Invisalign Teen is a special invisible braces program specifically designed for teenagers. For the longest time, invisible braces were only available for adults because they could not accommodate a teenager’s incoming teeth. After a series of advancements, Invisalign finally came up with the perfect solution for teens. Here is a look at some of the special features in Invisalign invisible braces for teens.
Compliance Indicators
Perhaps the biggest concern parents have with investing in invisible braces is the fact that their teenagers will not wear them. Teens aren’t always the most responsible people in the world. If they know they have the option to take their braces out, what will stop them from doing that all the time?
Invisalign addressed this issue with “compliance indicators” – special dots on the clear aligners that change color when they’re worn. If a teenager does not wear his or her clear aligners for 22 hours a day for a full two weeks, the compliance indicators will not change color. This shows the parents and the dentist that the teen has not been wearing the aligners, and it will force the teen to wear a set longer before transitioning to the next one.
Translation: Your child has no way of lying to you about wearing Invisalign Teen.
Eruption Tabs
Another concern with invisible braces for teens is that some teenagers do not have all their adult teeth yet. With adults, it’s simply a matter of moving the teeth that have already grown in. With teenagers, there needs to be space available for permanent teeth to come in. Invisalign Teen comes with “eruption tabs,” which act as placeholders for teeth that are still coming in. The braces will still move the permanent teeth in the mouth, but they will leave a clear path for the other teeth to emerge.
More Replacement Aligners
Invisalign knows that teenagers are prone to losing things. That’s why they allow six replacement aligners for each teenager. Of course, more replacements are available if needed, but the allotment for lost aligners is greater for teens than adults.
If your teenager loses an aligner, contact your Michigan family dentist to find out what the best course of action is. He or she may be able to move on to the next set if the loss happens at the end of a cycle, but we do not recommend doing that more than once or twice during treatment. The staff at Clinton Dental Center would be happy to assist you.
