Foothills Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics provides a virtually invisible alternative to traditional braces: Invisalign for teens. These clear aligners replace the need for brackets and wires, providing a discreet and effective alternative to traditional braces.
The Benefits of Invisalign
Unlike metal braces, clear aligners don’t draw attention to themselves. The aligners fit snugly in the mouth, applying gentle pressure over time. At your initial appointment, we will provide you with a series of aligners for treatment. Every two weeks, you will switch from one to the next, progressing treatment.
While braces come with dietary restrictions to prevent damage to the appliances, Invisalign limits zero foods. You just take the clear aligners out before eating and drinking. When finished, brush and floss before wearing them again. This keeps germs and residue from sticking to the aligners. To prevent stains, only drink water while wearing your aligners. Juices, tea, and coffee can affect the clarity of the aligners.
For teens who play instruments or are involved in contact sports like wrestling or football that call for mouthguards, Invisalign makes continuing with these activities easy. Simply remove your aligners when needed for band practice or sports, but remember to put them back on once finished.
The Invisalign Process
Invisalign for teens begins with a free consultation. During the appointment, we scan your teen’s teeth using the iTero digital scanner, which creates a digital mold for the treatment process. Then, the aligners are printed using Invisalign’s SmartTrack thermoplastic. Each Invisalign plan is created by Dr. Evan to be fully customized to your teen’s specific case.
Your Invisalign should be worn as much as possible, day and night, and only remove when eating or drinking. Invisalign for teens also has compliance indicators, so if you’re worried your teen will forget to wear their aligners, these indicators fade when wearing aligners consistently. Otherwise, they remain visible.
The treatment plan’s length will depend on the patient and each specific case. Treatments range from one to two years but can be longer, depending on the severity of issues needing correction.