Facts to Know When Considering Invisalign Teen

Invisalign Teen is an addition to the Invisalign product line. Like Invisalign designed for adults, Invisalign Teen consists of a series of custom aligners to straighten teeth that are made of clear plastic. This is an alternative to traditional braces, and designed to help teenagers maintain their self-esteem and confidence while meeting their dental needs. The teen version of Invisalign has a few key differences that are meant to address the barriers that teen candidates face. If you're considering Invisalign for your teen, here's what you need to know. 

What is Invisalign Teen? 

Invisalign Teen is a way for your teen to straighten their teeth without it being noticeable that they are wearing braces. Traditional braces are composed of wires that connect chunks of metal that adhere to the surface of the tooth. While traditional braces are effective, they have some drawbacks, including not being aesthetically pleasing. Invisalign Teen is a nearly invisible aligner that is custom designed for your teen's teeth.

Your teen will wear the aligner over their teeth for 20 to 22 hours a day, as they would with traditional braces. Every few weeks your teen will visit the orthodontist to pick up a replacement aligner. The result is that little by little, with each aligner replacement, your teen's teeth will align.

What Are the Key Differences?

Invisalign includes indicators that let you know the approximate time your teen spends wearing Invisalign each day. This is to help determine compliance level, as your teen needs to wear it most of the day to reap the benefits. Your teen will also get six back-up aligners, since teens are more prone to losing aligners than adults. In addition, Invisalign Teen includes eruption tabs to address the fact that some of their permanent teeth may not be in fully. 

Additional Information

The length of treatment with Invisalign Teen is about the same as with traditional braces and depends on the severity of your teen's alignment issues. On average, most teens will need treatment for one to three years. Invisalign is as effective as traditional braces in treating alignment problems, including overcrowding, overbite, underbite and gaps between teeth.

Most teenagers are candidates for Invisalign Teen, including teens with erupted permanent dentition. This costs about the same as traditional braces as well. After the initial appointment, your teen will return every few weeks for a replacement, but won't need to spend time in the orthodontists chair getting adjustments like with traditional braces. 

To learn more about your options, contact services like Braces Inc.


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