Orthodontics for Teens
Braces, retainers, and everything else that you want to know about orthodontics!
You've just heard the three words that every teen dreads: “YOU NEED BRACES!”
Braces! What now?
Don't worry! Braces aren't nearly as scary as you may think. In fact, braces today come in a variety of styles, materials, and colors, making life with braces much easier, more comfortable, and even more stylish than in the past.
How long will I have to wear braces?
The amount of time it takes to treat your smile with braces depends on three key factors:
- Early treatment — Early treatment allows orthodontists to monitor the growth of the jaw and recommend further orthodontic treatment if it becomes necessary. Not everybody receives early orthodontic treatment, and in some cases, it may be recommended that a patient wait until they are older to receive treatment.
- What needs correction — The amount of treatment needed to correct a problem will determine how long the process takes. Different patients react to treatments differently, so while it may take one patient only 12 months to complete their treatment, it may take another patient 24 months. Treatment times can vary depending on how quickly your body responds and how much work is needed to give you the show-stopping smile you expect.
- YOU! — Your willingness to use the appliances your orthodontist gives you plays a major role in the length of time it takes to complete your treatment. Always remember to take care of your braces and appliances; this truly will help make your treatment shorter!
Braces Your Way!
Our practice offers a variety of braces, types, and styles to choose from. Some common options include:
- Ceramic braces
- Invisible braces
- Lingual braces
- Traditional metal braces
Orthodontic braces are a big part of life for many people your age. While braces may have had a bad reputation in the past, today's braces make it easy to look good and feel good! Please contact our practice to schedule your next orthodontic checkup.
No two teen cases are the same, which is why Align Technology is constantly advancing its Invisalign digital treatment solutions. This allows our office to deliver a unique, customized teeth-straightening solution that’s more precise and keeps your teen moving forward.
With the Invisalign system’s proprietary innovations, such as SmartTrack® material, your teen’s smile can transform up to 50% faster.*
The Treatment
Your teen’s smile journey begins with an iTero® Element™ digital scan. We will work closely with Invisalign treatment specialists to develop a complete digital treatment plan to plot your teen’s best smile with care from start to finish.
The Aligners
Your teen will receive clear aligners created with the Invisalign system’s proprietary SmartTrack material. Throughout treatment, you can monitor your son’s or daughter’s compliance through an indicator on the aligner. Your teen will wear the aligners for 22 hours per day, but can easily remove them so there are fewer interruptions to his or her lifestyle.
The Transformation
As your teen progresses through treatment, his or her smile and life will transform through a series of small, expertly designed shifts. And with the Invisalign Teen Guarantee, you have the option to switch to wires and brackets if your teen decides against Invisalign treatment within the first six months.
They keep moving. Make sure their smile keeps up.
Invisalign treatment can give both you and your teen a better teeth-straightening experience when compared to traditional braces.
- Invisalign can correct many simple and complex orthodontic cases
- Invisalign is covered by orthodontic insurance
- Proprietary innovations provide up to 50% shorter treatment times*
- Your child will not experience discomfort from rubbing brackets or broken wires and can expect fewer emergency visits
- You child can continue to enjoy all of the foods and activities they love
- Removable trays allow for easy brushing and flossing
- Two times more likely to have a boost in self-esteem**
* With weekly aligner changes, compared with two-week aligner wear
** The Invisalign Teen Confidence Survey was conducted in 2014 and polled 3,577 U.S. teenagers ages 13–17 and 2,118 U.S. mothers of teens ages 13–17; plus an oversample of 101 mothers of teens ages 13–17 who wear or have worn Invisalign clear aligners. The survey was conducted by Kelton, a leading global consumer insights and research firm.
Invisalign and the Invisalign logo, among others, are trademarks of Align Technology, Inc., and are registered in the U.S. and other countries.
