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Did you have braces when you were a teenager and what that was like?
With those wires and brackets in your face:
- You stuck out in a crowd (or at least you thought you did)
- You struggled to keep them clean, and when you didn’t, you got an earful from your parents, and usually your orthodontist if it got really bad.
- You had to be careful about the foods you ate, and the activities you participated in, from marching band to sports.
- You were uncomfortable most of the time: you never totally got used to having them in!
- Going to the orthodontist for an adjustment was something to dread: adjustments were always uncomfortable! That’s to say nothing of the occasional extra bit of wire that would poke you in the cheek for weeks if the adjustment wasn’t performed perfectly.
It was a real hassle!
Now you’re a parent, and it’s your teen’s turn to have some orthodontic work done. As an adult, you know that despite all that pain and embarrassment, it will be worth it, because it will mean that your child’s smile is the best it can be!
Of course, if you could get your child’s smile to where it needs to be without all the pain and aggravation, wouldn’t you?
Orthodontics Alliances (conveniently in three locations) is your northwest Indiana source for the best in orthodontic care and offers Invisalign for Teens.
How is Invisalign Different From Traditional Metal Braces?
Invisalign’s technology is light-years ahead of the braces we grew up with. Invisalign braces are practically invisible: they’re made from lightweight, transparent plastic, and they go in behind the teeth. Where traditional braces pull teeth into place, Invisalign pushes them into place. Nobody has to know your teen is wearing them, relieving them of the stigma of wearing braces.
Cleaning is a cinch! No more little brushes or long stretches in the mirror checking to see if you got every bit of food. You remove the aligners and clean them with either the Invisalign cleaning kit; or you simply rinse them under lukewarm water! Afterward, you just pop them back into place.
Invisalign aligners won’t have any impact on your teen’s activities, and they’ll still be able to eat whatever they want!
How does Invisalign Work?
Invisalign works by slowly pushing the teeth where they need to be. Every two weeks, your teen will put in a new set of aligners, which are shaped slightly differently from the ones before it, with incremental changes in shape and design that will guide their teeth into place. If you’re worried that your teen is forgetting or neglecting his or her treatment, the aligners have a discrete blue dot on each end. These are called “compliance indicators”, and they show if they’re being worn properly, for the correct amount of time.
You’ll switch aligners every two weeks, and every six weeks you’ll go into your orthodontist for a check up (minus all the pain associated with the alignment of traditional braces!).
The aligners are made specifically for your teeth: your orthodontist will take 3-D images of your teeth, which are fed into a computer that then creates a “program” or series of aligners that will give you the ideal smile you’ve always wanted.
Will Invisalign Work For My Teen?
Invisalign can handle the majority of cases, but for extremely serious problems with alignment, traditional braces might be the only option. You and your orthodontist will discuss all the options available, and come up with the best possible plan for your smile!
Make An Appointment Today!
Drs. Schmidt are among the leading orthodontics providers in Northern Indiana; you and your family’s smiles will be in good hands!
Click here for our online appointment form, or call us at 219-809-6584.