Invisalign Teen was created for a teenager
whose active lifestyle doesn’t work well with traditional braces. But even more than that, Invisalign had PARENTS in mind! That’s right. As a parent myself, I always had two concerns with teenagers wearing Invisalign: 1) They may lose or break them; 2) They’re so clear, how do I know they have them in? The answer to question #1 is that Invisalign Teen allows each patient to LOSE or BREAK up to 6 aligners (clear plastic trays that are worn), and there is NO CHARGE to replace them! And the answer to question #2 is that each aligner has a little blue dot that covers the last tooth (molar). This blue dot is actually a “wear indicator†that gradually turns clear over the course of two weeks (which is how long each aligner is worn in the series of aligners). So each week, have your Teen show you their aligner before they go to the next one. If there is still a blue dot, they haven’t worn it!!!
What Exactly IS Invisalign Teen?
When Invisalign was first introduced, it was created with only adults in mind. That was because teens and pre-teens were still growing, and there were concerns the aligners (clear plastic trays that are worn) would not keep up with the final growing stages of childhood. After many years of orthodontists telling teens they “weren’t candidates†for treatment with Invisalign, the company made tremendous efforts to allow for teeth that were not fully erupted (grown into place), as well as allowing for slight underbite or overbite corrections. That’s how Invisalign Teen came into being almost two years ago. It allows for 12 year old molars to be aligned, eye-teeth to drop into place, and overbites and underbites to be corrected. So if you were told you “weren’t a candidate†for Invisalign because you were a Teen, come see us! We have a wonderful treatment option for you!!! View our commercial below to learn more:
How DOES Invisalign Work?
By Dr. David Carter
The Invisalign and Invisalign Teen process is possibly the highest form of orthodontic technology I have seen. The first step is we take a very EXACT model (impression) of your teeth. We then send these models to Invisalign, and they create a 3-D model that is then sent back to me over secure internet. I then take the 3-D model and actually TREAT the teeth in VIRTUAL REALITY (so to speak). Once I’ve completed the treatment, I send the treated 3-D models (called a “ClinCheckâ€) back to Invisalign. They have a patented process that creates a series of clear plastic trays (called “alignersâ€), that moves the teeth over a two week period of time. Each aligner slowly and comfortably moves the teeth just like braces. The obvious difference is that they are REMOVABLE so you can take them out to eat whatever you want! And they can be removed for easy brushing and flossing. And all YOU have to do is wear each aligner about 20 hours per day. They’re so comfortable you really won’t even notice that they are IN!
Daring to be Different
Dr. David Carter is a second-generation orthodontist who has managed to make room for a successful practice, lots of family time and giving back to the community. Dr. Ben Burris recently spoke with him about his early years inpractice, his dedication to a balanced life, and how he’s built his career on doing things differently. Read More…
Invisalign Interproximal Reduction (IPR) – Teeth Shaving/Sanding/Filing
I am now on my 16th set of Invisalign aligners out of 23 sets. At this ClinCheck, Dr. Carter of Carter Orthodontic Solutions used a Slow Speed Diamond Disk (shown at left) to polish or shave .20 mm on either side of my two middle bottom teeth. This polishing between the teeth allows the teeth to slide past each other during rotation correction. Dr. Carter said that nine months later the enamel will re-calcify and be stronger than before. This was totally pain free. I did get a little panicky at first because when they sanded down my attachments the first time, it hurt and it didn’t even touch my teeth. This was actually “sanding” my teeth. But it didn’t hurt at all so no worries if you need this done.
My two bottom teeth were so tight they were stuck in position. The polishing helped immediately. In a couple of days I could feel that the teeth had moved. My teeth feel and look much straighter now.
The rubber band has really worked wonders with my overbite. I don’t think I even realized how much of an overbite I had. I can’t believe these are actually my teeth! And the humongous space that was between my front teeth is almost gone! This has definitely been a positive experience and I would encourage anyone thinking about Invisalign to take the plunge!
Here is a video I found on YouTube showing how the disk is used:
Let me know if you have questions. ~ Melissa