11 Truths about Invisalign for Kids

Left: NO aligners RIGHT: Day 1 wearing aligners.

If you've been following me for a while you know that Jordyn had traditional braces in kindergarten. If you haven't, you can read about why she had the need for braces so early HERE

Now that all her baby teeth are gone, it is time for phase 2 of her braces treatment. We originally were going to go with traditional metal braces again but after doing my research I spoke with our orthodontist about the option to do Invisalign instead. 

We are now in week 5 of her treatment and I figured that now that we've gotten used to our treatment plan and have been at if for a few weeks,  i'd answer a few of the questions I have been getting. 

Keep in mind that I am no expert, I am just speaking on our experience with Invisalign and trying to answer some of the questions you all had!

WHY DID YOU DECIDE ON INVISALIGN RATHER THAN TRADITIONAL BRACES?

I know a lot of people have this idea in their head that orthodontist try to push Invisalign to make a quick buck but in our case i'm the one that brought it up. Jordyn is really active with sports, she plays basketball 5 days a week so I knew that with metal braces she was going to have to wear a mouthguard so that in the event that she gets hit in the mouth, she doesn't get cut up by the metal. Now, wearing a mouthguard wouldn't typically be a problem but with braces in, you can't really mold mouthguard to the mouth so they wouldn't be able to fit properly. I brought up my concerns to my orthodontist in hopes that maybe there was some sort of special dentist mouthguard option I didn't know about and get this, he actually coaches his daughters basketball team. HA! He said he recommends Invisalign over traditional braces for athletes because of the braces/mouthguard problem. We also wanted to make this braces experience as comfortable as possible for Jordyn. Her braces experience before wasn't terrible but this round was going to be top & bottom braces plus rubber bands to adjust her bite. So she was going to have to watch what she ate, make sure she didn't have food stuck in her braces after eating, plus take her rubber bands in and out at school....It just seemed like A LOT of work for her. With Invisalign, she just goes to the bathroom before lunch, pops out her aligners, and goes about her business. 

I will say this.....you should know your childs maturity level before deciding on Invisalign. They must be worn 22 hours a day and a lost aligner costs upwards of 150 dollars to replace. 

WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF GETTING STARTED LIKE?

We had a consultation with our orthodontist. Once he decided she was a good candidate for Invisalign  he took digital scans of her mouth and 2 sets of dental records. One for their office and one to be sent to Invisalign to make the custom aligners. It took about 6 weeks before we actually got her aligners. When our aligners came in our orthodontist went through the treatment process in depth and answered every question I had. They also worked with Jordyn to figure out how to pop her aligners in and out. They put 4 attachments on Jordyns teeth but I have read reviews from people who have had attachments on nearly every tooth so be prepared for more attachments than you may think your child will have. 

HOW LONG WILL TREATMENT TAKE?

The length of your treatment depends on the severity of your case. Jordyns treatment process is set at 35 weeks with new aligners changed out every week. There are some treatment processes that take longer, with aligners being changed out every 2 weeks rather than each week so talk to your orthodontist about that. 

IS IT AS PAINFUL AS TRADITIONAL BRACES.

I wouldn't say it is as painful as traditional braces but  Jordyn does feel the same type of tightness she would feel when she got her braces tightened, whenever she puts in a new tray. The feeling of tightness usually wears off in a day or so. She says its more of an  uncomfortable feeling than a painful feeling which is normal and a sign that the treatment is working because your teeth are shifting. 

TOP: Week 1,Day 1 BOTTOM: Week 4,Day1. 

CAN YOU EAT WITH THEM?

No. The beauty of Invisalign is that you can take them out whenever it is time to eat. The only thing you can drink with your aligners in is water obviously because colored liquids can stay. I'm totally happy about this because it means Jordyn is drinking more water and less juice!! 

It's also recommend that you brush after eating and before you put your aligners back in to maintain proper hygiene. Jordyn doesn't take a toothbrush to school but she does rinse her mouth out after lunch and once she gets home from school and has her afternoon snack, she brushes. 

CAN THEY SLIP OFF?

No. The aligners are custom fit to her teeth so they fit extremely snug plus they put attachments onto her teeth that are designed to help hold the aligners in place.

ARE THEY HARD FOR HER TO GET ON AND OFF?

They aren't difficult but the first few days were a learning curve. She pops them in and out like a pro now! This again goes along with knowing your childs maturity level before deciding on Invisalign. 

IS IT MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE?

Invisalign is more expensive but in our case, it wasn't THAT much more. It was about 800 dollars more than the traditional braces treatment plan and I mean, 800 dollars more for the convenience and comfort Invisalign offers is a really great deal. 

HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO VISIT THE ORTHODONTIST. 

We are on an 8 week follow up plan. We currently have weeks 1-8 of aligners, at our next follow up visit we will get weeks 8-16...so on.

Barely visible!! 

HOW DO YOU CLEAN THEM?

My favorite part of the Invisalign process is the ease of cleaning both her teeth & the aligners. When she had traditional braces it was SUCH a hassle but with Invisalign you literally pop them out then brush and floss like normal. Our ortho said you just brush your aligners like you would your teeth and that you could even use Dial soap on them but.....Jords sticks with toothpaste.  

WILL SHE NEED TO WEAR A RETAINER AFTER HER TREATMENT IS DONE?

Yes. Just like traditional braces wearers, retainers after treatment ensure that her teeth will stay straight. This isn't anything new she will have to get used to because she's been wearing a retainer since 1st grade anyway. 

Overall i'm very happy with our decision to go with Invisalign. We are 5 weeks in and Jordyn is doing a really great job being responsible with her aligners. There was a lot of back and forth with Zeke and I about whether or not she was responsible enough to handle not losing her aligners at school and if she'd remember to put them  back in after snacking but so far she is doing great.....lets just hope she sticks with it. 

I tried to answer all the questions you all had but if you have anything else you'd like to know please do leave a comment or contact me via email!

Xo,

Jeanice