08/30/2018 11:45
There was a time, several years ago, when Invisalign could not help a group of patients who wanted it desperately. This group was teenagers. A product that would straighten teeth, be unnoticeable, and removable seemed to be the fulfillment of a wish made by every teenager ever to wear traditional wired braces.
Unfortunately, Invisalign was not appropriate for most teens because their jaws had not finished growing, and many teens did not have all molars in place. Another concern was patient compliance. For the Invisalign system to work, a patient must wear their aligners for 20-22 hours each day. Additionally, Invisalign patients must remove the trays to eat. Then patients need to brush their teeth and clean their aligners whenever they finish eating or drinking anything. We know this is a lot to ask even the most determined patient.
In time, Invisalign’s creators solved those impediments, creating Invisalign Teen. Tabs to allow room for growth and emerging molars as well as a compliance indicator show parents as well as our dentist if the patient is wearing the alignment trays for the correct amount of time.
The Invisalign Teen system works in the same way as traditional Invisalign. The clear alignment trays fit over the patient’s teeth and gently guide the teeth into alignment. Our dentist schedules frequent checkups with Invisalign Teen patients to monitor progress and address any concerns from parents or patients.
Invisalign Teen enjoys a comparable amount of success to the traditional Invisalign system. Teen patients typically wear their alignment trays for about one year, although individual cases do vary. An average set of Invisalign Teen contains 20 alignment trays which patients change about every two weeks. Changing the trays slowly over time allows teeth to adjust to the latest position before being pushed further. The careful timing is what helps to make Invisalign Teen, as well as traditional Invisalign, significantly more comfortable than other orthodontic devices.
If you think Invisalign Teen could be the best orthodontic solution for you, please call and make an appointment for a consultation at our office.
