Is Invisalign a Good Fit for Children and Teenagers?
Good dental health can play a huge role in your kid’s well-being, from helping with their confidence in ensuring proper physical development. It is recommended that an orthodontist examines a kid’s teeth by the time that they are 7 years old – even if they still have their baby teeth.
Recommended Age for Kids to Visit an Orthodontist
7 years old is the recommended age for your kid’s first check-up as it allows orthodontists to identify any subtle problems with jaw growth and/or emerging teeth, while baby teeth are still present. Early check-ups can prevent future problems! Orthodontists might find a problem that can benefit from early treatment which may prevent more serious problems from developing and make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated. And most parents whose kids needed early treatment to prevent teeth shifting problems have heard them complain about not wanting to wear traditional metal braces! Fortunately, orthodontic treatments have evolved and now most orthodontics issues can be solved with the use of Invisalign.
The List of Advantages is Long!
• One of the biggest advantages of using Invisalign is that the child will experience much less pain in comparison to if they were to use metal braces – which is great news for both the kid and their parents! There are no metal wires or brackets injuring their mouth, plus the movement of the teeth is much more consistent and gentle.
• Another great advantage of Invisalign that always convinces our younger patients to choose this option is that they are practically not noticeable. Unless they tell their friends they are wearing the aligners, most of them probably won’t notice. And we all know how social interactions can be tricky, especially at that age!
• Cleaning their teeth will also be made easier if you opt for them to wear Invisalign. Since the aligners are removable, kids are able to clean their teeth properly so that once their treatment is over, they aren’t any signs left of poor oral hygiene maintenance. Always very comforting to hear as a parent!
• Similarly to when a kid has completed a traditional treatment using metal braces, they will still have to wear a retainer in order to help keep their teeth properly aligned in the long term. This should not be an issue though since they would have already developed a habit of wearing aligner trays on a daily basis.
• Kids are always very happy to hear that with Invisalign they will have no dietary restrictions as they can remove the aligner trays before they eat. They don’t have to worry at school or at their friend’s house of not being able to eat what is served to them. Nor will they have to give up on some of their favorite treats! No need to remove certain foods from their diets.
Talk to Your Orthodontist
The Invisalign system has proven to be a great alternative to traditional metal braces. Therefore, if your kid requires early treatment to prevent problems of teeth shifting in the future, Invisalign is a good solution to discuss with your kid’s orthodontist.