Invisalign Teen at Mar Orthodontics

One question we’re often asked is why Invisalign Teen? Isn’t this the same treatment as the Invisalign Full treatment that adults get? 

Well, yes and no. The main difference is that Invisalign Teen is designed specifically for teens and the unique issues they face in orthodontic treatment.

How is Invisalign Teen Different?

Invisalign Teen has a number of features that differ from regular Invisalign Full that are specific to the orthodontic issues teens face. These include:

New Teeth – Adolescent teeth are still growing, depending on how old your teen is and what stage their teeth are at, Invisalign Teen aligners can be designed to accommodate growth of second premolars, second and third molar teeth as well as canines. In addition to accommodating the growth of these teeth, if the orthodontist anticipates they may grow incorrectly, they can guide them into proper position as they grow through treatment.

Compliance Indicators – Each Invisalign Teen aligner has a built in compliance or wear indicator that helps you, your teen and the orthodontist see how long the aligner has been worn. This also allows us to partner better with our patients to empower positive outcomes. The wear indicator fades from blue to clear, so you’ll know if your teen has been wearing them enough or not. 

Six Free Replacement Aligners – One thing parents know about teens is that they can be a little forgetful and sometimes careless. If an aligner is misplaced or lost, Invisalign Teen provides up to six free replacement aligners (or 3 sets). Therefore if a few are lost or damaged they can be replaced at no extra cost.

Benefits of Invisalign Teen

Invisible – We can all recall our teen years and understand just how self-conscious teens can be. Conventional braces can often be a major source of anxiety, so an invisible braces option like Invisalign can help with this.

Ease of Cleaning – Teenagers these days often lead very busy lives and can therefore be time-limited, or sometimes a little forgetful or lazy. One of the great things about Invisalign Teen is the ease of care. Aligners are easy to pop out and clean, and even better, allow your teen to brush and floss normally.

Eating & Drinking – If you’re familiar with conventional braces, you’re well aware that there are a number of dietary restrictions. Eating hard or sticky foods is not a good idea because of the possibility damaging your braces, and the difficulty of oral hygiene. This is not the case with Invisalign Teen. Since Invisalign aligners pop out, your teen can eat and drink normally, therefore there’s no need to keep after them about what they’re eating or drinking.

Ideal Candidates

Our orthodontists will help you to determine if your teen is a good candidate for Invisalign Teen. 

If your teen is an athlete that plays contact sports where they could be injured by the brackets or wires on traditional braces, Invisalign Teen is a great option. During practices and games, your teen can just swap out their Invisalign aligner for a mouthguard.

Want to eat and drink normally? If you don’t relish the idea of changing your diet to suit your braces, and you might not want all the extra work and cleaning wearing traditional braces might entail, Invisalign Teen is a great option.