A teenage boy or girl who deals with a crooked smile or uneven bite could be able to use Invisalign® for teens as a corrective treatment. The adolescent and high schools years are often filled with social pressure and a desire for acceptance, and any problems or concerns with a teen’s smile could create self-confidence concerns. Traditional braces can treat problems of alignment or spacing, but these are highly visible solutions that can cause embarrassment. Clear aligners are more low profile but yield positive results with a teen’s smile.
Benefits of a healthy smile
Correcting problems with the way the teeth look or the alignment of the top set over the bottom set does much more than just improving the look of a smile. Even though a smile increases the confidence of one teen’s interactions with another, the way the teeth are positioned or placed can affect a teen’s oral health. Problems with eating and speaking can lead to nutritional deficiencies, discomfort or pain, and social health concerns. A beautiful, straight smile could be the avenue toward a healthier mind and body for a teen.
Uses of Invisalign for teens
A teen’s smile could be marred by several different oral conditions. Some deal with the individual position of teeth while others deal more with the overall position of the top or lower set of teeth. Invisalign can treat a number of these situations to restore optimum function and appearance.
Crooked teeth
Teens may struggle to present a uniform smile because a few teeth are twisted or turned out of line. This positioning does not always impact oral health, but it can cause stress or embarrassment in teens. Invisalign uses the trays to apply consistent but gentle pressure to a row of teeth and move them back into a uniform position. This treatment could take up to a year to achieve results.
Misaligned teeth
In addition to changing the look of the smile, misaligned teeth can impact how well a teen is able to chew or eat. For some teens, the jaw is too small for the teeth. For others, genetics or a habit like thumb-sucking contributed to misalignment. The treatment puts pressure on the teeth that have moved out of place along the jawline and forces them to return to the ideal location. The severity of alignment contributes to the length of the treatment, but teens can expect to wear the aligners for six to 12 months.
Bite correction
There are several bite problems that can keep a teenager from having a brilliant, confident smile, and Invisalign can help with many of them. With an overbite or underbite condition, the placement of the entire row of teeth could overlap on either the top or the bottom. With an open bite or crossbite, the teeth may not properly align when the mouth is closed. Bite problems put uneven pressure on the teeth and cause wear and tear that leads to more painful problems down the road.
Conclusion
Invisalign for teens can do more than just correct an embarrassing smile. Talk to a dentist about how it can restore good oral health as well.
Request an appointment or call Anthony DeLucia D.D.S., P.A. at 772-492-7045 for an appointment in our Stuart office.
Related Posts
Many families with adolescents in need of straighter smiles are opting for Invisalign® for teens over traditional braces. Braces use wires and frequent adjustments to straighten each tooth individually. Invisalign clear aligners straighten all the teeth at once and are swapped out for new ones about every two weeks during the process. These aligners are…
If your son or daughter is concerned about crooked teeth or a bad bite, you may want to consider Invisalign® for teens. This is an alternative to metal or ceramic braces, and it has numerous benefits, especially for those who are self-conscious about how they look. There are various reasons why Invisalign may be the…
Invisalign® for teens refers to the clear plastic device worn to straighten teeth as an alternative to metal braces. Many people opt to wear these types of devices when they are in their teenage years, but they can be worn by adults as well. Invisalign has the added benefits of being removable and less noticeable…