You're likely familiar with Invisalign, a brand of clear aligners that can straighten teeth without metal or wires. Invisalign also makes a line geared toward specifically to the needs of teenagers, and today we’d like to highlight a few of the things that make Invisalign Teen different from the original.
First, a quick explanation of Invisalign itself.
Invisalign is a series of clear, smooth plastic aligners used to straighten teeth. They’re transparent, and so it’s nearly impossible see them when they’re being worn. This makes them a great treatment option for adults and teens who are concerned about the aesthetics traditional metal braces for professional or social reasons.
Invisalign aligners come in a series of sets. Each set in the series is switched out about twice a month. This reduces the frequency of appointments at the orthodontist’s office, as the aligners don’t need to be adjusted. You can just change them out yourself.
And since Invisalign aligners are removable, you can take them out when you eat, and when you brush and floss. This eliminates the dietary limitations that are associated with traditional braces, and it mean you can brush and floss just like you normally would, too.
How is Invisalign Teen Different?
There are a few main ways that Invisalign Teen is different than the original Invisalign product. Invisalign Teen has been developed to address the specific barriers teens face when it came to using Invisalign.
So while Invisalign Teen is essentially the same product, there are a few important differences:
Compliance Indicators
Invisalign teen aligners have small blue dots on them that slowly fade over 2 weeks of wear. Once they're gone, it's time to switch to the next set. On average, teens tend to be less compliant, and don’t always wear their aligners as prescribed. The blue dots only fade when the aligners have been actually worn for a full two weeks (336 hours), allowing the necessary tooth movement to take place.
So, while it’s not recommended, the aligners can be worn part time, until the blue dots fade, and treatment will continue, if more slowly.
Eruption Tabs
Invisalign Teen is also unique in that it can be prescribed to teens who still have some baby teeth, or whose adult teeth are not finished growing in. There are spaces in the Invisalign Teen aligners that allow the adult teeth to erupt through.
6 Sets of Replacement Aligners
Teens can sometimes be a little more irresponsible with their things than adults can, and so their aligners can easily be lost or damaged. Invisalign Teen comes with 6 sets of replacement aligners to help reduce treatment delays as a result of lost or broken aligners.