Invisalign Braces: Like Mother, Like Daughter?

I was so excited to be asked to share a little bit about the Teen Invisalign Dental Trays with you because I absolutely H-A-T-E-D braces when I was a "tween".

Seriously.

You will NEVER see me share a picture of
those days with you and wish that there had been something this amazing when I had to have a dental corrective procedure! If they had the sophisticated, comfortable, clear, dental orthodontia that they do now - I would have had a totally different experience.
{sigh}

First of all, I have a very small jaw.
They actually pulled eight teeth out of my mouth, then used braces to shift all of the remaining teeth into place.
Two years of {not} fun!

I remember crying for 2-3 days after they were tightened. I remember sleeping on ice packs. I remember the wax I had to put over the brackets because they cut into my cheeks. I remember the wire popping out {twice} and poking me until I cried...and let's not talk about the game of dodge ball where I got hit in the mouth.
So much fun - right?

Keep in mind, 500 years ago when I had braces, they didn't even have different colored {think neons, etc} rubber bands, let alone smile assessments or anyone who could tell you about invisible braces!

It was nasty...I even had my jaw cut into with those metal trays full of goopy stuff that they used to make my dental impressions in!

Flash forward to the super cool technology of today:

• No goopy molds as some use that iTero scanner (you can tell by the Doctor Locator)
• No wires!
• No pain!
• No emergency visits!
• No wax!
• No string of days where you can only eat soft foods!
• Nothing to glare out at you and scream braces!

Sounding good?
It gets better!

I was at a special meeting with an Orthodontist and some of his young patients. First of all, I knew of Invisalign, but didn't know that they hadn't offered it to teens before! That is fairly new to them. Listening to the orthodontist : It was interesting to hear that the majority of Dentists don't know how to track our children's emerging teeth to prevent a bad problem! By the time the kiddos are 6-7 years old, they should have an idea on overbite/underbite, crowding, deep bites, shallow bites, gaps, etc.

Yup.
That means that Miss Sarah is the target age to start asking our Dentist the big questions!
She is starting to show possible signs of crowding {in my un-trained opinion} and it's time to pay attention to what we may need to look into.

Waiting until they are teens is really too late, and you have to repair a lot of damage, instead of dealing with it when the problems are starting to emerge. Prevention, so to speak.

How does Invisalign work?
They create a fancy schmancy online image (digital imaging from their dental impressions) and create a program of clear "trays" that gradually shift your teeth into the desired position. These trays are switched every two weeks to a new level. The kiddos that they had there to ask swore that there was NO pain.
At all.

Wowsers!

More things I love:

• They are FDA approved
• They are BPA free {who wants to poison their kids - right?}
• They are covered by most insurance policies as the run VERY close to the same price as "traditional" braces, if not less
• They are more Hygienic - no more trying to brush around all those pieces of metal! You simply remove the tray, eat, brush your teeth and replace the tray!

Is your kiddo in any sport?
Those protective mouth guards they use will fit right over the clear braces!

Here is the key: you need to make sure you have a Dentist/Orthodontist who is trained in them. (You can easily see a list of providers on their website)

So -- They look better, they don't hurt, they cost the same (or less), they are covered by insurance and get this: they are usually a shorter duration than the "traditional" method!

Doesn't it sound like a total "win-win"?

So, Miss Sarah has a dentist appointment in two weeks...

I know I have a new list of questions to ask!

If your kiddos are 6-7-8, check in with your dentist too!

• Does it look like their teeth are coming in correctly?
• Are they able to track it?
• Can they tell yet if they might need corrections?
• Are THEY certified to work with Invisalign or do they have an Orthodontist as a mentor?

Remember, a second opinion is always a good idea, if you aren't satisfied with the answers. I was blown away by all the different kinds of problems that invisible braces and handle! Seriously, it seems like they can do anything that traditional braces can.

Have you or someone you’ve known used Invisalign?
Please share the scoop with me as I really think these will be in Miss Sarah's future.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Sponsored posts help keep this site going and support my church's homeless ministry. Thank you for taking the time to read it.