Disclaimer: As a member of the Invisalign MAB, this is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I wore braces twice. Once when I was a teenager, and then the first year of my married life. (Yay for sexy!!) My oldest boy wore braces, and has beautiful straight teeth. My oldest daughter wore Invisalign and also has very straight teeth. Really, the two of them look as if they could be a walking advertisement for successful orthodontia.
Me, not so much. I had some issues and my lower teeth have shifted, and, well, there's nothing I'd like more than to straighten my teeth back out - but I've got these other kids whose teeth are more crooked than anything I've ever seen, and so, like much of my life - the kids have to come first. Sigh.
One day it'll be my turn. For now, I have two kiddos who desperately need to have their teeth straightened - and since I've had one older kid in traditional braces and one in Invisalign, I'm the perfect person to tell you which choice I prefer.
That's easy - Invisalign.
Available to teens and pre teens, Invisalign consists of formed plastic trays that, over time, will pull the teeth into alignment with each other, by using incremental differences in each consecutive tray. Over time, the trays cause the teeth to shift into their proper line up. Invisalign Teen clear aligners straighten teeth without traditional wires and brackets giving teens the confidence to live life to the fullest while improving their smile. No more shiny, metal braces, no more broken brackets or popped out wires - just clear removable trays that can get the job done without the standard disruption that comes with traditional braces.
The two children who need braces are currently 17 and 14. Both have terribly crooked teeth and both are very conscious of how their teeth appear - one won't ever smile showing teeth, because he's so unhappy. So, I know that I've got to get his teeth in line, so to speak. Both of these kids have a conflict, though - they attend performing arts school, one for instrumental and one for vocal. Traditional braces can tear up the mouth of an instrumentalist, especially one who plays for several hours, and they completely change the voice of an opera student. Happily, Invisalign is removable, and so the trays can be popped out for performance and practice - as long as they are worn 21 hours a day, the child will still be in compliance.
The other area of concern for me with traditional braces is the sheer amount of time it takes. Between monthly visits and emergnecy, "Help! I broke a bracket - or a wire!" visits, we spent quite a bit of time at the orthodontist's office with my oldest boy. When you use Invisalign, several aligner sets are provided in advance and because there are no wires or brackets - there's nothing to break.
But, if you are worried about making sure that the teen wears the trays for enough time to be in compliance, don't - each tray is armed with compliance indicators, which will fade if the trays are worn for the correct amount of time. If those blue dots don't fade - and there is no way to trick them, so no funny business occurs - you know that your kid isn't cooperating.
And maybe you should take their electronics. :)
After seeing not one but two orthodontists, and talking with my kids dentist, I'm pretty comfortable with the decision I made to use Invisalign. We went to two different consults, just to make sure everyone was on the same page - and we all are. What about you?
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Have you brought your child in for an orthodontic consult?
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Have you or someone you’ve known used Invisalign? And if so, what was their experience?
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How do you think Invisalign Teen compares to braces?
Interested? You should be Invisalign is a fantastic alternative to traditional braces.
Take the Smile Assessment! Want to find a participating doctor? Here are some things you may want to ask - Questions For Your Doctor.
Do you have questions on the best way to straighten your child's teeth? Check out this cool infographic.
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