You and your teenager have been talking about braces.
You know it’s going to cost a little money, and your teen knows that it’s going to require a commitment of time. You had been assuming that your teen would just get traditional braces since you had braces, too.
Well, braces are still an option, but your teen is growing up at a time when he or she may not need to wear braces at all as part of his or her orthodontic care.
Before you make a decision, talk to one of our dentists at any Beaumont Family Dentistry if you live in or near Lexington, KY. We will be glad to examine your teenager’s teeth and to let you know if Invisalign® might be a good alternative to straighten his or her teeth.
Here are 10 reasons you may want to consider Invisalign.
#1. No brackets or wires
Look, we know that braces work. It’s why we offer them as an option, but we also know that wearing brackets and wires are your teeth isn’t the most pleasant experience. Some people find the brackets scratchy, and if a wire breaks, it can poke your son or daughter in the lips, cheeks, or gums.
#2. Transparency
You will be able to see the changes happening to your teen’s teeth even if you don’t notice the treatment. Invisalign uses transparent aligners, which are virtually invisible when your teen is wearing them.
For a teen who may feel self-conscious about getting braces, this can make orthodontic treatment much easier to handle.
#3. Comfort
We mentioned earlier that Invisalign does not require brackets or wires. Instead, each aligner is made from a single piece of smooth plastics. There are no edges to scratch the soft tissues in his or her mouth.
#4. Effectiveness
Maybe we should have mentioned this earlier, but we wouldn’t recommend Invisalign if we didn’t think it worked. In fact, we’ve seen it work time and time again for adults and teenagers with mild to moderate alignment problems and bite issues.
Invisalign may not work on the most severe cases, but it can work for many people seeking or orthodontic care.
#5. Convenience
When you have braces, you are stuck wearing them 24 hours a day, every day, until your treatment is over. With Invisalign, your teen will need to wear his or her aligners most of the time, but he or she can remove them for a couple hours per day.
Think back on your own experience with braces. How much of a difference would that have made for you?
#6. Eat What You Want
OK, maybe you don’t want teenagers making every decision about what to stuff in their mouths. You would prefer that they eat healthy foods.
Our point is that your teen won’t have to give up things like popcorn at the movies or other chewy or crunchy foods that could get caught between his or her braces and teeth. Instead, he or she just removes his or her aligners when it’s time to eat.
#7. Compliance
We understand this might be a concern for the parent of a teenager. If they can’t pick up their dirty clothes, why should you trust them with a removable orthodontic treatment?
This was a concern with Invisalign when it was first introduced, which is why it was originally only recommended for adults.
Since it has been used for teenagers, dentists and orthodontists have reported that teenagers are actually more likely than adults to wear their aligners as directed.
#8. Replacements
Invisalign also knows that things happen. Your teen may lose an aligner from time to time. It’s why they include six free replacements aligners as part of their Invisalign Teen service. Be sure to ask about it.
#9. Fewer Dental Visits
With Invisalign, your teen will wear each aligner for a few weeks at a time and then replace it with the next aligner in the series (assuming he or she is wearing the aligners for the right amount of time).
We will want to check your teen’s progress from time to time, but you won’t need to come in as often as you would if he or she had braces.
#10. You Can Come To An Invisalign Premier Provider
Dr. Takacs of Beaumont Family Dentistry has earned the distinction of being an Invisalign Premier Provider. This is a reflection of the success we have had treating patients at our dentist office in Lexington.
If you want to find out what that could mean for your son or daughter, call or use our online form to contact the location closest to you.