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Patients of all ages can benefit from the consistently beautiful results of Invisalign treatment, and children often experience the greatest level of success. No matter the patient’s age, orthodontic issues can drag down your oral health or self-esteem if not addressed. We want your child to enjoy all of the benefits of their forever smile, and Invisalign is a modern and effective approach to achieving this result.
What Is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a series of clear aligners designed to fit snugly over your teeth and provide consistent pressure. Over time, your teeth will shift into place for your perfect smile, and you will enjoy a lifetime of beautiful results. These aligners are virtually invisible and deliver a high level of comfort to every patient by using a special thermoplastic printed to fit every groove of a patient’s teeth, so there is no uncomfortable friction.
While you’re in Invisalign, you will receive a new pair of aligners every two weeks that have been altered slightly to move your smile closer to your desired results. Every pair of aligners is easy to remove so that you can eat, drink, brush your teeth, and more without worrying about damaging your appliance or slowing your progress. For the best results, it’s essential that your child keeps their aligners in for at least 20 to 22 hours a day.
How Is Invisalign for Kids Different from Invisalign for Adults?
Our team is skilled at developing treatment plans that account for your child’s growth patterns and effectively shift their teeth into place for a healthier smile. Invisalign for kids is designed to treat a wide range of orthodontic issues, including overlapping teeth and misaligned bites. By intervening early, we can solve simple problems before they grow into more serious issues. Children’s mouths are often easier to treat because their teeth and jaws are still growing, and they are more open to shifting and changing. We can use Invisalign treatment to influence the growth of their mouths and ensure they grow into a smile that inspires confidence.
To help you monitor how often your kid wears their aligners, Invisalign features compliance indicators located near the back of the appliance. These small symbols will fade with time as long as the aligners are worn consistently over a two-week period. If your child hasn’t worn their Invisalign for the suggested amount of time, the symbol will still be visible, and you can encourage them moving forward to wear their aligners for the best results. Many find it surprising that children often get used to their aligners sooner than adults and are less likely to take them out. While it depends on the child, younger patients often adapt to change much sooner and don’t even notice their aligners shortly after receiving them. This helps them experience high levels of success in the treatment.
What Are the Benefits of Invisalign for Children?
There are endless benefits of Invisalign treatment for kids, but at the top of the list is the freedom our younger patients experience when they wear clear aligners. They have the ability to enjoy all of their favorite snacks and treats without worrying about breaking a bracket or pulling a wire with sticky and hard foods. It can sometimes be difficult to regulate what your child is eating between classroom treats and snacks at a friend’s house, so it’s less stressful for both the parent and patient not to have to avoid certain foods during treatment.
Not only do they not have to worry about breaking their appliance with food, but they can also feel confident in the fact they will never have to deal with poking wires and brackets for any reason. It is very difficult to damage your Invisalign aligners, and we all know that durability is key when considering orthodontic treatment for kids. The comfort and durability of Invisalign aligners mean that you won’t have to deal with emergency appointments, and your child won’t experience unnecessary discomfort.
Children tend to miss a few spots when they are doing their daily oral health routine of brushing and flossing, which can become even more difficult if they are working around a metal appliance. With Invisalign, they can easily remove their aligners and brush and floss as they normally would. This feature helps kids keep their mouths clean and their progress on track.
How Should My Child Care for Their Invisalign Aligners?
We want your child’s treatment to be as straightforward as possible, and Invisalign aligners are great for kids because they are easy to clean and maintain. After your child brushes their teeth, they should take their toothbrush and warm water and scrub the inside and outside of their aligners. This will remove any lingering food debris or harmful bacteria and ensure your clean teeth stay clean after putting your aligners back.
Can My Child Still Participate in Sports?
Your child can still participate in all of the sports they love while working toward a smile that will last a lifetime. A benefit of Invisalign is that the aligners act as a mouthguard, and they can shield your child’s teeth from damage while they’re playing. If your kid prefers to play without their Invisalign, they can easily remove the aligners and put them back in when they are finished.