Dentists encourage patients to stay away from poor quality at-home braces
Dentists are encouraging members of the public to stay away from cheap, poor quality at-home braces amid fears they can cause permanent damage to the teeth.
The General Dental Council (GDC) suggested that while companies that offer at-home braces provide a cheaper solution for patients, there are risks involved in having treatment that doesn’t involve regular consultations with highly-trained dentists.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has also urged patients to avoid at-home braces, stating that dentists have seen a growing number of patients with problems caused by wearing cheap, plastic braces that don’t fit properly. In some cases, patients have presented with severe gum disease, a cause of premature tooth loss.
At present, patients can buy braces without seeing a dentist in person. New GDC guidance suggests that dentists should evaluate the individual’s oral health status and history and organise direct contact with the patient so that they are able to gather information and ask questions before they agree to have treatment. Patients must also be provided with the dentist’s name and have the means to contact them if they have concerns.
The BDA has welcomed more stringent guidelines but said that more needs to be done to protect patients. Eddie Crouch, chair of the BDA, called for “meaningful regulation” to safeguard patients and prevent dentists and orthodontists from “picking up the pieces when patients have undergone wholly inappropriate treatment.”
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