Invisalign – Cumming, GA
The Orthodontic Treatment for Image-Conscious Teens
Social media, peer pressure, and the physical changes that take place during the teenage years can make many young ones feel self-conscious about their appearance. You want to do everything possible to help your teen feel comfortable in their skin. One way in which you may be able to do that is by bringing them to our practice to find out whether Invisalign is right for them. This discreet orthodontic treatment is often the ideal way for teens to achieve a straighter, healthier, and more confident smile.
Why Choose Village Pediatric Dentistry for Invisalign for Teens?
- In-House Orthodontic Specialist
- Convenient Appointment Times — No Need to Miss School
- Friendly, Knowledgeable Staff
How Does Invisalign Work?
Invisalign uses a series of custom clear plastic aligners to apply gentle pressure to the teeth. Your teen will wear each aligner for 20 – 22 hours each day for approximately two weeks. As they graduate from one aligner to the next, their teeth will move little by little into their proper positions. The average treatment time with Invisalign is 12 months. However, it can be longer or shorter depending on a patient’s unique needs and how well they comply with the treatment.
Benefits of Invisalign
Invisalign has gained a lot of attention over the years because the aligners are basically invisible, allowing teens to get the results they desire without the metal brackets and wires. But that’s not the only perk of this innovative orthodontic treatment. Here are a few noteworthy benefits that your child will enjoy during the teeth-straightening process.
Easy Oral Hygiene
Like many other parents, you may have a bit of trouble getting your teen to brush and floss consistently. Imagine how much more difficult it is when there are interproximal brushes, pre-threaded floss, and other special tools involved! The good news is that Invisalign aligners are removable. So, your teen will be able to brush and floss their teeth without using any special tools or techniques.
No Dietary Restrictions
Another considerable perk: there aren’t any dietary restrictions with Invisalign! All they need to do is remove their aligners first. Outside of that, they should do their best to eat healthy, well-balanced meals and cut back on sugary and starchy snacks in an effort to keep their teeth and gums healthy. Remember, if an oral health problem arises, like a cavity, their orthodontic treatment will come to a temporary stop.
Monitoring Compliance Is Easy
Many parents wonder what the difference is between Invisalign for adults and Invisalign for teens. There are actually a few differences, and one of them is that your child’s clear aligners will have an indicator dot. This little blue dot will help you keep tabs on whether they are sticking to the treatment guidelines, like wearing their aligners for a minimum of 20 hours a day.
Support Is Just a Phone Call Away
Even if your teen is usually very good at keeping track of their belongings, accidents sometimes happen. Fortunately, you don’t have to stress if your teen accidentally damages or loses an aligner because our team is ready to help! Once we know more about what happened, we can determine the best course of action to get them back on track with their treatment plan.
Basically Invisible Braces
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning one of the biggest draws: Invisalign aligners are crafted from see-through plastic. As a result, onlookers are unlikely to notice your teen’s orthodontic treatment. The key is proper care and maintenance, including brushing twice a day and cleaning their aligners after each meal with a soft-bristled toothbrush and clear, mild dishwashing liquid.
Metal-Free Aligners
Usually, patients and their parents assume the perks of metal-free aligners start and stop with appearance. The truth is that they are also considerably more comfortable! Since the trays are low-profile, smooth, and custom-made to fit the contours of their teeth, your teen won’t have to deal with soft tissue irritation, mouth sores, and the like!
Living with Invisalign Aligners
Unlike traditional braces, your teen doesn’t need to completely alter their day-to-day routine with Invisalign. They do, however, need to make a few adjustments to stay on-track with their treatment plan. More specifically, they should:
Wearing The Trays
There’s one important rule your teen needs to follow throughout their teeth-straightening journey: they need to wear their aligners for a minimum of 20 hours each day. Initially, this might cause you to panic a bit. After all, between school, extracurricular activities, and a busy social life, you can’t really reinforce this rule. Fortunately, the indicator dot will give both you and our team insight into how close or far they are from the mark.
Cleaning The Aligners
Like many other patients, your teen may have been drawn to Invisalign because the aligners are considerably more discreet than traditional braces. While that’s true, it’s possible for stubborn, yellow stains to surface, drawing unwanted attention to their smiles. That’s why it’s so important that they take good care of their trays! That starts with rinsing them with clean, cool water each time they remove them and extends to using a soft-bristled toothbrush and mild dishwashing liquid to clean them after each meal.
Eating & Drinking with Aligners
One of the many perks of Invisalign is that there aren’t any dietary restrictions. Of course, that doesn’t mean that your teen can eat anything and everything they want. Since crunchy foods can lead to a dental injury and sugary sweets can result in decay, it’s important that they eat mostly healthy, well-balanced meals.
Tip: Encourage your teen to drink lots of water throughout the day! In addition to keeping them hydrated, this will help prevent dry mouth and soft tissue irritation.
Losing or Damaging an Aligner
Since losing or damaging an aligner makes wearing them for a minimum of 20 hours a day impossible, it’s important that your teen does their best to keep track of and care for their trays. With that said, accidents sometimes happen – that’s okay! Invisalign Teen does include a few replacement aligners so you don’t have to stress about added costs and significant treatment plan delays.
Scheduling Routine Check-Ins
You and your teen will be happy to hear that there aren’t monthly adjustment appointments with Invisalign. Instead, the progress visits are every 6-8 weeks. Each one is crucial because it allows our orthodontist to monitor the movement of their teeth, answer any questions they have, and provide the next several sets of aligners. As long as their teeth are moving as anticipated, they should be in and out of the treatment chair in 30 minutes or less.
Is Invisalign Right for Your Teen?
Invisalign clear braces may be perfect for your teen if:
- Their dental misalignment is mild to moderate. Podray-Donovan will assess your teen’s teeth and determine whether Invisalign would provide adequate treatment.
- They are image-conscious. Some teens do not mind the brackets and wires of regular braces, but others may dread the idea of traditional orthodontic treatment.
- They are responsible. Your teen will have to take good care of their aligners and wear them all day, every day. They should have the self-discipline required to stick to their treatment plan.
Would you like to learn more about Invisalign and how it may benefit your child? Contact Village Pediatric Dentistry today.