REXBURG, Idaho: Students are back in Rexburg this week, and so are the ads. Mail-order teeth aligner companies market hard to young adults on tight budgets. The pitch is simple: straighten teeth by mail for less. A Rexburg dentist says the fine print deserves a closer look.
The track record backs him up. SmileDirectClub, once the largest mail-order aligner company, shut down in December 2023 in the middle of bankruptcy. Customers who were mid-treatment lost their support overnight. A year later, the New York Attorney General stepped in. Her office recovered 4.8 million dollars for more than 28,000 consumers. Those customers were still being charged after the company stopped providing care. The American Dental Association strongly discourages direct-to-consumer dental services like mail-order aligners. Its policy warns the harm can be permanent.
The core problem is what mail-order treatment skips. No one examines the patient in person. No X-rays check the roots, bone, and gums before teeth start moving. Untreated gum disease or hidden decay can turn a cosmetic project into a real dental problem.
"I'm not against saving money. I'm against moving teeth without ever looking inside someone's mouth. Roots, bone, and gums all move too, and nobody checks that through an app," said Dr. Craig Stout of Family First Dental.
Dr. Stout says patients considering any aligner treatment should ask three questions first. Will someone examine their mouth in person before treatment starts? Can they call a real office if a tray stops fitting? And who handles their retainers when treatment ends? If the answer to any of those is unclear, keep looking.
Family First Dental provides Invisalign treatment in Rexburg. Dr. Stout is a trained and certified provider. Every case starts with an in-person exam and imaging. The office checks each patient's insurance coverage before treatment begins. The office is open until 7 PM on Tuesday and Thursday and from 8 AM to 1 PM on Saturday. Call (208) 400-9946 or schedule online at book.modento.io/family-first-dental.
About Family First Dental
Family First Dental is a family dental office at 286 E Moody Rd Ste. F, Rexburg, ID 83440. The practice offers cleanings, exams, fillings, Invisalign, emergency care, and pediatric care for ages 4 and up. Visit familyfirstdentist.com.
Email: omanager@familyfirstdentist.com
Media Contact
Name
Family First Dental Rexburg
Contact name
Dr. William Craig Stout, DDS
Contact phone
(208) 400-9946
Contact address
286 E Moody Rd Ste. F
City
Rexburg
State
ID
Zip
83440
Country
United States
Url
https://familyfirstdentist.com/