There are no two sets of teeth that are exactly alike in the world, so teeth straightening should be customized for each individual. A few days ago, a friend mysteriously told me he had gotten his hands on a “miracle device” that could straighten teeth in just a few months. Huh?! Is there a new technology in orthodontics? My curiosity got the better of me, and I kept asking, “Hey, what’s this miracle device? I want to check it out too…” “It’s the almighty X treasure!” I mean, is there anything that can’t be sold on there? Searching for “teeth straighteners” on X treasure is like opening the door to a new world.
I remember that teeth straightening usually costs around ten thousand bucks, and this thing is only a few dozen? It’s unbelievably cheap! Are these online teeth straighteners really reliable? Would anyone dare to buy them? Surprisingly, there are plenty of brave souls willing to gamble with their teeth, as seen in the comments: “I wore it for one night, and by morning, I felt some changes.” “I wore it while I slept, and the next day, it felt sore; it must be working.” OMG! Have your teeth, which took decades to grow, been shaped out of mud? And you think you can fix them in just one night?
Think about it: some people have oval faces while others have round faces, and everyone’s dental arch size is different! The degree of misalignment is also varied. Yet this (bestselling) product comes in fixed sizes! You can get different sizes for clothing; can a one-size-fits-all retainer really straighten teeth? Seller, don’t you have a conscience?
It looks a lot like a sports mouthguard, but the seller probably doesn’t know what it’s for:
We’re no longer in the slow-paced old days; many things can be expedited, but teeth straightening can’t be rushed. While online shopping is convenient, anyone wanting to get their teeth straightened must make the effort to see a professional and not take risks. There was a news report about a 23-year-old woman who purchased an invisible teeth straightener online and tried to wear it herself to fix her protruding front teeth, which ended up damaging the nerve of one of her front teeth.
The woman said she had consulted a hospital before but found the treatment costs too expensive and the process too complicated. Seeing that the online teeth straighteners were only a few dozen, she felt like she had hit the jackpot.
Just how unreliable is DIY teeth straightening? Here’s a shocking example: I heard dental care is “pretty expensive” abroad, which gave rise to the “Foreigners with Handy Hands” series. A foreign guy bought DIY braces online and, after almost losing all his front teeth, realized this was a one-way street. It’s truly alarming and quite the sight!
First, let’s applaud the guy’s impressive “handy skills,” but unfortunately, his technical score is a big fat “0.” It’s clear from the photos that his upper canine has completely moved out from the lip side, and the gums of his incisors have receded. His journey of “DIY orthodontics” has basically collapsed.
DIY treatment? Are you really willing to gamble your lifetime of dental health for a quick fix? That’s too steep a price! Clearly, dentists strongly oppose the DIY approach to teeth straightening: while braces can cost tens of thousands, the damage caused by improper alignment can lead to treatments that are way more expensive than just getting braces.
Teeth aren’t as rigid as being locked in reinforced concrete; they’re wrapped in periodontal membranes, giving them a certain flexibility. The principle of orthodontics is to leverage the natural movement of teeth and the remodeling and regeneration of the alveolar bone by applying external forces on the teeth or jawbone, guiding the teeth in specific directions.
Proper orthodontic force isn’t too strong; it’s determined based on the patient’s dental situation. It won’t be strong enough to loosen the teeth or so weak that it fails to move them at all. So for the health of your teeth, please go to a reputable clinic for orthodontic treatment.
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