Can a Teenager Get Invisalign
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I had Invisalign done a few years ago and really loved it. My teenaged son is in need of braces. He had not been interested until recently. Is it possible for him to use Invisalign as well or will he need traditional braces?
Bethany
Dear Bethany,
I am glad to hear about how much you enjoyed your Invisalign treatment. It has a very high patient satisfaction rate. Whether or not your son can get Invisalign will depend on a few things. You did not say how old your teenager was. If he’s a young teenager, like around 13, you will want to make sure that all of his teeth are fully erupted. For most teenagers this is the case, but some teenagers take longer.
The other thing you will want to factor in is the cooperativeness and responsibility levels of your son. Invisalign has to be worn for 22 hours a day in order to be effective. You will need to feel confident that your son will wear it for the required amount of time.
You will also want to make sure that he can keep up with them for the short amounts of time each day that he will not be wearing them. He’d take them out for meals and for his oral health care each day, such as brushing and flossing.
You know your son better than anyone. If you think he can handle the responsibility, then Invisalign will be a good solution for him. If you don’t think he is ready for that, then my suggestion would be for him to either have traditional braces or wait just a little longer until you think he will be ready.
A hidden benefit to Invisalign
I don’t know whether or not you kept the last set of aligners from your treatment, but if you did then you should know that they can double as teeth whitening trays. This means you can use them to whiten your teeth whenever you want. You simply have to ask your dentist for the whitening gel. This will allow you to have bleaching done at a fraction of the normal cost.
This blog is brought to you by Arnold, MD Dentist Dr. Meredith Esposito.