Aligners are the new Braces.

Both braces and clear aligners are an orthodontic appliance. The type of appliance used in orthodontic treatment is far less important than the skill set of the person providing it. Meaning: in order to treat comprehensive cases (think: preteens and teens) with clear aligners, you really need an orthodontist. Two major reasons:

1. Orthodontists must CREATE treatment plan based on in-person consultation

With direct-to-consumer clear aligner companies, orthodontists do not create treatment plans — often, they just 'approve' them. It’s kind of like an architect approving the build of a house by looking at a picture of it from 200 yards away. You can’t treat complex cases this way.

2. Tooth buttons are necessary for comprehensive cases

Tooth buttons are essentially handles for clear aligners to efficiently move naturally slippery teeth. The size, shape, and location are prescribed by an orthodontist. These are placed as strategically as possible (don’t worry, you won’t have an entire mouth full of tooth buttons).

At Two Front, your orthodontist builds your treatment plan after an in-person consultation, and comes back to clinically place your tooth buttons when your treatment plan is ready.

Yes — clear aligners are an orthodontic appliance, just like braces. When paired with a treatment plan following an in-person assessment with an orthodontist alongside tooth buttons, they can be just as effective as braces, too. There are a few benefits: no more brackets and pokey wires, which prevents unnecessary emergency visits to the orthodontist, no dietary restrictions, better hygiene, and no more metal. 

By the way, for parents who pursue clear aligner treatment through Two Front, you avoid going to the orthodontist altogether — we come to you for the two in-person appointments necessary to start clear aligner treatment, and follow up with any in-home visits as needed.

Our clear aligners are BPA-free and safe for kids.

Clear aligners are the biggest technological advancement in the orthodontic industry. They are a series of 3D plastic replicas of your teeth — created for you based on a treatment plan from your orthodontist — that gently move your teeth into their optimal position. In conjunction with tooth buttons, they can treat even the most complex cases.

Both dentists and orthodontists are dental school graduates, and both provide dental services. Your dentist may even offer orthodontic services, leading you to assume that they’re an orthodontist. But here’s the difference:

Dentists are concerned with overall oral health. They usually provide services such as crowns, veneers or bonding to improve the appearance and function of teeth that have extensive decay, or are misshapen or broken. Dentists look for abnormalities in the mouth and teach patients how to prevent dental disease.

Orthodontists, meanwhile, specialize in tooth movement to maximize an individual's smile and function. By studying biomechanics, orthodontists have the skillset to move teeth into their optimal position within a person's jaws and facial proportions to create the most beautiful smile and healthy bite in the safest way possible. Becoming an orthodontist requires a three-year residency in addition to four years of dental school.

Orthodontics at its core is the art of tooth movement. Whether you pursue orthodontic treatment with braces or clear aligners, an orthodontist is needed to provide the highest level of care.

Great news! It's a myth that you need to have all of your permanent (or adult) teeth in order to start your orthodontic care (whether it’s with braces or clear aligners).

Ideal timing for orthodontic care should start in pre-teen or teenage years, while kids and teens are growing. At a younger age, bones are softer, which allows us to move teeth faster, easier, for a more beautiful and more stable smile as a result. Bones get harder as we age, and moving teeth in adults takes more time. 

The best time to get started is when kids are in their 'late-mixed dentition' — which means that they have a few baby teeth left. While your 'dental age' doesn't necessarily correlate with your actual age, this is generally between 10-13 years old.

An in-person visit with your orthodontist will be the best way to determine the right course of action.