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Pop quiz: name a teenager that you know who truly doesn’t care about her appearance and how she is perceived by her peers. Most parents reading this post will know that this is a trick question, because teenagers, if nothing else, are obsessed with how they look and how they can best fit in. In our northwest IN orthodontics practice, it used to be that when a teenager learns she needs braces, you’d think we had just given them a life sentence!
No matter how well you are able to explain to your teenager the benefits of orthodontic treatment and that in the long run her smile will be even more beautiful and attractive, all your teen will hear is “You will have ugly wires and brackets on your teeth for at least a couple years, maybe more. Goodbye, Senior Prom! Sayonara, yearbook photos! Hello ‘End of your social life as you know it!’”.
That’s until we tell them about Invisalign for Teens, a specialized product line from the makers of Invisalign!
Clearly, Invisalign
One of the “clear” advantages of Invisalign is that it allows you to undergo orthodontic treatment to improve your smile and even address problems with your bite without having to “put your smile on hold” for a couple years. That alone will be enough to turn your teen on to getting the orthodontic treatment she needs. Your teen will be able to get her best smile while not feeling subconscious of her treatment’s impact on her appearance!
Of course, Invisalign has other benefits as well that make the ideal solution for teenagers who need orthodontic treatment.
Too Many Life Changes Already!
Your teenager is undergoing many changes, both physical and psychological, as she prepares for adulthood and begins to establish her “grown-up” personality. That’s plenty to deal with without having to throw in the inconveniences of traditional braces.
With traditional braces, your teen will need to be very careful about the food she eats and drinks; not only will she need to avoid sticky and chewy foods that could break the wires and brackets, but she should also cut out as much sugar as she can. Sugar feeds plaque, which is bacteria, and it will grow on any surface in your mouth, including braces. This bacteria can cause cavities and gum disease, both of which can easily de-rail an orthodontic treatment plan and stretch the time your teen will need to wear her braces.
Not so with Invisalign! Invisalign’s metal-free aligners are designed to be removed easily, so your teen won’t need to worry about changes to her diet or having to give up on the foods she loves.
Removable aligners are also beneficial when it comes to maintenance of both the appliances themselves and your teen’s oral health. Traditional braces are tough to keep clean, but they need to stay clean. Otherwise, problems like those we mentioned a paragraph or two ago will cause your teen’s treatment to get longer while she endures painful adjustments to overcome the problems caused by gum disease and cavities.
Additional Benefits of Invisalign for Teens
In 1999, when Invisalign was first introduced, it wasn’t long before teenagers realized that they too could take advantage of Invisalign’s revolutionary technology. With Invisalign for Teens, your child will be able to get the smile she wants, with a little extra help.
Extra Aligners
If you ever had a retainer when you were a teenager, your worst enemy was the school cafeteria trash bin, which was a veritable Bohemian Triangle for retainers and other dental appliances. Replacing these appliances is a pain, and it can also be expensive! The makers of Invisalign are aware of teen’s incredible ability to misplace even the most important of items, so they will provide your teen with extra aligners to replace those that will become lost (one way or another).
Built In Compliance Assistance
“Compliance” isn’t necessarily a word one associates with teenagers. In the context of medicine and dentistry, compliance basically means complying with the requirements of your treatment so that it is effective. For a number of reasons, your teen might have difficulties with compliance, ranging from old fashioned rebellious behavior to simply forgetting her aligners at home. Invisalign for Teen aligners address this with the compliance dot, a small blue dot near the back of all Invisalign for Teen aligners. The compliance dot works on the same principle as the blue bristles on a tooth brush. When the aligners are worn correctly and for the correct amount of time, the dot will disappear (the blue bristles on your tooth brush disappear over time to let you know when it’s time to get a new brush). This will allow your orthodontist to keep close tabs on your teenager’s treatment, and you’ll be able to easily and quickly determine whether or not your teenager is doing what she needs to do to get her very best smile!
Is Your Teen Dreading Life With Braces?
Consider Invisalign for Teens! Invisalign will give your child her straightest, healthiest, most beautiful smile, allowing her to face all of life’s challenges with a grin.
Dial 219-809-6584, or click here to request an appointment online. We have several locations to choose from for your convenience!