It is very difficult to find a skilled Invisalign provider these days because Invisalign is comparatively new technique and one may get the wrong person. Basically, there is some difference between orthodontist and Invisalign provider because orthodontist don’t have Invisalign expertise and he has to get the expertise of Invisalign by learning and to get certified. Unfortunately there is no specific designation for Invisalign practitioner that’s why it is difficult to identify them with 100% accuracy, however, there are few tips that can be helpful in finding the best Invisalign dentist and to get your desired treatment.
Tips to find Invisalign dentist
In order to find a reliable practitioner and not to get fooled by dentists, there are few things that can help you to avoid the hassle of running after clinicians you must follow these tips to find a dentist of your desire.
- The best thing is to know about their difference that what they exactly do? How are they different from orthodontist? The difference will be discussed in the next section.
- I personally recommend visiting orthodontist prior to Invisalign practitioner, to get your orthodontics and he/she can guide you better than whether you need Invisalign services or not. Some dental practices like New York Total Dental, a provider of Invisalign in Midtown Manhattan have both orthodontics and Invisalign treatment at the same office, so in such cases you can visit the same practice for both, otherwise you may need to visit two different dental practices.
- To know about which orthodontist is good or not, you can find about them on online resources. There are many online resources that can tell about doctors and their expertise along with people experience. This will help you to avoid the inconvenience by asking people and you will have better idea that whether the orthodontist is good or not. Yelp is a great resource for an online database of doctors.
- Invisalign doctor locator is a great tool where you can locate any Invisalign practitioner in your area or locality. Once you find the Invisalign doctor you can visit that but beware of looters who claim to be great, but they don’t have such expertise and in some cases, you don’t need Invisalign treatment. Aligntech has classified the practitioners into the following categories and one can choose any but most preferably elite or 1%:
- Preferred who practices at least 5 cases every 6 months.
- Premier who do at least practices 25 cases every 6 months.
- The elite who do practices at least 50 cases every 6 months.
- 1% who do at least 100 cases every 6 months or more than 100.
- Other than online sources the recommended method is to get a recommendation from your dentist or from your friends. This will help you to find great Invisalign practitioner because these people will suggest you based on their own experience.
- After getting all recommendations and suggestions, visit the practitioner clinic, the initial assessment will help you to determine whether that person is skilled or not. Sometimes initial assessment is free and that can tell you about the skills and expertise. If you are satisfied to go ahead with treatment.
Difference between orthodontist and Invisalign practitioner
Basically, orthodontics is a post graduate degree after graduation in dentistry from medical school. The orthodontist has expertise in aligning the teeth and helps to align the people teeth by applying braces and other orthodontic techniques. Invisalign is a new technique and they are certified Invisalign practitioner who uses clear or invisible brackets for teeth alignment.
The educational difference between Invisalign expert and the non-skilled person is their knowledge related to clinical capabilities and limitations to treatment. Normal braces have both applications such as they can push or pull the teeth but the Invisalign has the specific limitation that it can only push. The competent Invisalign practitioner will not push you to have that just for sake of money, instead, he/she will decide after looking at teeth movement. For the Invisalign specialist, there are some specific aspects that they should be mastered at such as:
- Attending advanced and specific courses
- Collaborating in symposiums
- Identifying whether a person needs treatment or not
- Integrating new techniques
These all attributes makes an Invisalign specialist a competitive one and the more skills they have they will upgrade their level according to align tech classification.
Following all the above tips will help you to find the Invisalign specialist with great expertise because the dentist matters a lot.
I’ve really enjoyed reading your articles. You obviously know what you are talking about! Your site is so easy to navigate too, I’ve bookmarked it in my favourites.
Your advice to use online resources to check the dentist’s expertise and people’s experience with them would be helpful. It would probably be a good idea to read reviews from multiple sites. This could help you get a better idea of their Invisalign braces services and experience so you can find one you can trust to help with your situation.
I love what you said about using resources, like Yelp, in order to find doctors that offer Invisalign. I believe that Invisalign is great for people seeking to improve the look of their smiles without braces. My friend wants to get Invisalign trays, so I’ll help him consult with the best dentist around.
Good article & an excellent way to articulate. Keep it up. Thanks for sharing.
I like that you said to ask your dentist or friends to find an Invisalign practitioner. My son is wanting to get Invisalign. Getting a recommendation from his dentist would be a great way to get the process started.
I love your tip about getting an elite dentist who practices at least 50 cases every 6 months. That makes sense considering you want to get a dentist that is highly experienced in braces. I’ll have to consider taking my teens to the dentist for braces.