When a parent hears, “Your child needs braces” they usually begin ticking off a list of facts they’ve gleaned over the years about braces, including every horror story, both real and fabricated.
They think about the time, the many trips to the orthodontist for adjustments, the maintenance, the broken wires, the soreness after adjustments, and the meticulous cleaning that is required to remove all food particles. The whole idea can be daunting.
The good news is, there is an alternative.
Invisalign is a tooth straightening system that is an alternative to braces for children, teens, and adults. There are no wires to break, no numerous trips to the orthodontist, and cleaning your teeth is much easier because the Invisalign aligners can be removed from brushing.
The Invisalign system is a series of clear plastic aligners that are barely detectable when worn. They gently straighten the teeth and move them to their proper positions. It is easier and much more convenient than braces.
If you are about to embark on your own Invisalign adventure, there are a few things you should know – including the best ways to get the most out of them.
Traditional braces and clear orthodontics like Invisalign are both effective for straightening teeth. Braces have worked for decades, but the newer technology of Invisalign makes the process better, more comfortable, faster, and easier to maintain.
The clear aligners of the Invisalign system employ digital technology to ensure a more precise fit. This means greater accuracy and often faster results. The entire treatment is tailored specifically for the patient. It is also possible to make minor adjustments as the treatment progresses.
The system allows the patient to see what their smile will look like before they even get started. The adjustments are as simple as changing to the next aligner in the treatment program as opposed to going to the orthodontist to get manual adjustments for braces.
If you are looking for braces near you, check out Invisalign first. It may be a better option for you.
For most Invisalign users the cost is definitely worth it. While the system is marginally higher than the cost of traditional braces most of the time, there are other savings that may be just as valuable that don’t necessarily have dollar signs:
There are many advantages of choosing the Invisalign tooth straightening system.
Once you have your Invisalign system you are going to want to make the most out of it. As a parent, you want to make sure that your child is doing all that he or she can to reap the greatest benefits possible. In order to accomplish this, there are a few things you can do.
Keeping your teeth, gums, and aligners clean will help prevent cavities that can happen when food becomes trapped in the aligner. It can also help prevent gum disease and bad breath.
You should clean your aligners regularly, especially after drinking coffee, tea, or sugary drinks. Invisalign has a special cleaning solution you can use that keeps the aligners clean and helps to prevent bacteria from building up.
Brush your teeth regularly, at least twice a day, and floss at least once a day. This will help to keep your mouth clean, especially between teeth.
Improper cleaning can leave your aligners looking cloudy instead of clear when they are supposed to be clear and barely detectable.
The Invisalign system allows the wearer to take the aligners off and put them back on at will instead of having them adhered to the teeth like braces. There are good points about this, but there are some potentially not so great ones as well.
While you can remove the aligners when eating certain foods, there is a possibility that you could forget to put them back in when you are finished. This can cause problems and prolong the teeth straightening process.
Your aligners can’t work if they aren’t in your mouth. It is advised that each time you get a new pair of aligners you should wear them a full 48 hours and then a minimum of 22 hours a day each day after that. The only time they should come off is when eating and cleaning.
Parents, this can be a challenge because you can’t follow your child around all day to make sure they are wearing their aligner. But it is very important so finding a way to monitor wear is usually necessary.
Coffee and tea as well as soda and alcohol can leave stains on the aligners or make them cloudy. At that point they are no longer transparent and can be detectable. Further, sugary drinks like sodas can get trapped in the aligner and cause tooth decal.
It is best to avoid these drinks completely while wearing Invisalign and stick to water only. There are added benefits to drinking water. It promotes good oral health and helps to keep the mouth clean.
If you are looking for a dentist who does Invisalign near you, call us first. We can assist you in getting your Invisalign system and help you maintain it so that you get the most out of your investment. When looking for Invisalign in Washington DC for kids or teens, call SuperKids Pediatric Dentistry and give your kids the fun, friendly, thorough dental care they deserve.
We can’t wait to meet you! Contact one of our five convenient locations around the DC area.
We are excited to announce the GRAND OPENING of our fifth Superkids office in Mt Vernon, VA. Accepting new patients starting January 16th, 2023!
