Today we wanted to take a closer look at the Invisalign clear braces system with Hoffman Estates dentist, Dr. Lars Johnson. We know crooked teeth can have a negative impact on a person’s self-esteem and how they feel about their looks. In the past there weren’t any options outside of traditional orthodontic braces. Wearing traditional braces in your adult life can add even more stress and have a worse impact on one’s self esteem.
Thank god for clear braces! Invisalign clear aligner trays allow for so much more functionality and flexibility than traditional orthodontic braces. The clear plastic aligner trays are virtually invisible, so the unsightly metal braces aren’t necessary with Invisalign.
The Invisalign website claims that teens are 2 times more likely to have a boost in self-esteem with wearing Invisalign over traditional metal braces. Their website also gives a nifty little comparison chart of Invisalign vs. traditional braces. They state that Invisalign allows for or corrects the following:
- Corrects and treats crowding, spacing issues, crossbite, over bite and underbite
- Straightens your teeth (obviously)
- Allows you to eat whatever foods you enjoy
- Removable devices can be taken out whenever necessary
- Is virtually invisible (it’s a clear and extremely thin plastic tray)
- Allows you to brush and floss normally (which can be a pain with traditional braces)
- Reduces the number of in office visits to the dentist or orthodontist
Removing the Invisalign Aligner Trays
Being able to remove the aligner tray is clearly the biggest and best advantage over traditional braces. We dentists love this concept, as our patients can brush and FLOSS normally in daily routines. Clearing remnants of food and bacteria left behind with traditional metal braces is a HUGE pain for anyone that has tried. Cleaning your teeth is not only easier with Invisalign, but you can enjoy your favorite foods whenever you want. Just remove the trays and eat! We should stress caution with these statements however, as Invisalign aligner trays should NOT be left off for extended periods of time. Your dentist will give instructions on when and when not to remove the aligners.
Invisalign can’t fix everything…
It would be great if Invisalign could fix everything that traditional orthodontics can. But Invisalign is not the be-all-end-all of orthodontics and is NOT a replacement for all issues. When considering Invisalign, each patient will need to be evaluated on a case by case basis.
We hoped that help explain a little more about Invisalign. If you have any further questions for our staff at Forest Edge Dental please feel free to call us anytime!