I got the straight talk about orthodontia for my kids from Invisalign

With children about the age to reach the rite of passage of orthodontia, I accepted the invitation to attend an informational session about orthodontia, Invisalign and Invisalign Teen. While taking a poll of the room, it was abundantly clear that the majority of families have or had a person who has experience with orthodontia. I remember growing up the difficulty and hassles of a traditional metal braces. From broken brackets to snapped wires, there were numerous office visits not to mention the disapproving looks from my parents from doing something wrong. Now that I'm a parent with the potential of children needing assistance with their teeth, I want the process to be less chaotic.

Over the years, there have been many advancements in the science of orthodontia. Invisalign has developed removable aligners that offer teens and adults an alternative to metal brackets and wires. The Invisalign system offers a series of clear aligners made of lightweight plastic. These clear braces aligners sit smoothly on teeth yet work as effectively as the traditional braces. Over time, the aligners gradually move teeth. Through a series of aligners, replaced periodically, users can see improvement to his smile.


One of the reasons that I wanted more information on the Invisalign option is because my kids play sports. Even without braces, my kids go through multiple mouth guards in a single football season (who knows how they chew, bite or just bust a mouth guard). The idea of metal braces under a mouth guard doesn't seem like a great combination when playing football. Would the metal break the guard? Would they cut their mouth during an intensive tackle? How many office visits would I make to fix the breaks, problems, etc?

The information that I received from the orthodontist and Invisalign consultants was promising. With a clear aligner in place, my son would wear a mouth guard over the aligner. The mouth guard wouldn't interfere with the braces and vice versa. Plus, my son wouldn't fear injury to the inside to his mouth while playing hard.

During the presentation, the topic of proper dental hygiene was a major talking point. I must have been naive, but I didn't flag the problem of kids not properly cleaning their teeth with traditional metal braces. After listening to other parents, kids need to be extremely diligent teeth brusher with braces. Stuck food due to improper hygiene is a major concern.With Invisalign, the user can simply remove the clear aligner to brush and floss his teeth. The worry and concern over stuck food, teeth discoloration and other hygiene issues is lessened because the liner can be removed for daily brushing.

Before I attended the session, my kids had one major concern. Do I have to give up popcorn with Invisalign?  They have friends to had to change their eating habits and give up some of their favorite foods while wearing braces. With Invisalign, there are no forbidden foods. When you eat, the user removes the clear aligner. After proper brushing, the aligner is re-inserted. My kids did a happy dance knowing that popcorn wouldn't be off the list for a long period of time.

Going forward with our family's research of what is a good orthodontia fit for our kids and family, we are going to weight the pros and cons of traditional metal braces and clear dental aligners like Invisalign. If you would like to learn more about Invisalign, please see the company's website, Facebook page or Twitter account. To find an Invisalign provider near your family, please visit the doctor locator page.


Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a sponsored campaign with Invisalign. All opinions are my own and were not influenced by any person or entity.

6 comments:

  1. My daughter needs braces, and I really hope she can get these!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know my daughter is going to need braces. I'm hoping this will work for her. I never had braces, but the regular kind look awful!

    ReplyDelete
  3. These were just coming out when I was in high school and one girl had them and everynoe with braces was jealous. It's nice that kids these days have options.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Invisalign is the absolute best! As a dentist, I would highly recommend it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I never thought about how braces could affect athletes. This sounds like a great alternative!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The information that I received from the orthodontist and Invisalign consultants was promising. With a clear aligner in place, my son would wear a mouth guard over the aligner. The mouth guard wouldn't interfere with the braces and vice versa. Plus, my son wouldn't fear injury to the inside to his mouth while playing hard. Dentalplans coupons

    ReplyDelete