Summary: The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) expressed concerns over an advertisement by Align Technology for the Invisalign Palatal Expander System, which implies that traditional metal expanders are painful and stressful. The AAO requested that Align be more careful in its advertising, highlighting the importance of balanced and truthful information.

Key Takeaways:

  • The AAO is concerned about an Invisalign ad depicting traditional metal expanders as painful and stressful.
  • The AAO emphasized that orthodontic options should be presented to patients with accurate and balanced information.
  • The AAO cautioned against promoting advertisements that may violate Dental Practice Acts, which prohibit claims of treatments being “painless” or “less painful.”

In a letter from the American Association of Orthodontists president John Callahan, DDS, MS, the AAO expressed significant concern regarding recent advertising for Align Technology’s Invisalign Palatal Expander System, specifically, an advertisement posted on Facebook.

Concerns About Misleading Implications

AAO members raised concerns about the advertisement (as well as previous similar advertisements), which they say implies that traditional metal expanders are painful for patients and stressful for parents to deal with.

The advertisement depicts a mother adjusting a traditional-style metal expander worn by her son. A voiceover states, “My kid’s palate needs to be expanded, but turning this metal screw is stressful for both of us.”

During this voiceover, the video shows the mother adjusting the palatal expander’s screw, and as she does so the child winces. The child’s facial expression as well as the audible noise made by the child imply that he is experiencing discomfort and/or pain. Solemn music also plays in the background during this scene, and the overall lighting and tone of the scene is dark, according to the letter.

The scene then transitions to brightly lit imagery and upbeat music showing the Invisalign Palatal Expander, with a voiceover and text stating, “The Invisalign Palatal Expander is less painful with no metal and no screw.”

Previous Controversial Advertisements

Callahan goes on to write that Align previously ran a similar ad in approximately March of 2024, where the same messaging and imagery was conveyed along with reference to traditional palatal expanders as being “medieval” and/or “torture.”

The AAO asked that Align be more careful with its advertising, keeping in mind orthodontists and other dentists who utilize traditional metal palatal expanders in treatment.

“Even setting the prior ‘medieval/torture’ ads aside, the clear implication of the current advertisement is that traditional palatal expanders cause an undue amount of pain and stress with patients, thus also creating an unfavorable impression of the orthodontists who use such palatal expanders,” the letter states.

Concern Over Consumer Perception

The letter goes on to say that these advertisements are targeted at patients/consumers who are unlikely educated about palatal expanders and may jump to conclusions that are unsupported by evidence. The AAO stated its stance that orthodontic options should be presented to patients in a balanced and truthful manner, allowing them to make informed decisions based on accurate information.

The AAO also expressed concern regarding any request for orthodontists or other dentists to promote these advertisements in their practices or on their practices’ social media or websites. The letter says that many states’ Dental Practice Acts strictly prohibit dentists and orthodontists from advertising techniques as “painless” or “less painful” and asking practitioners to promote products with this language may inadvertently be encouraging violations of these regulations.

Read the full text of the letter here.

Screenshot via Invisalign Facebook page.