Our last blog explained how we address little smiles with phased orthodontics, such as retainers or teeth spacers. But what about older kids and teens? We often have teenagers ask about Invisalign®, the use of clear aligners to fix the position of the teeth. In today’s blog, your Fort Worth, TX, orthodontics will discuss how Invisalign® can help young adults.
Teens and Misalignment
For children, we offer phased orthodontics, including teeth spacers and retainers, which help guide the growth and development of the smile until your little one reaches the teen years. At this point, we’re ready for the final phase of treatment, correcting the alignment with braces and other orthodontics. Many of our young adult patients prefer a clear and barely noticeable option, and when possible, we like to oblige by using Invisalign®. Even if we haven’t started treatment in childhood, we could still help your older children enjoy an even smile with clear aligners.
Crafting the Aligners
To begin, we need to understand the cause of the misalignment and assess the severity. To accomplish this, we gather detailed digital images with the iTero® and I-CAT scanning systems. We then plan treatment, and use the images we gathered to help design a series of aligners from a BPA-free acrylic material. Each set is designed specifically for your smile, to correct teeth with accuracy and also ensure a comfortable fit that limits discomfort.
Wearing Clear Braces
Once your clear braces are ready, our team will discuss what expect from the treatment process. Basically, a set is worn for between 20 and 22 hours a day. They should only be removed for brushing and flossing the teeth, or prior to a meal or for a special occasion. Every two weeks on average, the patient then upgrades to the next in the series. Since the smile is still growing and developing, overall treatment time could take between a year and 18 months, which is substantially less than the amount of time required for metal braces. By correcting poor alignment, your children enjoy better oral health now and in the future. If you have any questions about how we correct poor alignment in childhood and in your kids’ teenage years, please contact our team today. We look forward to working with your family to help them enjoy a healthier and straighter smile in 2021.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT TREATMENT FOR TEENAGERS?
Our team wants to offer older kids and teens access to a healthy smile with quality orthodontics, including a series of clear and comfortable custom aligners. To learn more about how we improve smiles of all ages with poor alignment, then please call Lake Country Orthodontics in Fort Worth, TX at (817) 236-7846. Our office proudly serves patients who live in Haslet, Azle, and all surrounding communities.
