How Invisalign Can Improve Your Smile
Chances are you’ve already heard about Invisalign through their advertisements or know someone in your life who has used Invisalign to straighten their teeth. Currently, there are over 6 million Invisalign users, and the majority are adults. This is quite significant since the majority of people with traditional braces are children and teens.
So what makes Invisalign such a popular option for adults? Well, there are a number of factors that make Invisalign a great option. Some of these advantages are pretty obvious (i.e. invisibility), but there are a couple of benefits you might not be aware of yet.
Let’s dive into 5 reasons why you should choose Invisalign as an adult orthodontic treatment.
1. You can enhance your smile discreetly.
There is no such thing as being too old for braces and aligners. In fact, the American Association of Orthodontists estimates that one in five orthodontic patients are adults. Even though age isn’t a factor when it comes to whether or not you can get braces, it certainly plays a role when it comes to how important discretion is to the patient.
The biggest reason why Invisalign is the most popular orthodontic treatment for adults is because of how discreet the aligners look. Traditional braces are very obvious, and that can lead to adults feeling a bit self-conscious. Invisalign offers a solution that is exceptionally discreet and equally effective at transforming your smile.
Orthodontic treatment and improving your oral health is definitely nothing to be embarrassed about, but the nearly invisible appearance of Invisalign undoubtedly makes it appealing for adults. Invisalign isn’t 100% invisible, and if someone looks very closely, they’ll see the clear plastic aligners. However, many patients find that throughout their normal lives at home and work, no one is any the wiser that they have Invisalign aligners in place.
2. You won’t need to change your diet or worry about impromptu meals.
If you never had braces as a child, you might not be aware of the dietary restrictions that come with them.
Traditional braces come with a long list of foods to avoid, namely foods that are chewy, crunchy, sticky, and hard. Sticky candy and gum are obvious treats to avoid, but you’d also need to steer clear of popcorn, bagels, crusty bread, crunchy raw vegetables and fruits, and chewy meat.
You don’t need to give up any of your favorite foods with Invisalign. All you need to do is remove your aligners and enjoy your meal. Eating with your aligners in is a no-no, but once removed, you can eat whatever you’d like. Be sure to always floss and brush after every meal before replacing your aligners! It’s also a good idea to keep a travel toothbrush, toothpaste, and flossers in your car or purse in the event of a spur-of-the-moment lunch or office party.
3. You’ll spend less time on office visits…
As a busy adult, the less time you need to spend on appointments, the better. Since Invisalign aligners are all one piece and are made with 3D imaging, you’ll be spending less time in your dentist’s office than you would with traditional braces.
While exact office visit times will vary for each treatment case, you can expect to see your dentist approximately every six to eight weeks. Traditional braces typically require adjustment every four to six weeks. Although this isn’t a big difference, you should consider how long the visit will be. With Invisalign, the majority of visits will be much quicker, as they’ll just consist of your dentist checking up on the straightening progress rather than actually adjusting or tightening anything.
4. And could have a faster treatment time.
Another benefit of the Invisalign aligner design is that you could straighten your teeth faster than expected. Typically, you will wear an Invisalign aligner for two weeks and then receive your new aligner. However, some patients may opt to have new aligners replaced weekly, which means they’ll straighten their teeth roughly twice as fast.
The average treatment time for Invisalign users is 12 to 18 months (with aligner changes every two weeks); more severe cases may require a longer treatment time. If you only need mild teeth straightening, you could potentially require treatment for only three to eight months, especially if you opt to replace your aligners every week.
5. You don’t need to worry about discoloration, thanks to easy oral hygiene maintenance.
A fairly common issue that can occur with traditional braces is discoloration. This discoloration is known as WSLs or orthodontic white spot lesions. WSLs are caused by plaque buildup on the teeth. Though they can occur even if you don’t have traditional braces, the risk of WSLs developing with traditional braces is much higher.
The reason for WSLs developing is actually very simple. Since traditional braces are fixed in place, brushing and flossing tend to be more difficult. If you’re not fully brushing and flossing around the braces, plaque builds up and WSLs can form.
Discoloration associated with traditional braces is preventable by maintaining exquisite oral hygiene, but it goes without saying that maintaining perfect oral hygiene is much easier with Invisalign. Since Invisalign aligners are removed during brushing and flossing, you won’t have brackets and wires getting in your way. Achieving a very thorough clean is much easier, plus you’ll be able to easily spot any issues with plaque buildup, discoloration, or yellowing and get them addressed by your orthodontist quickly.
Keep in mind that if you have Invisalign attachments, you’ll need to pay special care to thoroughly cleaning around those to ensure no plaque builds up. If you have very few attachments or none, there really isn’t a huge difference compared to normal brushing and flossing.
Invest in Your Long-Term Oral Health with Invisalign
It’s never too late to have the smile you’ve always wanted, and Invisalign has been helping adults get their ideal smile and drastically improve their oral health for over 20 years. Invisalign has been successfully used to treat crowded teeth, over- and underbites, crossbites, gap teeth, open bites, and generally straighten teeth.
While the average adult can successfully use Invisalign, some severe cases of misaligned teeth or similar issues may not be able to be fixed. The best way to determine whether or not you’re a candidate for Invisalign is to speak with your dentist to learn more.
