Recent advancements in orthodontic treatments have given people who suffer from crowded, crooked, spaced-out or otherwise not-even teeth an alternative to traditional braces. Aligners are another way to correct misalignments in teeth, and many people prefer them to braces because they’re easier to put in and look nice. Not all teeth aligner systems are created equal, however.
Two of the more widely available aligner systems are the Candid Company Clear Aligners and the Laster Perfect Smile Aligners. The former is a mail-order system, and the latter is professionally designed by an orthodontist. If you have misaligned teeth and are considering aligners, there are some major differences you should know about these two options.
Aligners Straighten Teeth with a Series of Retainer-Like Aligners
No matter what aligner system you ultimately choose, whether it’s one of these two or yet another option, all of these systems are based on the same basic fundamentals.
Whereas braces affix metal brackets to your teeth and use wires to adjust the teeth, clear aligners are retainer-like sleeves that go on your bottom and top teeth. Thus, you wear two aligners at a time and you wear them all the time except when eating, drinking or brushing your teeth. Compared to braces, the clear plastic of aligners is much less noticeable.
Throughout the course of treatment, you’re given a series of aligners that gradually bring your teeth into the desired places. Each new aligner is like getting braces readjusted, except it’s much easier and doesn’t involve inserting any tools in your mouth to adjust wires.
Even though the basics of any teeth aligner system work on the same principle fundamentals, there still are important nuances that can make one system more preferable than another.
Candid Company Clear Aligners Are a Mail-Order System
Candid Company Clear Aligners use a series of mail-order aligners to slowly straighten your teeth. As with any of these systems, the aligners must be tailored to your specific mouth, and that’s done via either impressions or 3D scans of your teeth. The process works as follows:
- You get an initial impression or 3D scan of your teeth, and send it in.
- A licensed orthodontist reviews your impression or scan, and creates a treatment plan
- Your first clear aligner is mailed to you, and you wear it as directed.
- You send in additional impressions or scans as directed, and receive new aligners.
This process of sending in impressions and receiving new aligners continues until your course of treatment is complete. With the Candid Company, your initial impression may be done at home by yourself (or a trusted friend or family member who’s willing to help).
As this is a mail-order system, there’s no actual interaction with the orthodontist who’s creating your treatment plan. The orthodontist may be licensed, but they’re often overseas and usually handle a high volume of treatment plans. Most orthodontists, dentists, and dental boards oppose doing tooth movement without professional oversight as this process can be dangerous when not supervised by a professional. Additionally, there have been thousands of documented unsatisfied customers of do it yourself aligners as the lack of professional oversight led to the patients teeth being worse rather than improved.
Generally speaking, good candidates for these aligners are limited to people with mild to moderate crowding, spacing or protrusion.
The cost of Candid Company Clear Aligners is normally $1,995.
Laster Perfect Smile Clear Aligners Are Applied by an Orthodontist
The main difference with Laster Perfect Smile Clear Aligners is that they’re professionally designed by a licensed orthodontist. The system works the same way as any teeth alignment system, and you receive a series of aligners to wear regularly over the course of treatment.
Everything is done in-house at the orthodontist’s office, however. Thus, there’s no taking impressions or sending scanned images to a far-away orthodontist if you use Laster Perfect Smile Clear Aligners.
When you come to Laster Orthodontics for these aligners, Dr. Laster himself reviews your impressions (not an overseas orthodontist) and discusses the recommended treatment plan with you. He and the staff at the practice actually make your aligners in-house and fit them perfectly to your teeth. Dr. Laster has poured hundreds of hours of research into his aligner product, and has found it producing superior results in less time than any other aligner product. In fact Dr. Laster has had many patients switch from competing aligner products to his aligners and they all immediately noticed more effective movement in a more comfortable very esthetic aligner.
Because these treatments are customized, they’re a good option for both patients who have mild to moderate misalignments, as well as those who have more severe or complicated issues. Dr. Laster has the knowledge and innovation to correct nearly any orthodontic problem with the sophisticated Laster Perfect Smile system. Problems that previously thought to be too difficult to treat with aligners, we are having amazing success with using Laster Perfect Smiles. The results of the cases often exceed expectations.
Laster Perfect Smile vs. Candid Company Clear Aligners
At first glance, the simplicity of a mail-order teeth alignment system may seem attractive. Upon further examination, though, it becomes clear that there are many downsides to Candid Company Clear Aligners and the Laster Perfect Smile system is preferable in many cases.
First, you’ll receive more individualized attention when you come to Laster Orthodontics for clear aligners. Candid Company simply can’t offer the same level of care because they’re a mail-order business that has orthodontists overseas. In contrast, you’ll meet directly with Dr. Laster when you get Laster Perfect Smile Clear Aligners — and you’ll meet with him multiple times over the course of your treatment. You’ll also regularly talk with other staff at the practice/
Not only does the direct contact with Dr. Laster and the rest of the staff ensure you’re informed at every stage of your treatment, but it also gives you multiple opportunities to ask questions. Even if you think of questions after your appointment, you’re welcome to contact the practice for anything important.
Second, the orthodontist who develops your treatment plan will spend more time reviewing your case at Laster Orthodontics.
Candid Company technically has a licensed orthodontist develop your treatment plan, but the amount of time that orthodontist spends looking at your case is minimal. As Dr. Jamie Reynolds explains in the NY Daily News, “They (mail-order aligner providers) will also tell you an orthodontist reviews and certifies every case. The reality is, a doctor spends maybe two minutes on each case.”
At Laster Orthodontics, you’ll meet with Dr. Laster for a standard appointment time and see him at multiple appointments. Additionally, he’ll spend time outside the actual appointment determining what’s best for your teeth.
Third, the in-person interaction and amount of time Dr. Laster spends on your case allows him to truly and fully customize your treatment plan to your needs. Mail-order orthodontists can’t do much during a two-minute review, but Dr. Laster and his staff have the time necessary to tailor each aligner specifically to your teeth.
Fourth, the high level of customization that Dr. Laster provides make it possible to treat more complex cases through Laster Perfect Smile Clear Aligners. These aligners can handle the mild to moderate cases that Candid Company says theirs are able to, but Laster Perfect Smile can also do much more complex cases that involve multiple issues or more steps. For patients who have complex cases, this factor alone may make Dr. Laster’s solution the only viable option.
Fifth, Dr. Laster will check for other potential issues while examining your teeth and developing your treatment plan. This is a standard part of any orthodontic appointment, and it’s something that an orthodontist who never actually sees you in person obviously can’t do as well.
Sixth, mail-order aligners have been connected to multiple potential dangers. The lack of in-person consultations results in there being no comprehensive initial exam and no real supervision during the course of treatment. In some cases, this can lead to teeth being worse after treatment than they were before — and the North Carolina Dental Association is even filing lawsuits over some of the risks and damage mail-order systems are associated with.
Finally, many people assume that aligners which are applied in-person at an orthodontist’s office must be much more expensive than mail-order ones — but this isn’t true.
Costs can go up with more complex cases, but these aren’t suitable for Candid Company anyways. Before beginning any treatment plan, Dr. Laster’s staff will provide an estimate so you can perform a cost analysis for your specific case.
How To Get Laster Perfect Smile Aligners
If you’re interested in learning more about teeth aligners and want to see whether Laster Perfect Smile Clear Aligners are right for you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Laster. The consultation is free and comes with no obligation.
Assuming you are a good candidate for clear aligners and choose to continue with Dr. Laster’s suggested treatment, you can get impressions of your teeth made at any of Dr. Laster’s offices in Raleigh, Rolesville or Zebulon. Soon, you’ll have your first aligners and be ready to start wearing them.
At Laster Orthodontics, we help families develop healthy, life-changing smiles using customized treatments, cutting-edge technologies, and caring relationships. Our individualized treatment plans help our patients achieve their perfect smile in the quickest, most painless way possible by utilizing a wide range of options from traditional braces to Propel accelerated treatment to Dr. Laster’s in-house aligner program, Laster Perfect Smile. With three locations throughout the Triangle Area, we create life-changing smiles every day.