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DIY Aligners: Exceptions vs Reality

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:30:56 GMT

As a DIYer and tinkerer of many things, I always love to push the limits of the things I can do myself. Half of it is the thrill of seeing the end result and getting the ‘I just did this myself’ euphoria; the other half of the satisfaction is not having to pay someone to do it for me. I love fixing electronics; taking apart computers, replacing the motor on the dishwashers, or even replacing that little flapper on the ice-maker that always seems to get stuck and let the cold air right out.

It always takes about twice as long (or 5 times if you ask my wife) than I thought it would take and costs about twice as much, and that’s non-inclusive of the time it takes me to do it. Then there are the ‘Oh no’ moments when you want to save 50 bucks by replacing your own iPhone battery and realize that somehow the cable connecting the screen to the rest of the phone is bent and replacing it now is going to cost $250 instead of $100, and don’t get me started on the “left over” screw that you notice on the ground once everything is setback up and “fixed.” It probably wasn’t needed, right?

Recently I have seen ads non stop for the at home / no doctor visit tooth aligner systems like Smile Direct Club. As a DIYer, I get why people would want to take the dentist out of the equation and try to correct their teeth and smile themselves. However, as an Orthodontist it scares the daylights out of me; not because I’m worried ill be replaced by a computer- that’s bound to happen eventually. After studying teeth, the occlusion, and the muscles that support the dentition for 7 years in dental school and residency, and the past 8 years clinically as an Orthodontist with some of those years teaching residents; the hands off approach of moving your teeth and then never having a doctor look at it again just doesn’t seem right.

Even with the best computer simulation, and that’s all these systems take into account- simulations based on computer algorithms, the teeth might not move where expected. If the teeth don’t move to where they are simulated to move to and then they are left in a non-ideal position, it is possible to get increased wear of the teeth, jaw pain and discomfort and periodontal / gum issues. If you have crowding or spacing of the teeth I can almost bet there is an underlying or predisposing issue that has caused your teeth to be the way they are. If they have been in this position for some time the teeth are likely in equilibrium with the bone and the musculature. Once you move the teeth, this inherent equilibrium has changed and the idea is to get the teeth to a new “happy” equilibrium. This is the part that these at home aligner systems cannot necessarily achieve.

Ok, so lets just say you try it and it works perfectly, you love your teeth and your smile. Awesome, right? Wrong. The most critical thing about orthodontic treatment no matter if it's done with braces or aligners is the retention. This refers to how are the teeth going to be held so they don’t move again.

Death, taxes, and orthodontic relapse are the 3 things in life you can count on. Throughout life teeth always want to shift. With these at home systems the last tray is probably your final retainer and you can order more of these as you need them. But just like you were really good at taking your cholesterol lowering medicine, or your blood pressure medicine you will probably be great at wearing the retainer for 3 months, 6 months, maybe a year. But there will be point where you stop wearing your retainer and the teeth shift. It's not an if but a when. That’s why when feasible- and most of the time it is, I like to make a “permanent” retainer for my patients that is glued behind the back of teeth- out of sight and out of mind. Retention that lasts.

Getting to the cost side of the equation- I can probably save you time, money, frustration, and get an overall better result than any do it yourself aligner system out there. At Village Orthodontics we have the most advanced intraoral 3d scanner on the market. No more goopy impression, in about 2 minutes we can scan the upper and lower teeth and have insanely accurate digital replications of your teeth. Don’t worry mom’s - the scan is just a series of a few thousand photos taken super quickly and spatially related to each other- no radiation. We will manipulate your teeth and “move” them where they need to go to give you the best esthetic and functional smile on the computer. Next, we print these models out on revolutionary 3d printers that run constantly in our office and then create your aligners. We can have your first set of aligners in your hands in 48 hours. If at the end the teeth didn’t move 1000% of the way we wanted, we can make a few additional aligners if needed – once again quickly and efficiently. Once completed, we always make sure your bite is correct and you are biting with equal force everywhere. A final permanent retainer will be placed and new clear retainers will be made to wear when possible.

How to "Brace" yourself for your child’s first orthodontic visit: A parent's guide

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:24:14 GMT

I grew up around teeth, my dad was a dentist, and his father was a dentist. Having a career in teeth was baked into my DNA. After finishing dental school at the Medical College of Georgia in 2008, I spent 3 years in Nashville TN at the Vanderbilt Medical Center to complete my Orthodontic residency. After 7 years of schooling, I was ready to create beautiful smiles on my own. For those who go through it, professional school and residency seems like it will be the most challenging series of events in your lifetime; at least it did for me. That was until 2014 when my wife, Amy, and I had twins; you go through your whole life thinking you're learning everything along they way to make your prepared for anything life throws at you and then all of a sudden you realize you have no idea what you're doing. After spending a few nights at the hospital, in our case Northside, you go home and you're on your own; trial and error at its finest. At this point you really learn how nice it is that there have been plenty of people who have done this before you; Seeking others advise, and incorporating the parts that you want to into your plan can make hard things seem simple, or at least simpler.

Over the last 8 years I have had the pleasure of treating over 6500 orthodontic patients across Georgia and I’ve probably seen just about everything. There are some common questions and principles that I can share that I think would make you more knowledgeable to make a more informed decision of when and why to bring your children to the Orthodontist:

Q: At what age should I make the initial consultation for my child at the Orthodontist and why.

A: The American Association of Orthodontist recommends scheduling the first consultation with an orthodontist no later than 7 years old. It seems a little young (having two 7 year-olds myself, I would have probably laughed at this) but there are some key problems that we can catch early and correct. At this visit we will take some photos and get an X-ray from the dentist (when possible) and review the growth of the jaw and the erupting of the teeth.

Q: When is phase I or early orthodontic treatment needed:

A: There are only a few good reasons to do early orthodontic treatment (aka phase I or 2-phase treatment) for these younger patients. Crossbites are something that we try to correct early when we see them because if left untreated they can change the pattern of facial growth and lead to issues including premature wear of the teeth. A crossbite has 2 forms; one is a posterior crossbite, which occurs when the back top teeth fit inside the bottom teeth and the other is an anterior crossbite. This occurs when the top front teeth fit behind the bottom teeth (like a bulldogs teeth). Crossbites can be a skeletal issue such as the jaws not being proportional, or a tooth issue, or a combination of the two. It's important for the Orthodontist to determine what is going on and to attempt to correct it to prevent the problem from worsening or creating additional issues.

Another problem we look for are habits; these include thumb, finger and lip habits. By age 7 when the adult incisors are erupted the habits should be stopped as they will create additional issues such as increased overjet (buck teeth), decreased overbite (open bite) and will create/ worsen a posterior crossbite. When an appliance is made to stop the habit it usually works within a week or two. We get an exceeding good response from these habit appliances and can typically remove them within a month.

Often when we consider early orthodontic treatment we are not concerned about spacing or crowding issues within reason because this can be corrected once all the adult teeth have erupted or are close to erupting. If everything else looks normal, this means that only one orthodontic treatment may be necessary. One exception to this is that sometimes when the teeth are not ideal our children may not like their smile or unfortunately people at school may say things about their teeth - when poor alignment of the teeth lead to psychosocial issues, aligning the teeth with braces is a quick and typically easy way to boost your child’s self confidence.

Q: How long does a Phase I treatment last?

A: It depends on what we are trying to correct and how the teeth / jaws initially began. However as a rule of thumb the Phase I treatment should last about 9-12 months if we need to widen the top jaw with an expander and could be less time if we are just straightening the teeth

Q: Do I need a referral to see an orthodontist?

A: No, you don’t need a referral to see an orthodontist. If you are going to a pediatric dentist and they notice something outside the scope of normal eruption they may refer you to an orthodontist. Some of they larger corporation run dental offices may have an orthodontic office within the office or “next door” that they will try to refer you. This keeps everything within their company, but you are welcome to go anywhere you want.

Q: Will my insurance cover phase I treatment?

A: If your insurance includes orthodontic treatment then it will cover phase I orthodontic treatment as per the policy. At Village Orthodontics, we will file the insurance for you. This definitely makes it easier for you and helps you use your insurance with less hassle.

Q: How much is a phase I treatment consultation?

A: At Village Orthodontics we never charge for consultations. Knowledge is power and we want to empower our potential patients so that your can make the best decision for yourself and your children.

Q: What are the advantages of a phase I treatment?

A: There are 6 main advantages of phase I treatment when indicated

May reduce the need to pull permanent teeth in the future.
Some problems that can be treated quite well in a growing child but may require corrective surgery if treatment occurs after growth ends.
Normalize the relationship of the upper jaw tllo the lower jaw, especially in the case of an underbite.
Intervene in a child’s prolonged sucking or abnormal swallowing.
Damaging pressure can move teeth in the wrong directions and/or change the shape of the bone that supports teeth.
Tuck in upper front teeth that stick out to reduce the risk of those teeth being broken or knocked out.

Q: How long of a break is there between phase I and II Orthodontic Treatment

A: The break between the 2 phase really depends on a few factors and varies because everyones eruption pattern is different. These factors include when did the phase 1 treatment start, how quickly / at what age do we estimate all the adult teeth will be erupted, and how long will the phase I take. We like to make sure there will be a nice 1-2 year break between phases.

Q: Can all children benefit from 2 phases of Orthodontic treatment:

A: No, there is not an advantage for all children to have 2 phases of orthodontic treatment. Having 3 kids myself, I think there is an advantage of waiting for all the adult teeth to be almost erupted before starting treatment. One we will not wear out our kids of having braces, they are better brushers when they are older (most of the time), and they tend to be more responsible and take care of their braces better when they are older. That said when there is a true need for a phase I treatment as we discussed earlier, the advantages of treatment outweigh having to have braces twice.

Top 5 Reasons to get Braces

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:15:55 GMT

Everybody wants that Hollywood smile, right? Whether you have spaces or crowding of the teeth or your teeth don't fit together properly, Dr. Bret Freedman and the team at Village Orthodontics can help you!

Here are 5 reasons to get braces:

5. Braces can improve your oral and overall health!

The inflammation (puffy gums) caused by gingivitis and periodontal disease is linked to systemic health issues. Straightening the teeth makes it easier to keep your teeth and gums healthy and free of disease.

4. Braces will increase your self confidence and make you smile more!

It is proven that those who don't like their smile don't show their teeth as much and hide their smile under their top lip. Straight teeth gives people the confidence that they need to love their smile and show it off!

3. You want to save the enamel of your teeth and prevent TMD or Joint pain

When your bite is off the teeth do not fit together properly and it can be hard to have a comfortable bite. This can lead to grinding of the teeth and the wearing down of the enamel of the teeth. Overtime, it has been show that this grinding can lead to increased pressure and strain on the jaw joint which can lead to pain and discomfort of the joint. Braces can help improve your bite and decrease the wear of the teeth.

2. Your teeth move throughout life

If you don't like the appearance of your smile, unfortunately it will get worse throughout life. Your teeth continuously move during your life and most of the time they move to undesired or less attractive positions. With braces, we move the teeth to an ideal position for your smile and appearance and make you retainers so they stay where we put them.

1. Its never too late to get braces.

As long as your teeth and the bone supporting your teeth are healthy we can move your teeth at any age. Ideally, the best time for treatment is when all the adult teeth have erupted and growth is occurring - around 11-14 for most patients. However, there are issues such as cross bites that should be corrected in the mixed dentition (6-10) to help ensure proper growth of the jaws and eruption of the teeth.

Adult treatment is very popular, and with the latest clear braces and Inivisalign treatment options available we can fix almost all you orthodontic issues without metal braces that were once required. Technology has allowed us to move the teeth quicker and allow some orthodontic issues to get fixed in a year or less.

Its Beginning - A Heartbeat for Village Orthodontics

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:06:45 GMT

After months of planning and years in the making, Village Orthodontics is coming to fruition. Our office is located in the Shops of Dunwoody, in Dunwoody Village. The design and architectural design took longer than expected due to the uniqueness that we wanted to deliver with our space. After practicing in multiple offices (all with the same group) for 5 years and helping to design and plan 7 offices, I know what I did and did not want for my patients in Dunwoody. I wanted to start in the treatment clinic- most orthodontists offices I have seen and worked in are called "open bays," basically its just a bunch of dental chairs in a room lined up with no separation between patients. It is designed to make it easier for the orthodontist to see more patients, walk around less, and see whats going on with all patients. This openness means that all patients can hear whats going on with your treatment, see your pictures on the computer, and provides little or no space for loved ones to come back with you. However, in a day when patient privacy should be a concern, I wanted to create an environment where treatment could be conducted but allow for parents, siblings, or friends to come and be with the patient if they wanted to. Come and see for yourself how nice it is to get braces without the whole clinic knowing your business!

The next focus was on sterilization. We have a state of the art sterilization center, by A-dec, the number one producer to advanced stericenters, to ensure that the equipment used in our practice exceeds the strictest regulations. In addition to this, our team is trained with the latest CDC guidelines and procedures.

The technology in the office is something that I am very proud of. It speaks to my geeky side, but more importantly helps in the diagnosis and planning of your treatment. We purchased the latest in 3d imaging to assist in growth analysis and determine spatially where impacted teeth are located in the jaws. The interactive TV lets us show you visually what we see in the consultation to help in our patient's education of their dental diagnosis. A 3d intraoral scanner will print 3d models so you can avoid the goopy impressions most of the time. There is so much to say here I'm going to leave it for another blog but for now enjoy the pictures of our progress.