I was hoping to order the snap-on smile online because I want to save money, and I don’t want to spend much time in dentists’ offices. I would like to be able to make my teeth impressions at home. I know of a site that claims they do this all online, but there were several bad reviews from people that paid but didn’t get their orders. When I asked the manager about the complaints, he stated they were all from one unhappy customer, but I’m very leery. However, I would really like to be able to order the snap-on smile from a reliable company. Would you know of any online companies that I could trust to order from?
Thank you so much!
-Ali from Utah
Ali,
The reason why the site that claims to deliver a Snap-on Smile seemed like a fraud is that it is; it doesn’t work doing it online. It would be like trying to get a haircut online. It sounds like you didn’t believe their answer about the complaints; I certainly don’t.
The first thing that is done when making a Snap-on-Smile is the impressions, which you could maybe get without a dentist, but I’m not sure how well that would be done. A certain amount of training is required because the impressions have to be of a certain level of quality and without distortion. Not all dental assistants could even do an adequate job on impressions. Another problem would be getting the Snap-on Smile ordered because it’s the law that a dental lab can only take orders from a licensed dentist. Therefore, someone would have to lie for you to get them made without a dentist, and would you trust someone that is willing to break the law? Maybe you would, but then there is some input that really a dentist should make for your case. It has to fit your bite, you don’t want it to make your face look bulky, there’s some communication about the shade, etc. There is a lot of opportunity here for the teeth to end up messed up, which is why you are seeing a lot of complaints in online reviews.
There’s more! Once it’s back from the lab, you have to fit the Snap-on Smile, and in most cases, it doesn’t just fit perfectly. There are usually adjustments that need to be made. Will you know how to do that and have the tools needed for that? What if you mess up and the Snap-on Smile doesn’t fit?
There are safeguards put in place in order to keep businesses from scamming the public.
If it is the cost that you are worried about, you can get a basic Snap-on Smile that doesn’t need to look particularly great. You can call around and get quotes, and you should be able to find someone who will do it for a couple of hundred dollars over the lab cost. For the front six teeth, the lab cost is $250, and for all the upper teeth, the lab cost is $400. It will vary from dentist to dentist on what they charge over and above the lab costs. Just know that will also mean great variations in the quality of the result, but if you aren’t picky, you should be able to find someone who will do it for cheaper. If you set a limit and call around, offer to pay cash upfront, then the dentist isn’t at risk of not getting paid.
I hope this helps.
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