Dentists warn against adjusting aligners: Some people lose teeth after self-medication

The Order of Dentists (OMD) warned this Wednesday of the existence of serious cases of patients losing teeth as a result of self-medication, defending the regulation of orthodontic aligners sold online, mainly on social networks.

“Orthodontic self-treatment carries serious risks for the patient,” warns OMD President Miguel Pavao, adding that “worrying situations come to dentists’ offices in which part of the dentition can no longer be saved or with caries requiring invasive interventions or even in advanced infections “

To put an end to these situations, Miguel Pavao in his statement emphasizes “the importance of creating the necessary regulations to protect the well-being of patients and the most appropriate medical care.”

The OMD recommendation, through the College of Orthodontics, follows an opinion issued late last year by the Council of European Dentists (CED) regarding the risks associated with the growing promotion of DIY orthodontics, a situation also seen in Portugal.

According to the Order, “any orthodontic treatment requires careful diagnosis and supervision by a qualified dentist.”

“All steps should be completed in person to continually assess treatment progress and mitigate unwanted side effects,” he says.

OMD cautions that dental telemedicine is not a substitute for in-person observation and the dentist should limit appropriate decisions to only when the quality of the information provided by the patient is considered sufficient.

Orthodontics that do not conform to best dental practice “must be actively challenged, monitored, and addressed with a view to effective intervention.”

“The do-it-yourself approach does not involve going to a qualified dentist or conducting clinical or radiological studies – the images are obtained by the patient himself or at a company branch,” he emphasizes.

According to CED, many of these companies claim that they have a dentist overseeing the treatment plan, although the patient never meets with him in person, which requires confidentiality contracts to be signed, limiting the patient’s freedom and autonomy to report problems arising from treatment .

Also for this reason, the OMD recommends that “orthodontic self-treatment and remote treatment of patients be avoided, as they are potentially harmful to the patient’s health.”

“Only treatment and clinical supervision carried out by a dentist guarantees that the patient accepts responsibility for a medical error,” he emphasizes.

Due to the increase in online advertisements for orthodontic aligners and the resulting unsuccessful cases, OMD conducted a campaign to raise awareness of the risks associated with self-medication and reported the situation to the health regulator in 2022.