When it comes to straightening your teeth or improving your bite, today’s patients face a wide range of choices—from mail-order aligners and general dentists to highly trained orthodontic specialists. While some options may appear faster or more affordable upfront, your long-term oral health depends on choosing a provider with the right training, experience, and oversight.
Here’s why working with a board-certified orthodontist is the safest and most effective path to the healthy, beautiful smile you deserve:
1. Advanced Education That Focuses on Bites and Biomechanics
Orthodontists don’t just go to dental school—they complete an additional 2 to 3 years of full-time residency after earning their dental degree. During this highly specialized training, they focus exclusively on how to safely and effectively move teeth, how to perfect a patient’s bite, and how to apply and control orthodontic forces through braces and aligners.
This in-depth education allows orthodontists to understand the complex relationships between teeth, jaws, facial structures, and the forces that move them. General dentists and online aligner companies simply don’t receive this level of training.
2. Board Certification: A Commitment to Excellence
After completing residency, many orthodontists take the extra step of becoming board-certified by the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO)—a rigorous process that includes written and clinical examinations, case reviews, and ongoing continuing education.
This certification is your assurance that the orthodontist has proven their clinical skill and is committed to staying at the forefront of orthodontic care.
3. Customized, In-Person Treatment Plans
Most orthodontists don’t believe in one-size-fits-all treatment. Using advanced diagnostic tools like 3D imaging, X-rays, and physical exams, they create a custom treatment plan tailored to your individual anatomy and goals.
Online aligner companies, in contrast, typically rely on photos or impressions submitted remotely—without evaluating the health of your gums, bone, or bite alignment in person. That puts you at risk for complications or subpar results.
4. Regular Monitoring for Safety and Success
Orthodontic treatment is a journey that should be closely monitored. When you work with an in-person orthodontist, you receive hands-on care throughout the entire process. Adjustments can be made as your teeth move, ensuring that your progress stays on track and your bite develops correctly.
Remote providers simply can’t offer this level of personalized attention, which may lead to issues that go undetected until it’s too late.
5. Superior Long-Term Results
Straight teeth are just the beginning. A healthy bite ensures proper chewing, speaking, and long-term oral health. Because of their extensive training and board certification, orthodontists are equipped to deliver not only great aesthetics—but also functionally stable, long-lasting results.
DIY aligners and non-specialist treatments may cut corners, often leading to relapse or even damage that requires correction later on.
Choose Expertise. Choose Confidence.
Orthodontic treatment is about more than just cosmetic changes—it’s about precision, safety, and achieving a healthy bite that lasts a lifetime. When you choose a board-certified orthodontist, you’re choosing a professional who has invested years in perfecting the science and art of orthodontics and is held to the highest standards in the field.
Your smile deserves that level of care.