Invisalign for teens provides an alternative to braces if you want to straighten your teeth and improve your smile. Our team at LifeSmile Orthodontics uses our experience and training to provide you with cutting-edge options for cosmetic dentistry in Midlothian, VA. Contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation!
How the Invisalign System Works for Teens
The Invisalign system uses a series of different sets of aligners to gradually straighten teeth. Unlike traditional braces, no brackets attach to your teeth when using Invisalign aligners. You don’t have to deal with metal brackets, elastic bands, or wires.
Instead, you visit an orthodontic team at LifeSmile for a consultation. During this consultation, Dr. Mawaldi will review your goals, take impressions or scans of your teeth, and if you are a good candidate for the treatment, inform you about the Invisalign system.
If you decide to continue with the Invisalign treatment option, Dr. Mawaldi creates multiple sets of aligners for you. You wear each set of aligners for around two weeks before switching out to a new set, which brings your teeth steadily into alignment.
Benefits of Using Invisalign for Teens
Invisalign for teens comes with several significant benefits.
Straighten Your Teeth Subtly
Invisalign aligners are virtually invisible, making them appealing to teenagers who want to avoid noticeable dental appliances. Additionally, the aligners fit right over your teeth without requiring any metal hardware or elastic bands.
Easy to Clean
Many patients struggle to keep their teeth clean while they wear braces. Bacteria can gather around metal brackets and behind wires, allowing plaque and tartar to form on your teeth.
You can easily brush and floss with the Invisalign system. Just take the aligner out and perform your regular oral healthcare routine.
Eat What You Want
When you wear braces, you have to watch what you eat. Hard or sticky foods can damage your braces, even at times pulling wires loose or popping off brackets.
You can eat whatever you like with Invisalign aligners because you remove the aligners at mealtime. However, experts recommend that you brush your teeth and clean your aligner before replacing it in your mouth. This practice keeps it clean and protects your oral health.
Stay Safe Playing Sports
Some teens worry about having braces while playing sports. If you get hit in a contact sport while wearing metal braces, the metal pieces could scrape the inside of your mouth.
If you have aligners, it is easy to remove them during a sporting event, so you can wear a mouthguard. However, our office can also offer you a mouthguard designed to work with braces if you choose traditional braces to straighten your teeth.
Invisalign Helps with Many Oral Healthcare Concerns
The Invisalign system may work for you if you have gapped teeth, an overbite, an underbite, or a crossbite. The system also helps patients with crowded teeth or an open bite.
Our team checks your progress around every six weeks when you use Invisalign aligners. We provide you with your new sets of aligners when you visit us for a check-in and review the changes to the position of your teeth.
You will get the best results when you wear the aligners for around 22 hours a day. Your teeth may not shift position correctly if you do not wear the aligner as prescribed. Such non-compliance will make the treatment take much longer.
What Happens After Invisalign Treatment?
Many patients use their Invisalign aligners for a year or two. Eventually, Dr. Mawaldi will notify you that your teeth have reached their ideal position. What happens after this?
Once your teeth are straight, you still require orthodontic care. Dr. Mawaldi generally provides patients with retainers to wear every night. These retainers help keep your teeth in the proper position, preventing them from shifting again.
The retainers look a lot like the aligners you use with the Invisalign system, but they tend to be made of more durable material.
Work with the Professionals to Straighten Your Teeth
Are you interested in Invisalign for teens in Midlothian, VA? If so, you can get the orthodontic care you want from LifeSmile Orthodontics. We provide cutting-edge orthodontic care to all our patients.
