At Stellar Smiles Ortho, we understand the power of a beautiful smile and the effect it can have on a teen’s confidence and self-esteem. We want to empower our teenage patients to achieve the smile they’ve always wanted by providing them with a discreet and effective treatment such as Invisalign. Invisalign clear aligners are a treatment that is flexible to different lifestyles and allows patients to enjoy the freedom and look of their normal smile while working toward their desired results.

How Often Do I Have to Wear My Aligners?

For maximum efficiency, you should wear your aligners for at least 20-22 hours a day. This is because your teeth need consistent pressure during treatment, so they will begin to gradually shift into place for your perfect smile. If you leave your aligners out for too long, you won’t make progress and risk having your teeth shift back into their original position.

Is There Anything That I Can’t Eat While Using Invisalign?

No! You can enjoy all of your favorite foods throughout Invisalign treatment. Unlike our braces patients, you won’t have to worry about hard, sticky, or chewy foods breaking brackets and wires. With your clear aligners, you can take out your appliance before eating and enjoying whatever foods you like. It’s essential that you put your Invisalign back in as soon as you’re done to maintain your treatment progress.

How Long Does Invisalign Take?

The length of Invisalign treatment varies depending on the patient and the extent of their orthodontic issues. For patients with more severe problems, it may take longer for our team to perfect their smiles with additional sets of aligners. While every case is different, many patients stop wearing Invisalign and complete treatment about one to two years after they start. For a more specific timeline, schedule your free consultation today.

How Does Invisalign Teen Work?

To begin treatment, we take a 3D scan of your child’s mouth and craft a digital model using the iTero Scanner. This 3D scan allows us to show you what your smile will look like after Invisalign. We then use this digital model to print the first set of clear aligners that will fit snugly over your teen’s teeth and provide consistent pressure to gradually shift their teeth into place.  They will receive a new set of aligners every two weeks that are perfectly shaped to provide their teeth with consistent pressure and comfort. One aspect of Invisalign Teen that sets it apart from the version for adults is the compliance indicators. The indicators are small marks toward the back of the aligners that fade with consistent wear. If your teen isn’t wearing their aligners enough over the two-week period, we will still be able to see the indicator.

What Happens If My Teen Loses an Aligner?

Teenagers are always on the go, and we know that some things get lost when you’re on the move from class to lunch to practice and so on. If your teen does lose an aligner, make sure you call our office right away so we can ensure their treatment progress stays on track. Depending on where they are in their two weeks, we will either get them a replacement set or move on to the next set of aligners.

How Much Is Invisalign for Teens?

The cost of Invisalign Teen varies depending on the timeline of treatment and the extent of the patient’s orthodontic issues. While we want our patients to view corrective treatment as an investment into better health and appearance, we understand that it can take some budgeting to make this treatment work for your family. We don’t want anything to stand in the way of your teen receiving a life-changing transformation, so we have crafted flexible financing plans to help your family budget for the costs of Invisalign. Additionally, we work with most insurance providers to help you manage and cover fees associated with treatment.

Benefits of Invisalign

Invisalign is an increasingly popular corrective treatment among teenagers because it gives them ultimate freedom. We all know that teens appreciate having freedom wherever they can get it, and Invisalign clear aligners are made to fit easily into their lifestyles. Not only are they virtually invisible, but they also are easily removable so your teen can take them out to eat, brush their teeth, take pictures, and more.

For our patients who are athletes, Invisalign can also act as a mouthguard and protect their teeth if anything hits their face while they’re playing the sport they love. You shouldn’t have to give up anything to achieve a healthier and straighter smile, and Invisalign may be the perfect treatment for your teen if they want the results of braces without the look of classic treatments.