Will it take an Elgin dentist longer to get Invisalign aligners than it would for one in Chicago? That probably sounds like a weird question, given how close the two cities are, but the reason why I’m asking is because I wanted to get a start on my treatment right away. My dentist in Elgin quoted me a six-week wait, but my friend who goes to an office in Chicago was told four weeks or less. When I questioned my office, they said “it’s always six weeks.” Is there something odd about transit or bigger cities getting preferential treatment or is my office just behaving strangely? I guess neither is good. I’m just confused. If it does take longer for things to be made and shipped for some reason, will this impact my treatment later and slow me down even more?
Thanks,
Sammi
Dear Sammi,
It sounds like you’re following the general process; that the Invisalign factory gets your models and pictures, fabricates the aligners, and then ships them to your dentist in Elgin. There shouldn’t be a difference in timing based on the cities. It could be that your office has had bad experiences with cases showing up late or getting delayed in transit, so perhaps they delay booking the delivery appointment longer than others. Or, it could be that the person was misinformed, they were booked, the dentist would be on vacation, or something similar. This is a good question you’d want to ask them directly. If a staff member doesn’t know, the office manager or doctor will.
As far as the delay impacting things as you progress in treatment goes, it should not. When the aligners are fabricated, they’re done all at once in a big batch. Your dental office may not give them to you in one lump. Oftentimes, they’ll only give out a couple at a time to ensure you follow up with your check-ups and to make sure that the aligners remain in good condition until you’re ready to use them. The only reason it might become an issue later on is if your treatment changes or you lose an aligner. With lost aligners, people can usually just move to the next set, so a replacement isn’t necessary, but it depends on how long you wear it before it’s lost. Because treatment is mapped out by a computer, it’s pretty rare to have anything change while you’re working through the aligners. In other words, chances are your office will have them all from the start, so there’s no waiting for shipments at all.
This blog is sponsored by Elgin Invisalign dentist, Dr. Steve Sirin.
