Orthodontists across the U.S. once used braces as the go-to method for correcting gaps and misaligned bites to give a patient a complete, perfect smile. While braces still offer tremendous benefits for patients of all ages, there are other options to help correct your teen’s smile. Invisalign is making waves in the dental industry as more people move to clear aligners over traditional braces.
Invisalign uses clear aligners as opposed to brackets and wires, making the treatment far less invasive and life-altering. Like braces, Invisalign teen treatment can correct many orthodontic issues, such as underbites, overbites, crossbites, overcrowding, and gap teeth. Patients get Invisalign for their teens to straighten their teeth without the drawbacks of putting metal in their mouths.
Read on to learn more about Invisalign aligners and see whether they’re suitable for your teen.
Benefits of Invisalign for Teens
One of the most significant benefits of Invisalign lies in the freedom it offers its wearers. Teens appreciate having freedom wherever they can get it, and with Invisalign, their lifestyles don’t have to change much. These virtually invisible inserts allow your teen to remove them to eat, brush their teeth, take pictures, and more.
Overall, Invisalign allows teens to keep attention off their teeth and do the things they love. Many of our patients forget they’re even using an oral appliance midway through the treatment process. This allows patients to enjoy the process of correcting their smiles rather than dread it.
Along with the inconspicuous nature of Invisalign, Invisalign is extremely comfortable, made to feel soft, smooth, and nonexistent in the patient’s mouth. While it takes time to get used to the slight bulk, most patients only experience discomfort for the first week or so. This is normal due to the realigning nature of Invisalign. Additionally, Invisalign allows room for growing teeth, including wisdom teeth that might grow a bit during your teen’s treatment.
Treatment Plan: How Does Invisalign for Teens Work?
Our very own orthodontist, Dr. Mizrahi, starts the process by taking a 3D scan of your child’s mouth using the radiation-free iTero digital scanner. This gives him a sense of what your child’s mouth will look like during and after treatment. Using this scan, we’ll develop the aligner sets your child will wear throughout their treatment.
This process is fast and noninvasive, allowing us to swiftly see what parts of your teen’s teeth and jaw needs realignment. Your teen will wear these aligners 20-22 hours each day, and they should only remove them for eating and brushing.
While tooth realignment takes time, it happens relatively quickly; every two weeks, your teen will swap out for a new aligner that will fit perfectly to their teeth. Every six to eight weeks, Dr. Mizrahi will bring your teen in for an additional exam to ensure their teeth are shifting toward their goals. In most instances, your teen will wear these aligners for 15 months to see optimal results, however, this timeline differs for everyone depending on their orthodontic situation.
Sometimes, your teen will notice tenderness and pain that they can alleviate by taking pain medication and eating soft foods for a few days.
The compliance indicators are a feature of Invisalign for teens that distinguishes it from adult-centered treatments. These soft marks at the back of the aligners will fade with consistent wear, allowing us to determine whether your child has been wearing them as intended when we check in every two weeks.
Teens can easily protect their Invisalign aligners when they’re outside their mouths with protective cases. Just slide the aligners in their case when you need eating or brushing and they’ll be good to go.
Is Invisalign Right for Your Teen?
In short, Invisalign in Forest Hills, NY is an excellent choice for any teen who needs orthodontic realignment, regardless of their lifestyle. Even athletes can remove their Invisalign and replace it with a mouthguard during games—just don’t let them forget to put the aligners back in as soon as the game’s over.
With so many benefits and few drawbacks, we at Forest Hills Orthodontic Associates believe almost anyone with misaligned teeth or jaws stands to benefit from Invisalign.