As Invisalign Diamond Providers, Dr. Dena and myself talk about Invisalign Teen all day long at the office.
Sometimes the parents of the teen are curious about Invisalign as an option, but more often, the teen is the one that wants to know more.
Teens are excited about the aesthetic appearance of Invisalign aligners and their ease of use. Many teens had braces when they were in elementary school and don’t like the idea of braces again!
Parents like the idea of reduced risk of cavities and fewer appointments at our office.
All teenagers are candidates for Invisalign Teen at Impact Orthodontics…the choice between braces or Invisalign is yours.
Braces and Invisalign are the most common orthodontic appliances used for teenagers that need their teeth moved. Both systems are effective, but they are quite different.
Here I will highlight the main differences between braces and Invisalign.
Braces are attached to your teeth like stickers. The brackets (little metal square) are all connected by a wire and the wire is what moves your teeth around.
Braces can be on the teeth for 6-36 months, depending on the complexity of treatment needed. As they can not be removed during this time, extra care and attention will be needed to keep the teeth clean and prevent the braces from breaking off.
Special dental tools will be provided to you by your orthodontist to aid in brushing and flossing. It will take twice as long to brush your teeth and three times longer to floss with braces than without them.
Meticulous oral hygiene is important to prevent cavities from forming on the teeth.
Popcorn is the only no-no food in our office but care must be taken when eating crunchy, sticky, hard or chewy foods as these can all cause breakage.
If braces break off during treatment, it can lengthen the time that they are needed or cause tooth movements that are not desired.
Braces are working 24/7 since they are attached to the teeth. Braces also can not be lost as they are glued on.
Invisalign aligners are clear, removable braces.
A 3D scan of the teeth is taken and Dr. Jen or Dr. Dena use a computer
program to digitally place all of the teeth in the correct place. A series of Invisalign aligners are then made for each teen patient.
The Invisalign aligners are switched every week. Each aligner is slightly different than the one before and this is how they move the teeth into the planned position.
Invisalign aligners are removable so there are no changes to dietary or oral hygiene routines. Aligners are removed to eat and brush and are worn the rest of the time. The goal is 22 hours/day.
Loss of Invisalign aligners tends to be parents’ number one concern. Loss has not proven to be a problem for our teen patients, but on the rare occasion that it happens, most teens can jump ahead to the next aligner. The new aligner will feel tighter than normal as the previous one was not worn for the full week. As long as this is not a regular occurrence, jumping ahead a few times during treatment is fine.
It can be a tough decision for teens and parents alike. Dr. Dena and myself are here to help you make that decision. Come on in for a consultation or do our virtual consultation online from home. Consults are always free with no obligation and we pride ourselves on providing comprehensive and detailed information to all of our patients.
All the best in your orthodontic journey!
Dr. Jen
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