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Invisalign Clear Braces Worcester, MA

At Children’s Dental Specialties, we provide Invisalign clear aligners as an alternative to traditional braces. Typically, teenagers around 12 to 13 benefit from Invisalign in our Worcester, MA, office. Our orthodontics services include treatment for overbites, underbites, crossbites, crooked teeth, and more.

Treatment works with a series of Invisalign aligners that apply light pressure to each tooth. Each set of aligners is different, gradually shifting teeth into a straighter position. Invisalign can create straight, balanced smiles.

Invisalign Clear Braces in Worcester, MA

Why Straighten Crooked Teeth?

If your child has gaps between teeth, crooked teeth, or overcrowding, they may need braces or Invisalign. Straightening crooked teeth can improve the look of their smile. However, straightening teeth is essential to improving your child’s dental health.

Crooked and misaligned teeth are hard to clean. Patients of all ages can have trouble brushing or flossing between crooked teeth. Harmful bacteria in hard-to-reach areas can increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

Crooked teeth also often lead to bite problems, creating an uneven bite. An uneven bite can put pressure on some teeth more than others. This can wear down the teeth over time.

Straightening teeth creates an even bite and makes brushing and flossing teeth and gums simpler. We recommend contacting our office if you or your teen want a straighter, aligned smile.

What are the Benefits of Invisalign?

Compared to traditional braces, Invisalign in our Worcester, MA office provides more benefits. Many advantages to Invisalign for patients who want a straighter, more balanced smile:

  • Clear appearance: Invisalign uses clear aligners, which are less noticeable than metal braces that use colorful rubber bands. Many teenagers enjoy the benefit of Invisalign because treatment does not distract from their smiles.
  • Removable: Patients can remove their Invisalign aligners to eat and drink. Invisalign SmartTrack® material makes it easy to remove aligners with minimal discomfort. 
  • Shorter treatment: Invisalign offers shorter treatment times than metal braces. This is because Invisalign treats mild to moderate dental problems. On average, Invisalign treatment takes twelve or more months to complete.
  • Comfortable care: Metal braces have wires that can poke and injure your gums. Invisalign braces are contoured to the smile. Patients may only feel discomfort as they get used to each new pair of aligners. This is normal, as Invisalign adds gentle pressure to the teeth.

Invisalign can be a good option for teenagers who want a less noticeable option than metal braces. Metal braces use brackets, wires, and colorful elastics. Many teens want invisible aligners to attract less attention to their smiles.

Invisalign in Worcester, MA

We use dental X-rays and 3-D imaging to plan Invisalign treatment. Before treatment, we take dental X-rays to determine if Invisalign is the proper treatment for the patient. We will examine crooked teeth, tooth gaps, and similar problems. Invisalign is best for patients with mild to moderate orthodontic issues.

When we determine that Invisalign suits the patient, we will take intraoral scans of the smile. These scans create a 3-D model of the teeth and gums. We send this model to a dental lab that makes a series of Invisalign aligners.

Once complete, you return to our office, where we fit the first set of aligners over your teeth. We will send you home with multiple pairs of aligners and the case.

You will switch your aligners for a new pair every 1-2 weeks during your treatment. We will recommend visits throughout Invisalign treatment so we can monitor progress. During these visits, we ensure the aligners fit correctly and that you are on track to completing your treatment.

It can take twelve or more months to complete Invisalign treatment. Treatment time depends on how you care for your aligners and how long you wear them daily. Completing Invisalign will also take longer if you have more moderate alignment problems. 

Invisalign for Teens vs. Adults

The Invisalign treatment for teenagers differs from adult Invisalign treatment in multiple ways. Invisalign aligners for teenagers include blue dots on the back of each aligner. This blue dot can change from blue to white depending on how long the patient wears their aligners.

We recommend patients wear their aligners for 20-22 hours daily. Patients can remove their aligners to eat and drink. However, we do not recommend leaving them off their teeth for many hours or a whole day. Teeth can take longer to straighten if patients do not wear their aligners consistently. 

Invisalign treatment for teens will also include more replacement aligners. Sometimes, teenagers can forget or lose their aligners; extra aligners keep them on track. Teen Invisalign treatment can also allow adult teeth to emerge for patients who do not have all of their permanent teeth yet.

How to Keep Teeth Straight 

Once your child completes Invisalign in our Worcester, MA office, we will provide them with retainers. These appliances are similar to Invisalign. However, its purpose is to keep your child’s teeth straight. We will custom-make retainers to fit their straight teeth.

Let us know if your child loses or damages their retainers. We will work to provide them with a replacement as soon as possible.

Wearing retainers will prevent orthodontic relapse. This problem occurs when the teeth return to their previous positions. This problem may only lead to slightly crooked teeth or small tooth gaps. However, your child may need more dental care over time.

At first, we will recommend that your child wears their retainers constantly. Over time, we recommend that they only wear them at night.

Like Invisalign aligners, retainers are clear and discreet. Your child can care for their retainers like their Invisalign aligners. They can soak their retainers in retainer cleaner or use mild liquid soap and water to clean them twice a day. 

Straighten Your Crooked Teeth

Are you looking for an alternative to metal braces for your child? Ask us about Invisalign in our Worcester, MA office. Contact our dental office today at (508) 625-5534. You can also make a dental appointment with our team online.

Let us know if you have any questions for our office. We’re here to help you.