Invisalign's clear orthodontic aligners straighten teeth over a period of months. Invisalign has also designed a line specifically for teenagers. Our Surrey dentists explain how Invisalign Teen meets the unique needs of adolescent patients.
The basics: what is Invisalign, and how does it work?
Invisalign is made up of a series of clear plastic aligners that are difficult to see when worn. This makes them are a great alternative to traditional metal braces for people with aesthetic concerns. Each aligner in the series is worn for about two weeks and then switched out for the next.
Each aligner is custom made to fit into its position in the lineup, and each is responsible for a small adjustment to the position of your teeth. When treatment is finished, your teeth will have been moved into their new, straight positions.
Since the aligners are removable, they can be taken out for eating, brushing and flossing. This allows you to continue these daily routines as you always have, with very few adjustments.
So what makes Invisalign Teen different?
Invisalign Teen comes with a few features that standard Invisalign does not. These features were added with the need of the typical teen in mind, to make it easier for them to stay on track with their treatment schedule, and to accommodate their growing smiles.
Compliance Indicators
Invisalign Teen aligners have small blue dots that fade away after two weeks of full time wear.
On average, teenage patients tend to be less compliant to their prescribed treatment than adults. When we say "less compliant", we mean that they are more likely to take their aligners out when they shouldn't, and leave them out for longer periods of time than prescribed. Because of this, it can sometimes be difficult for them to keep track of how much longer they need to wear a given set of aligners.
The compliance indicators only fade away after the aligners have been worn the two weeks required, making it easier for teens to get back on track with their orthodontic treatment.
Eruption Tabs
Invisalign teen can be prescribed for teens whose adult teeth are not quite finished growing in, thanks to the addition of eruption tabs. These eruption tabs are essentially spaces in the Invisalign Teen aligners that allow the teeth to erupt through.
6 Extra Replacement Aligners
Teens are tend to misplace or damage their aligners during treatment with greater frequency than adult patients, partly because they're more likely to take them out more often, and leave them out for longer. For this reason, an Invisalign Teen series comes with 6 replacement aligners so that treatment can stay on track.