Teen Invisalign Patient

Dr. D,

As a follow-up question to your last letter regarding clear aligner braces – My 16 year old teenage daughter has been refusing to wear braces since it was recommended by our dentist three years ago. She feels that metal braces will make her “look ugly.” I know she is too young to begin to talk the shidduch talk; but I am trying to explain to my daughter the importance of a nice smile and how much prettier she will look after braces. Is there such a thing as an invisalign-like option for teenagers?

Sharon K.

Dear Sharon,

Orthodontic treatment is ideally performed during the adolescent years as these are the years of growth and development. By utilizing orthodontics during this period of growth a practitioner can mold a child’s growth and help develop a healthy and confident smile and occlusion (bite).

Invisalign-teen offers an easier, more flexible way to give your child the confidence of a great smile without the restrictions, irritation and self-consciousness associated with metal brackets and wires of traditional braces. As I tell my teenage patients who are Invisalign-teen candidates, “You don’t have to worry about sharp metal wires and brackets irritating your cheeks and gums. You don’t have to worry about food getting stuck in your brackets and wires like pizza, popcorn or even (sugar free) gum! With its removable aligners, Invisalign-teen lets you pretty much eat whatever you want whenever you want. Do not try that with braces!”

Additionally, many teenagers under traditional bracket and wire orthodontics lose their drive to keep a clean and healthy mouth as food and plaque are consistently getting stuck within the orthodontic appliance and once there, it is often difficult to remove with conventional brushing and flossing. This often yields poor hygiene habits, gingivitis, demineralization of enamel, and eventual generalized cavities. With Invisalign-teen, similar to Adult Invisalign, the alignment of teeth is accomplished with a series of aligner trays that are freely removable and can continue brushing and flossing normally, which leads to better overall periodontal health.

Your daughter can smile confidently while wearing them, or easily take them out for school pictures, family pictures, yearbook photos, or even just snapshot with friends. Since Invisalign aligners are virtually invisible, you can always get that perfect shot. Your daughter does not have to end up with a lifelong reminder that she was getting her teeth straightened way back then.

As a parent, you will find that Invisalign-teen offers more convenience for your schedule as well. For you, fewer doctor visits mean less time out of your busy schedule and less time worrying about missed school class time for your daughter.

Although Invisalign-teen can correct most malocclusions, there are still indications for the need of standard metal braces. An experienced Invisalign provider can tell you whether your teenager is a candidate for this state-of-the-art treatment. Since these aligners are freely removable by your daughter, there are more than just clinical conditions that make a patient a good candidate. A patient needs to be responsible and mature enough to be compliant and to wear the appliance as instructed, even when away from your watchful eye at home. To help gauge your teenager’s compliance throughout treatment, Invisalign-teen has a built in Blue Dot Wear Indicator on each teen aligner, providing an approximate gauge of whether your teen has been wearing the aligners consistently and for the recommended amount of time. The indicators will fade as the time to move to the next set of aligners get closer. This not only helps a parent see the compliance of use but acts as an incentive to use and wear the aligners properly for your teenager as well.

As with any medical/dental procedure, you should make sure that your dentist has the experience and knowledge needed to provide this service. The use of clear plastic aligners in orthodontic treatment utilizes a different approach to the alignment of teeth and, therefore, requires specific experience and knowledge in their use.

So in conclusion, Yes. There is an option to give your daughter a straight and healthy ‘shidduch-ready’ smile, using the almost invisible Invisalign-teen clear aligner system.

Steven Davidowitz, DDS