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I had a great experience straightening my teeth with Invisalign a few years ago. The process was simple and my teeth were straightened without anyone even knowing that I was wearing orthodontics. My thirteen year old son is needing braces. Do you know if this will work for him as well?
Deidre
Dear Deidre,
I’m glad you loved your Invisalign treatment. They have a high patient satisfaction rate. If you saved your last set of aligners, they can actually double as teeth whitening trays. Your dentist will just need to provide you with the whitening gel and you wear them in your aligners at a time that is convenient for you.
As for your son, yes, teenagers can actually use Invisalign to straighten their teeth. However, you would want to make sure of a couple of things first.
While many teen’s permanent teeth are fully erupted, some will have teeth that are still coming in. There is also the consideration that he is still growing. The aligners are all made at the time the treatment plan is completed. There may be a need to change the plan partway through.
The second consideration is how responsible your son is. You’re the only person who can answer this. He would need to be cooperative enough to wear the aligners the proper amount of time, which is around twenty two hours a day. Plus, you want him to keep up with them. Many young teens (and even older teens) lose things.
Invisalign does have a teen brand, which comes with some extra replacement aligners, but it will cut into the treatment plan and make things take longer.
If, however, you think he is responsible enough, then you can talk to your dentist about his jaw and tooth development to see if he is physically ready.
If not, you have a couple of options. You can wait a couple of years and go with Invisalign, or you can get him traditional braces. There is not a right or wrong here.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.