Teens and Invisalign
It’s no great revelation that teenagers are perhaps overly concerned with their appearance and how they are perceived by their peers. With the rise of social media, the pressure to “fit in” has only increased. Now their appearance is being “judged” by not only their classmates and neighbors, but also the millions of other kids online, thanks to social media platforms like Instagram or Snapchat.
Teens who need orthodontic treatment often find themselves in a bit of a pickle: they want an attractive, healthy smile with straight teeth,but they don’t want to get it at the expense of their appearance now! With the number of selfies on the rise, teens are especially concerned about the effect traditional braces will have on their smile.
We’re sensitive to your teen’s priorities, which is why in our Longmeadow, MA dental practice we offer Invisalign for Teens, an Invisalign treatment program that is designed with teenagers in mind. Of course, Invisalign for Teens has more benefits than being nearly invisible on their teeth, benefits which may be more important to parents!
The Benefits of Invisalign for Teens
Invisalign was introduced in 1999, and it wasn’t long before people who had once thought straightening their misaligned teeth was impossible (or at least too inconvenient to be practical) realized that they could get the smile they wanted without compromising their appearance. Invisalign has since become extremely popular, and teens caught on quickly; soon, the under 18 crowd was demanding Invisalign!
Invisalign for Teens works the same way as the “adult” Invisalign system. Instead of unattractive (and uncomfortable) wires and brackets that require frequent and lengthy adjustments to progress care, Invisalign for Teens uses Invisalign’s signature transparent plastic aligners to gently straighten teeth without impacting your smile’s appearance while you undergo orthodontic treatment.
The aesthetic benefits of Invisalign are well-known, but the system has other advantages that make them a great choice for adults and teens looking to get a better, more healthy smile.
No Change to Lifestyle
Invisalign aligners are removable; this means you take them out for meals, and pop them back in when you’re finished. Traditional braces are bonded to your teeth, and food can easily get caught in the wires and brackets which can lead to breakage or other problems that can be painful, and/or may increase treatment time. This means you need to avoid a lot of the foods you love, and this can mean a significant change to your diet. With Invisalign, the system adapts to you, not the other way around! You can still enjoy your life with Invisalign.
No-Hassle Maintenance
Traditional braces are a pain to clean, and they make keeping your teeth clean a time-intensive, delicate chore. Wires and brackets must be kept free of food particles and bacteria; keeping them clean means a lot of close work at home with a specialized brush and other tools that are needed to “navigate” the maze in your mouth. If you fail to keep your braces and teeth sufficiently clean, you’re highly vulnerable to complications and diseases that will lengthen your treatment time and may even require uncomfortable procedures to treat them.
Keeping your Invisalign aligners clean is a breeze; simply remove them, run them under lukewarm water to remove food particles and other build-up, and pop them back in. No muss, no fuss, and this also means you can brush your teeth just like you always have without having to tack on more precious time to your daily oral health routine.
Better Compliance
Invisalign for Teens understands that teenagers are “different” from grown adults, and they often need help with compliance (doing what needs to be done so that treatment is successful). Your teen may forget to put in his aligners, or for some reason stop wearing them all together; you and your dentist can track whether or not your teen is wearing their aligners when and how they should by using the blue compliance dot. When the aligners are worn properly, a small blue dot on the back of the aligners will slowly disappear (similar to the blue bristles on your toothbrush). If the blue dot isn’t disappearing, that means your teen isn’t complying with treatment, threatening their oral health, treatment success, and your investment!
Invisalign for Teens also includes extra aligners to replace those that are lost; all of this eliminates opportunities for non-compliance and ensures a successful orthodontic treatment with Invisalign.
Considering Orthodonture for Your Teen?
Give us a call to make an appointment for a consultation!
Dial 413-241-3995, or click here to book your appointment right now, online!
