Straightening Your Child’s Smile with Invisalign

Invisalign is the most popular clear aligner straightening system for adults, but millions of kids and teens also use Invisalign with great results!

If you’re interested in Invisalign for your child or teen, here’s a rundown on the basics you should know.

How Invisalign Works and What to Expect During Treatment

Invisalign is a clear aligner system that uses a series of clear aligners to gradually reposition your child’s teeth. Invisalign now offers pediatric treatment plans for kids as young as seven, though most kids will be at least 13 or so before they begin treatment.

Depending on your child’s smile, they may have anywhere from 20 to 30 (or more) aligner trays in their treatment plan. Each aligner is replaced with the next one in the series about every two weeks.

The average treatment time for Invisalign is about 12 to 18 months, though this is entirely dependent on your child’s smile. After an evaluation with an Invisalign specialist, you’ll have a much more accurate idea of exactly how long treatment will take.

During treatment, life will be relatively the same for your child. Invisalign aligners should be worn a minimum of 20 hours daily, with 22 hours being the ideal goal. Whenever your child eats or drinks anything but water, they will need to remove their aligners first. This also applies to brushing and flossing. We strongly encourage kids to brush after meals before they put their aligners back in place.

Your child will be back to visit their dentist about every six weeks for a check-up on their progress.

Advantages of Invisalign for Kids and Teens

Many kids and teens love Invisalign for all the same reasons adults do! Here are 5 of the most-loved advantages of straightening teeth with Invisalign.

• Your child can continue eating all the foods they love.

Braces mean no gum, chewy candies, or any sort of crunchy, hard, or sticky foods. Since Invisalign clear aligners are removed for eating, your child won’t need to change their diet at all. You won’t need to worry about wires or brackets breaking either!

• Brushing and flossing are much easier without braces in the way.

Brushing and flossing around wires and brackets can be really frustrating, but with Invisalign, there’s no difference! Your child will remove their aligners to floss, brush, and otherwise follow their normal dental care regimen.

• Treatment can take less time than with traditional braces.

Parents and kids alike will be happy to know that in most cases Invisalign takes less time to complete. Sometimes as much as half the time as traditional braces. This, of course, relies on your child wearing their aligners for the maximum period each day.

• Your child may feel more confident without metal braces.

Metal braces are very obvious and can understandably make a child or teen feel very self-conscious. Invisalign is barely noticeable, which means your child or teen can straighten their teeth without anyone knowing unless they tell them.

• Clear aligners can offer protection against bruxism.

Bruxism or teeth grinding can occur at night or during the day. Invisalign clear aligners can offer protection for your child’s teeth in cases of mild to moderate bruxism. Bruxism related to an improper bite alignment may be completely remedied after straightening as well.

Invisalign has a lot of advantages, but one major disadvantage to consider if you want the most successful treatment for your child.

The Key to Success with Invisalign Comes Down to Wear Time

Being able to remove the clear aligners is a double-edged sword for kids. What is typically a huge advantage can also be the biggest disadvantage: kids can purposely or accidentally forget to wear their aligners.

In many cases, kids simply forget to pop their aligners back into place after meals. In other instances, kids may remove their aligners because they don’t like the way they feel.

As long as your child is responsible, excited to straighten their smile, and wears their aligners for a minimum of 20 to 22 hours per day, they’ll have great results with Invisalign.

Is your child or teen a candidate for Invisalign?

There are two factors considered when determining whether or not Invisalign is the right choice for your child or teen.

Firstly, do you believe your child or teen will be responsible enough to follow through with the treatment plan? The answer to this is something only you know best as their parent. We recommend talking with your child about this concern, especially for pre-teens and teens who are naturally more independent.

The second factor can only be determined by a pediatric orthodontist, and that is whether or not your child’s smile goals can be reached with Invisalign. As mentioned, clear aligner treatment is highly effective but it can’t fix every issue. In some cases, severe misalignment or an overbite/underbite can only be fixed with traditional braces.

After you and your child have talked about Invisalign and have decided it’s worth pursuing, the next step is to schedule an evaluation. From there you’ll speak with a trained Invisalign specialist and find out if your child’s smile will respond well to a clear aligner system.

Reach out to We Make Kids Smile Pediatric Dentistry to learn more.

If you and your child are interested in learning more about Invisalign as an alternative to traditional braces, the We Make Kids Smile team can help guide you toward the answers. All you need to do is call our Prince Frederick or Waldorf office. We even have a quick online form you can fill out during non-business hours or weekends.

We look forward to helping you and your child get on the right track toward a healthy and straight smile!