If you’ve thought that correcting your teen’s teeth meant sentencing them to months — and maybe even years — of a metal-filled mouth, you’ll be relieved to know that you have another option. With Invisalign®, your teen gets straighter teeth with virtually invisible plastic aligners.
Dr. Maya Oliver knows that many teens don’t want to deal with the cosmetic change that comes with traditional metal braces. That’s why she offers Invisalign to her patients — adults and teens alike — here at Georgetown Orthodontics in Washington, DC.
If you’re a teen who wants straighter teeth without braces, or you’re a parent and want to explore options for your child, here’s your quick-start guide to Invisalign.
How Invisalign works
Parents and teens are increasingly choosing Invisalign to correct teenagers’ teeth issues. With this system, Dr. Oliver takes a digital scan of your teen’s mouth. Then, she creates multiple sets of plastic aligners. These aligners are trimmed to match your teen’s gum line for increased comfort and minimal visibility.
Your teen wears the first aligners (top and bottom, if needed) in their series for one or two weeks, depending on Dr. Oliver’s recommendation. Then, they move to the next pair of aligners in their series. Each aligner gently guides their teeth closer to their proper positions.
Your teen can take Invisalign out to eat and drink, play sports, or give presentations in class. They just need to wear their aligners between 20 and 22 hours a day for them to work.
With Invisalign, they can also remove their aligners to brush and floss. Braces are notoriously hard to clean around. When you choose Invisalign for your teen, you don’t have to worry that their oral hygiene will slip.
With Invisalign, Dr. Oliver can correct a broad range of teeth issues. Your teen might be eligible for Invisalign if they have:
- An overbite
- An underbite
- A crossbite
- Gaps between their teeth
- Crowded teeth
- An open bite
- Generally crooked teeth
In short, Invisalign works for the most common teeth issues. To find out if Invisalign is right for your teen, don’t wait to schedule a visit to Georgetown Orthodontics. Call our office at 202-600-8060.
Making sure your teen wears Invisalign
Many parents have concerns that their teen will simply not wear their Invisalign aligners. But Dr. Oliver can give you a way to confirm that they’re keeping them in place for the recommended 20-22 hours a day.
She can fit the Invisalign aligners with a compliance indicator. Basically, this is a small blue dot on each set of aligners that will show you if they aren’t being worn enough. It’s built-in assurance.
Invisalign could be an ideal way to correct your teen’s teeth issues. If you want to learn more about this teeth-straightening system, make an appointment with Dr. Oliver by calling our office at 202-600-8060 today.