Many a mother (or father) has worried that their teen might not have enough discipline for the Invisalign® program. Since you have the option to take out the clear plastic aligner, maybe traditional braces would be a better option? Removable aligners, as with Invisalign Teen, have to be put in and kept in and can also be lost.
Align Technology (the makers of Invisalign) have completed a very interesting series of studies of teenagers needing orthodontics, some treated with traditional braces and others using Invisalign technology.
Invisalign Teen Study Findings:
Isolation: 92% of teenagers say that traditional braces make them feel isolated from their peers.
Self-esteem: Twice as many teens using Invisalign experience a rise in self-esteem compared to teenagers wearing braces.
Effectiveness: Invisalign treatment is usually as effective as braces for treating orthodontic conditions.
Cost: Invisalign treatment costs about the same as braces.
Bullying: Teenagers are 68% less likely to be teased by other young people when wearing Invisalign.
Reliability: Teenagers are more reliable than adults in following the Invisalign treatment protocol.
Confidence: 40% of teenagers say braces would have a negative impact on their self-confidence, but only 13% of Invisalign Teen users come to the same conclusion.
There are other advantages to using Invisalign that you may want to take into account.
With Invisalign Teen, if one does lose an aligner, the parents receive up to six replacements for free throughout the course of treatment.
Invisalign Teen is much safer than braces for athletes, since there are no wires or brackets to cause injury in the event of collisions.
Eating many different foods becomes difficult or forbidden with braces, but Invisalign is removed to eat.
For wind instrument musicians, playing is no different than usual, again because the aligners are removable.
Invisalign needs to be worn for twenty hours a day, leaving time for eating, playing and the usual daily dental hygiene.
There is an additional safeguard and reminder, if a teenager doesn’t wear their aligners regularly. Invisalign Teen includes a “wear indicator” — a blue dot that fades when worn. This lets parents and dentists check for compliance.
In our experience at A Perfect Smile Orthodontics, teenagers look forward to a new smile, so wearing Invisalign consistently is usually not a problem.
For more information about treatment with Invisalign Teen, we offer a free consultation to answer all of your questions.
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