Invisalign Teen, A Teenager-Approved Alternative to Braces

 Angeline has had her Invisalign Teen aligners for about a month now, and boy has this been a learning experience for both of us!

Once we met with Dr. Sanders, and she learned how to insert, remove and care for her Invisalign Teen aligners, we were super excited about beginning her treatment. He warned her that there might be some discomfort as her mouth grew accustomed to wearing them. She knew from her friend at school that has Invisalign that her mouth would be sore for a few days, so this wasn't any shocking news. I bought Advil on the way home so that we'd be prepared!

However, within a few days, we realized that it was more than just discomfort. The top aligner was rubbing against her gum on the inside of her mouth and it was sore and began to bleed after a few days. It was a holiday weekend, so I waited until the office reopened to tell them what was happening. There was an on-call orthodontist, but because I am working with Dr. Sanders through the Invisalign Teen Mom Ambassador program, I thought it would be more simple to just wait the two days until he was back in the office. While we were waiting that weekend, Angeline also noticed that her Invisalign aligner had a small crack in it where it slipped over her attachment. It wasn't actually hurting her but we weren't sure if the aligners were still effective with the crack.

I mentioned in my previous post how much we liked Dr. Sanders, and this issue just cemented the fact that we had made a wise decision choosing a Premier Preferred Provider when using the Find A Doctor tool on the Invisalign website! Dr. Sanders brought us in for an appointment that same day, and even made sure that we had an appointment after Angeline got out of school so that she wouldn't miss class.

As it turned out, the crack wouldn't affect the treatment plan, and since it wasn't rubbing against her gums or causing any discomfort, Dr. Sanders said that it was okay to continue using her current aligners. When he looked at her gums and saw how the aligner was rubbing against them, he explained to us that the line between Angeline's gums and teeth was so minuscule that it was actually rubbing her gum line, which was causing the rawness and bleeding. He polished the aligner down, along with the rest of the aligners in this stage of her treatment, so that it wouldn't continue to be a problem.

It only took a few minutes, and then they were as good as new!

Now, of course, based on her initial Invisalign assessment and treatment plan, we would have had the same issue with the remaining Invisalign aligners throughout the course of her treatment. So Dr. Sanders took photos of the aligners and submitted a warranty claim to adjust the remaining Invisalign aligners before they were created.

I was a bit hesitant when he explained the warranty process - that is, until he pointed out that this was a free adjustment!

Cue a big sigh of relief from me! This is an added benefit of Invisalign clear braces that I wasn't even aware of! I don't know if I mentioned it before, but you also get two replacement sets of Invisalign aligners in the Invisalign Teen treatment program. I guess Invisalign knows teenagers pretty well! You can find more Invisalign Information relating to the ins and outs of the Invisalign Teen treatment plan on the Invisalign website. 

It's been a few weeks since Angeline had her aligners polished so that they no longer bothered her gums, and she is getting ready to start on her fourth set of aligners. We haven't had any issues and I have to say, sometimes I am still shocked at how easy this entire process has been!

She does feel a little bit of discomfort when she puts in a new set of aligners, but it has only bothered her for a day or so. I know this is nothing compared to what kids who wear traditional braces deal with! There's no wires and brackets rubbing against her gums, no tightening of wires, and probably her favorite benefit: you can hardly even see them when she has them in!

With traditional braces that have brackets and wires, there seem to be a lot food restrictions. My cousin can't have gum, hard or sticky foods like pizza crusts, or candies (think caramels and gummy bears) because they can be destructive to traditional fixed braces, and broken appliances can result in prolonged treatment time. With Invisalign Teen, there are no food restrictions because she just has to remove her aligners before she eats, and she brushes her teeth before putting them back in.

The only time this has been an issue was when she went to Disney World with her school last week; she didn't want to worry about brushing her teeth after snacking, so she didn't wear them that day. Of course that is not recommended by her orthodontist, but let's get real: I am dealing with a teenager here! Other than that, she's been great about wearing them and taking proper care of them.

Our next appointment is mid-June, where the orthodontist will be assessing her progress, and we'll receive her second set of four aligners. I'll check back then and let you know how it's going!

If you are considering braces options for your teenager, I recommend asking your orthodontist about Invisalign. As with any medical procedure, you should consider getting a second opinion if you are told that your child is not a candidate for Invisalign, as not all dentists and orthodontists are certified Invisalign providers and may discourage you because of that alone.

 Disclosure: I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board. I will be receiving complimentary treatment from Invisalign, but all opinions expressed are my own. http://shout.lt/ggGP