Invisalign® for teens is an orthodontic treatment option designed to meet the unique needs of today’s busy teenagers. Our Calgary dentists explain how Invisalign® for teens is different, and what makes it a great choice for adolescent patients.
So, what is Invisalign® and how does it work?
Invisalign® is a series of removable, clear plastic orthodontic aligners that are a convenient and aesthetically pleasing alternative to regular metal braces. Invisalign® is designed to straighten teeth, fix gaps in between teeth, and correct structural problems. During Invisalign® treatment, the patient wears each aligner in a series for approximately two weeks and then switches it out for the next one.
Each aligner is shaped slightly differently from the previous one, and each is custom-made to fit into its position in the series. Each aligner makes small adjustments to the position of your teeth, with the end goal of straightening your teeth.
Invisalign® aligners are made of clear plastic, which makes them nearly invisible when worn. This makes them a great aesthetic choice for teenagers and adults who don’t like the look of traditional metal braces.
They are also removable, so they can be taken out to eat, brush and floss. This allows patients to continue these daily routines with few adjustments.
How is Invisalign® for teens different?
Invisalign® has made some additions to Invisalign® for teens that makes it different for the standard Invisalign® product. These extra features were developed with the specific daily needs of teens in mind. The goal is to make it easier for teens to stay on track with their treatment schedule, and to accommodate their growing smiles as well.
Compliance Indicators
Invisalign® aligners for teens have little blue dots on them that fade over two weeks of full-time wear.
This feature helps teens specifically because on average, they tend to be less compliant to their prescribed treatment than adults are.
In this context, "compliant" means that a patient follows his or her dentist's instructions for treatment, and takes all the steps necessary to keep it on track. Teens are less likely than adults to stay compliant to treatment, meaning they take their aligners out more often and for longer periods of time than prescribed.
This can make it difficult to keep track of how much longer they need to wear a given set of aligners.
The compliance indicators help solve this problem for teens. They will only fade away after the aligners have been worn for the two full weeks required.
That means if the patient gets off track with their treatment, they can easily pick back up where they left off, and know how much longer they need to wear the current set of aligners.
Eruption Tabs
Thanks to the addition of special eruption tabs, Invisalign® for teens can be prescribed for younger teens whose adult teeth have not quite finished surfacing. The eruption tabs are spaces in the Invisalign® aligners that allow the teeth to grow through.
6 Extra Replacement Aligners
Since they are more likely to remove their aligners than adults are, teens are also more likely to misplace or damage them. Invisalign® for teens comes with 6 replacement aligners so that treatment can stay on track.
