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Do not be fooled by advertisements online promising cheap Invisalign treatment.
Patients often ask us how it is possible for the price of Invisalign to be so low.
Usually one of the following is happening:
1) The orthodontic treatment is being offered by a general dentist and NOT an orthodontist.
2) The price is for Invisalign Express and not the full Invisalign
To elaborate on both points: General dentistry encompasses many different disciplines such as cleanings, fillings/crowns (prosthodontics), root canals (endodontics), extractions (oral surgery), and even some orthodontics. A lot of general dentists offer Invisalign at an extreme discount (and in some cases, at a loss), so that patients will stay in the practice for their general dental needs. In some cases, Invisalign even being offered at the general dental practice is viewed as a marketing expense. Now, we recognize that some medical professionals won’t appreciate this post. We at Walt Orthodontics want to assure all our dental colleagues out there that we are not in any way insinuating that ALL dentists do this. It is a known fact in the industry though that some do and in the interests of the best possible patient care, getting the straight goods on this information, so that patients have all the facts, is in the best interest of all.
Not sure? Ask the dentist about their experience with Invisalign and their provider level?
Invisalign offers an abbreviated product called Invisalign Express whereby 5 or 10 aligners can be purchased to treat VERY minor issues – usually stemming from orthodontic relapse. The problem is that most orthodontic problems cannot be fixed with these limited number of aligners.
A standard case usually takes anywhere from 20-35 aligners.
Ultimately, the money invested might be a complete waste if the problem is not fixed in 10 aligners. Does the dentist or orthodontist guarantee that if the problem is not fixed in 10 aligners that there won’t be other additional costs? Our suggestion is when you see a very low Invisalign price there is usually more to the story. Do your due diligence and ask the right questions before making your decision. Keep in mind that it may actually cost you more money to fix the orthodontic problem if it’s not done correctly the first time.
