People are sometimes reluctant to wear metal braces because they don’t like the look of the metal wires and brackets. This may hold especially true for junior high and high school kids, who are acutely aware of their image.
These young people, in particular, may try to hide their crooked smile by not smiling at all.
Fortunately, Invisalign is a nice alternative to metal braces. It’s a clear dental appliance that the orthodontic patient wears on his/her teeth much like a clear plastic retainer.
Invisalign moves the teeth just like a normal set of braces will, but with a difference. For kids (and even adults) who dream of returning to school in the fall with a brand new straight smile, Invisalign could be the key.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a type of orthodontic appliance that straightens the teeth. However, unlike metal braces, Invisalign tray are made of a clear, medical-grade plastic that's virtually invisible, thus the name.
Basically, the orthodontist will take castings of the patient's teeth, from which clear trays will be made.
They’ll "mold" to the teeth, but not perfectly: The alignment on the trays is slightly different than the line-up of the patient's teeth. That’s what makes the person's teeth move into the correct (and straight) position.
How Long Will I Wear Them?
Invisalign treatments require a person to wear the appliances on his/ her teeth for up 22 hours a day two weeks. Once the two weeks (or so) is up, the patient returns to his/ her orthodontist for a new Invisalign appliance.
This (and each subsequent appliance the patient gets) will be slightly different from the previous one, again with the goal of moving the teeth into the correct position.
Because most Invisalign cases are not as severe as other types of orthodontic cases, most people wear their orthodontic appliances for just a few months. In this way, the high schooler with the slightly crooked smile could return to school in the fall with a stunning new smile. And all without wearing metal braces on their teeth.
It may just be the perfect way to spend the summer.