For teens, clear aligners are a popular alternative to traditional metal braces. Although traditional metal braces have been around for decades, clear aligners offer a virtually unnoticeable way to achieve a straighter, healthier smile. Clear aligners are a series of trays that fit tightly over teeth to move them gradually into alignment over time.
Clear aligners are available at Smile Solutions in Pittsburg and the surrounding area. Our team will help determine whether they are the right treatment for your teen. Call us to schedule an appointment or learn more about our services.
Explore The Options
Clear aligners are one option for teens looking for a different type of orthodontic treatment. Teens can benefit from their aesthetic appearance and a more comfortable treatment experience. Compared to other orthodontic options, clear aligners also cause less pain and reduce the number and length of appointments.
With typical metal braces, teeth are moved to a new position using brackets with wires threaded through them. Clear aligners use a series of custom-molded trays that gently move the teeth into place. Patients will use each tray for a week or two before moving on to the next one in the series.
- Clear aligners use a series of custom-molded trays that gently move the teeth into place.
A Time-Saving Treatment
Clear aligners can save patients time due to less frequent visits and a shorter overall treatment length. Patients can benefit from fewer visits and less time in the office. Other teeth straightening options, such as braces, can take more time and appointments. Braces usually require teens to have appointments about every four weeks to adjust their wires and check their progress.
In contrast, patients with clear aligners will receive the entire series of their trays at once and can switch them out at home. They will only need check-ups about every six weeks so we can check their progress. A BMC Oral Health study found that clear aligners had an advantage in shortened treatment duration over braces. The length of treatment will vary, but it takes 12-18 months on average. There is no risk of brackets or wires breaking, which can slow down the treatment process.
- Clear aligners can save patients time due to less frequent visits and a shorter overall treatment length.
Feel Better, Look Better
One of the biggest differences between braces and clear aligners is their respective appearances. Many teens prefer the near-invisible design of clear aligners to the visible wires and brackets of metal braces. Clear aligners are less easy to detect, which can help teens feel less self-conscious and more positive about their appearance.
There is also flexibility with clear aligners that traditional braces do not possess. Clear aligners are removable, which allows teens to eat and drink whatever they want. Since they are removable, it is also easier to brush and floss teeth to maintain optimal oral health. Keeping braces clean often requires additional tools and can take a lot of extra time.
- Many teens prefer the near-invisible design of clear aligners to the visible wires and brackets of metal braces.
How Long To Wear Clear Aligners
Clear aligner wearers should only remove their trays while eating, drinking, brushing, flossing, and playing sports. Our team recommends that teens who play contact sports, such as football and wrestling, remove their aligners and wear a protective mouthguard over their teeth. These preventative measures will help teens avoid biting through their trays while playing sports. It will also protect their mouth and reduce their risk of injury. As soon as the game is over, patients should insert their aligners back in their mouths.
While it is acceptable to remove aligners for those activities, it is important to ensure sufficient wear time to prevent treatment delays. To get the best results, teens must wear their aligners for at least 20 to 22 hours a day. These clear trays can only work when they are in contact with teeth. Failure to wear them for long enough can result in delayed progression and a revised treatment timeline.
- Clear aligner wearers should only remove their trays while eating, drinking, brushing, flossing, and playing sports.
Caring For Clear Aligners
Properly caring for clear aligners is essential for teens to get the best results. When patients do not clean their devices well, it can result in discoloration and bacterial buildup. Staining and debris will cause odor and affect oral health and defeat the purpose of having a nearly invisible orthodontic device. Fortunately, cleaning these devices is easy and only takes a few minutes each day.
A good cleaning routine includes rinsing the trays with lukewarm water and using a soft-bristle toothbrush and clear liquid soap to brush inside and out. Teens should clean their aligners every time they brush and soak them at least once a day to keep them looking and functioning their best. Rinsing aligners after every removal will prevent plaque and dried saliva from building up.
- Teens should clean their aligners every time they brush and soak them at least once a day to keep them looking and functioning their best.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quality Dental Services Can Transform Your Smile
By visiting us as soon as possible, our team can help get you the professional treatment you need. Instead of waiting around and allowing the symptoms to get worse, we can provide you with treatment options.
Invisalign® Terminology
With Invisalign treatment, the patient will receive a series of aligner trays and swap out each one for the next one in the series every two weeks in order to gradually straighten the teeth.
The blue compliance indicator is a small blue dot on the aligners that will fade from blue to clear in order to indicate if the patient is wearing the aligner for the proper amount of time and where the patient is in the Invisalign process.
ClinCheck software allows professionals to map out the straightening process the patient’s teeth will go through with Invisalign® in great detail.
The gum line is the line in the mouth where the teeth and gums meet. If a patient struggles with gum recession, then the gum tissue around the teeth may begin to wear away.
Incisal ridges are the portion of the crown of the tooth that makes up the incisal portion and can be a direct cause of overbite if they are extended too far.
An iTero Element scanner allows professionals to create a 3D image of the patient’s teeth in minutes and predict what it will take to move the teeth into proper alignment.
Malocclusion is the condition in which the upper and lower teeth do not meet properly when the bite is closed. Conditions of malocclusion can include overbite, underbite, crossbite and open bite; all of which are treatable with Invisalign®.
An overbite is a type of malocclusion that occurs when the upper teeth jut out over the lower teeth, covering them and causing other issues.
Polyurethane Resin is a USP Class VI medical-grade, high molecular weight compound that makes up the Invisalign aligners.
SmartForce attachments are small attachments that professionals place on the patient’s teeth before placing aligners to help move the teeth.
Smart Track material is in Invisalign® aligners to increase comfort, improve control of movement, increase the speed of treatment, and apply a gentle force to the teeth over time.
Smile-Scan analyzes the way a patient smiles by measuring the position of the mouth and eyes before giving a score.
Vivera retainers are a type of retainer that consists of clear plastic material and helps to maintain orthodontic corrections after a treatment.
Call Us Today
If your teen is looking for an alternative for braces, clear aligners are a great option. Smile Solutions can help. Call us to learn more about our services or schedule an appointment.