Invisalign Teen: A Teen-Friendly Alternative to Traditional Braces

For many teens, braces are an inevitable part of life. Teenagers have lost their all their baby teeth and as their permanent teeth are coming in, the teen years are when issues like crowding and improper spacing become more apparent. Orthodontic intervention during the teen years prevents future problems, like bite malocclusions, and gives teens a straight, beautiful smile as they enter adulthood.

When most teens think of braces, they picture the traditional metal brackets that are attached to the teeth and then slowly adjusted to improve the alignment of their teeth. These metal brackets can be uncomfortable to wear and can get in the way of their common teen activities, like playing sports or a musical instrument.

Today, teens now have another orthodontic option: Invisalign Teen! Invisalign Teen aligners are just as effective as traditional braces without the common complaints most teens have about wearing braces.

If you decide Invisalign Teen is an option to explore for your child, our orthodontic specialist Dr. Mariam Ghavamian, will first perform a comprehensive exam including a full digital scan of your teen’s mouth. The scans allow the doctor to create a customized treatment plan to address their specific orthodontic needs. Diagnostic scans and treatment planning software make precise aligners that fit their mouth perfectly. With our Invisalign software, we can even show you the predicted end results before treatment even starts!

We find that one of the biggest advantages to Invisalign treatment is comfort. Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign aligners are comfortable to wear and don’t cause mouth irritation from metal brackets rubbing up against the soft tissue in the mouth. Invisalign aligners are custom-fit and made of smooth plastic that prevents oral irritation.

We know that teenagers are especially sensitive to the need to fit in with their peers and the conspicuousness of traditional braces can make teens feel especially self-conscious. The plastic used to make the Invisalign aligners is clear, making them nearly unnoticeable. When your teen wears Invisalign, the only one who knows they are wearing them is your teen!

Unlike metal braces which are permanently attached to teeth during treatment, Invisalign aligners can be removed for eating and cleaning. The ability of teens to remove the aligners means that they have none of the food restrictions that come with traditional braces. Teens can eat what they want with Invisalign, including favorites like popcorn, apples, and bagels, all of which are not recommended with metal braces.

Removing the aligners also allows teens to maintain their usual oral hygiene routine during treatment. While food can get trapped under the brackets of metal braces, removing Invisalign aligners to brush and floss ensures your teen’s teeth are properly and thoroughly cleaned before replacing the aligners.

Invisalign provides an additional feature which can help teens to remember to wear their aligners for the daily required amount of time. Customized aligners can be fabricated with a “compliance indicator,” which is a small blue dot on each set of aligners. As your teenager wears their aligners the blue dot fades, ensuring that you and your teen can see the aligners have been worn for the correct amount of time.

With Invisalign Teen, we are now able to offer your teen an alternative to traditional metal braces. Orthodontic treatment with Invisalign Teen means your teen can have a healthy smile with none of the downsides of metal braces. To learn more about what Invisalign Teen can do to transform your teen’s smile, schedule a consultation with Brookline Dental Specialists today!