub (SDC). The ADA has identified a number of advertising and marketing claims made by SmileDirectClub that are misleading under section 5 of The Federal Trade Commission Act. The highlighted infractions were:
- Informing customers they have recourse against SDC via arbitration when, in the same document, SDC hides a “small print” provision obligating the customer to waive any and all rights the customer “or any third party” may have against SDC.
- Encouraging consumers to become customers by telling them individually and directly that SDC aligners will correct their overbite, underbite, and crossbite conditions or their “extreme” malocclusion, and then, when customers complain, SDC invokes other SDC documents that state its aligners cannot treat bite conditions at all and can only treat mild to moderate teeth misalignment, not “extreme” misalignment.
- Claims that SDC customers receive the same level of dental/orthodontic care as actual dental patients, when actually SDC and its “affiliated dentists” provide virtually no care and, contrary to its prominent and repeated claims, SDC does not use teledentistry.
Everyone wants a beautiful smile and before you choose to perform DIY dental treatment, it’s important that you are aware of the risks it may present. Some dental products can negatively affect the gums and bone ligaments that support the teeth, or even the teeth, themselves. As consumers, you are encouraged to seek the advice of a certified dentist or orthodontist before using unconventional dental products. You can also look for the ADA seal of acceptance, which has been given to more than 200 dental products on the market today.
AT QODS you can be assured that you’ll receive high quality, professional and personalized dental services from our friendly, competent orthodontists. Whether you’re a child, teenager or an adult, we encourage you to come into our office to find out how we can help you achieve the healthy, beautiful smile you deserve.