Our Langley dentists offer Invisalign® for Teens as a convenient way to straighten youthful smiles. Today we look at the features that make Invisalign for Teens an ideal orthodontic treatment for many of our active teen patients.
Features of Standard Invisalign Treatment
Standard Invisalign aligner treatment consists of a series of clear, removable orthodontic aligners that are custom-made, convenient to use and low-profile in appearance. Clear aligners have been designed to gently correct many simple and more complex tooth misalignment issues, as well as a number of common bite issues.
How Invisalign's Clear Aligners Work
Clear aligner treatment works using a series of specially calibrated aligners. Each Invisalign aligner is custom-made to put precise pressure on targeted teeth. All your teen needs to do to straighten their smile with Invisalign is to wear each set of aligners in their series for about two weeks, then switch to their next set of aligners.
Each custom-made aligner in your teens series is shaped slightly differently than the previous aligner, and each is made to precisely control gradual tooth movement. Which means that every aligner plays a unique role in the treatment process.
Invisalign aligners are made from thin clear plastic, making the aligners difficult for the casual observer to see. Clear aligners are also removable, allowing your teen to eat, drink and care for their teeth without worrying about damaging their braces.
The Special Features of Invisalign for Teens
Invisalign for Teens has all of the convenience and comfort of standard Invisalign but with added features developed with the unique needs of teenagers in mind. The added features of Invisalign for Teens are designed to help to make it easier for teens to keep their treatment on-track and accommodate the ongoing changes to their developing smiles.
- 6 Replacement Aligners - Teen patients tend to remove their aligners more often and for longer than our adult patients, making it more likely that their aligners could be damaged or misplaced. Invisalign for Teens comes with 6 replacement aligners so that treatment can continue without skipping a beat even if a set of aligners becomes lost or damaged.
- Compliance Indicators - These little blue dots hidden on the backs of each aligner, gradually fade away after two weeks of full-time wear. Compliance indicators help teens because on average, teens tend to be less compliant with their prescribed treatment than adults. The compliance indicators on Invisalign for Teens can help our young patients to keep track of how long they have worn a particular set of aligners because the dots will only disappear after two full weeks of wear. If your teen veers off track with their treatment, they can easily pick-up where they left off, and know how much longer they need to wear their current set of aligners.
- Eruption Tabs - Invisalign for Teens also has eruption tabs. Eruption tabs can be prescribed for younger teens whose adult teeth have not finished coming in when Invisalign treatment begins. This feature provides space in the Invisalign aligners to allow newly erupting teeth to grow in straight, and where they are wanted.