This post was written by the Experimental Mommy and brought to you by Invisalign. All opinions are 100% my won.
When I was 10 years old, I had an opportunity to appear on television with my Girl Scout troop. I could not have been more excited to get my face in front of a camera. But when the episode aired, my Mom tells me that this is when she first realized how badly I needed braces. Off to the dentist I went and for the next five…yes, FIVE….years, I wore braces to correct a severe overbite.
Now, my oldest daughter is following in my footsteps. Unfortunately, during her last smile assessment, she has an extra permanent tooth that is making the others shift in ways that will cause problems in the long run. We will be visiting an oral surgeon next month in order to have her tooth extracted, but it is inevitable that braces will shortly follow.
I vividly remember getting braces at 10 years old and how miserable I was until my Junior year of high school when they were finally removed. I want a different experience for my daughter. Surely, technology has come a long way in 25 years, right? Recently, my sister-in-law decided to straighten her teeth with Invisalign so I am curious if this option would be a good one for my daughter.
Invisalign Teen clear aligners straighten teeth without traditional wires and brackets giving teens the confidence to live life to the fullest while improving their smile. Teens can play sports without fear of injury and continue cheerleading, musical instruments, acting and singing without interference. And because it’s removable, brushing and flossing is easy and no food restrictions to worry about either.
With Invisalign Teen, this option certainly seems like a better alternative to metal and wire but I have heard that the system can only handle small cosmetic problems and the price makes it a burden. However, I learned that Invisalign Teen can handle severe cases as well and that it is covered by most dental insurance policies just like traditional braces — up to 50% of the cost may be covered by insurance. Check out the Invisalign Cost Calculator to see an estimate.
Now that I know Invisalign Teen could be an attainable option, my final concern is that my daughter will take them out too often to be effective. However, Invisalign Teen aligners are made with small blue dots, officially called compliance indicators, that gradually fade as aligners are worn. It’s a quick visual check for parents and teens to confirm they wearing aligners long enough to get results. In fact, clinical data from orthodontists confirms that teens wear their aligners an average of 21 hours per day, just as recommended.
I could not be more excited to check out this option for my daughter as braces become necessary. I am hoping that her corrective experience is better than mine and Invisalign Teen seems like the way to make it happen.
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