Invisalign is a highly popular treatment among teens, as it offers an alternative to traditional braces. With Invisalign teen, younger patients can straighten their smile without the inconvenience and appearance of traditional braces. However, since Invisalign aligners are removable, they leave room for user error. If patients don’t wear their aligners for the appropriate amount of time, they may not achieve their results, which will extend treatment time and potentially compromise the final result. Naturally, parents want to know how they can ensure that their teens are using their aligners for the required amount of time.
Understand Their Treatment
The first step in making sure your teen is adhering to their treatment is making sure you understand it yourself. Fortunately, there are two easy ways to do this! First, you can attend orthodontist visits with your teen and review the treatment alongside them. This ensures you are both on the same page with your orthodontist and that you can keep each other accountable throughout the Invisalign treatment. Generally, patients should be wearing their Invisalign aligners for 22 hours a day, removing them only to eat and brush their teeth. The Invisalign Teen product does offer the “Blue Dot Wear Indicator” on each Invisalign Teen aligner which helps you gauge if the aligners are worn consistently and for the recommended amount of time.
Stay Involved with Treatment
Next, you’ll want to stay involved with the Invisalign treatment as it progresses. The Invisalign treatment requires that patients swap out their aligners for a new set every 7 to 10 days. With each set, the teeth get closer and closer to their final positioning. We recommend that parents become familiar with this schedule so that they know when their teens are due to swap their aligners. Some soreness is to be expected with each swap, but if the next set in the series doesn’t fit, it could be a sign that your teen is not adhering to the treatment as required.
Check-In Often
Most importantly, checking in with your teen on their Invisalign treatment can help them stay on track. By keeping up with their progress and aligner changes, you can engage in discussion that gives your child support and encouragement. Are they experiencing any soreness? Do they need softer foods to eat? Are they excited about their progress? By taking part in the Invisalign experience alongside your teen, they’ll be much more successful in their treatment.
If you have any questions about the Invisalign treatment, contact us today at Drs. Savage, Sabol and Visser. We offer Invisalign and other orthodontic solutions for patients of all ages.
