Thank you, Invisalign for sponsoring today’s post.
Don’t hate me because my teeth are straight. I was born this way.
They may look perfect now, but as a youth, I had the biggest gap between my two front teeth for the longest time. My brother and I would have spitting contests in the pool to see who could shoot water between their teeth the farthest…I always won. I remember asking my mom if I was going to need braces because of this gap, that at the time felt like the width of train tunnel, but her and my dentist reassuringly said, “No,” every time. The dentist was confident the gap would close as my adult teeth came in, and he was right. By the time I got to the awkward stage of having to wear glasses and deal with zits, at least I no longer had to also be concerned with the gap between my teeth. “Mind the gap,” keeps playing through my head. My brother, on the other hand, was not quite as fortunate, and went through a series of retainers, permanent retainers, then finally braces. My husband, the same thing. So now with our four kiddos, I’m banking on the fact that at least 50% of them are going to need braces. My money is on my twins who still, at the age of 4, suck their thumb on a regular basis.
Amazingly, the pediatric dentist I take my children to doesn’t think braces are in the future of my two older children. They both sucked a pacifier relentlessly until my son was 5 and my daughter, 3. Somehow, their teeth managed to maintain their space, their mouth maintained its shape, and he says they look good. The twins, he said, is a whole other story. Fortunately, they are 4, so this gives us about 8 years until all their adult teeth grow in and we start having the braces conversation. I am hoping that the sucking and pulling from their thumb did not change the shape of their mouths so horribly that they need something prior to that; one of them already has a pretty bad underbite, but his mouth was also like that at birth. Time will tell, I suppose, but in the meantime, I can’t help but think of the costs and daily routine that will go into bringing their teeth back to straight.
When I think back to all my friends in high school who had the traditional metal braces, I feel grateful to have avoided that “rite of passage”. The food getting stuck in their teeth, the days they had to have their bands tightened and couldn’t eat from the pain, and the humiliation some of them felt from have a “metal mouth” and not ever wanting to smile or be in pictures. It makes me sad, and I don’t want that for my kids. Of course, I would do whatever it takes to make sure their “awkward years” are not too awkward, as I’m sure one of them will end up with braces AND glasses- the horror! After learning more about Invisalign and Invisalign Teen, am fairly certain this will be the first option we explore for the boys.
Here are some important facts I learned about Invisalign:
- Invisalign Teen clear aligners are removable and can straighten teeth without a mouth full of metal and all the disruption and sacrifice that comes with it.
- With Invisalign, Teens can play sports without fear of injury and continue cheerleading, musical instruments, acting and singing without interference. Because it’s removable, brushing and flossing is easy and no food restrictions to worry about either.
- Invisalign Teen eliminates emergency ortho visits for broken wires and brackets and requires fewer appointments since several aligner sets are provided in advance.
- Invisalign Teen costs about the same as braces.
- Invisalign Teen is covered by most dental insurance policies just like traditional braces — up to 50% of the cost may be covered by insurance.
I like the idea of not having to disrupt out regular routine too much in order to fix, replace or adjust the trays, since there are 4 kids I will be catering to, and one small change in family routine can leave a huge impact on the rest of the family. Not to mention costs and emotional therapy we will need to provide them through the pre-teen and teen-age years. But, what I like the most about the Invisalign Teen aligners? Check this out:
Myth: I won’t be able to tell if my child is wearing Invisalign often enough for it to be effective.
Setting it Straight: Invisalign Teen aligners are made with small blue dots, officially called compliance indicators, that gradually fade as aligners are worn. It’s a quick visual check for parents and teens to confirm they wearing aligners long enough to get results. In fact, clinical data from orthodontists confirms that teens wear their aligners an average of 21 hours per day, just as recommended.
Nice, right? Almost like the whole if you pee in the pool the water turns red around you theory, except with Invisalign, the Blue Dot theory is true, and already put into place to help keep an eye on the proper usage of your teen. Moms really do have eyes everywhere!! And, get this, the other day, I was picking up my 19 year-old cousin from school. He was sitting in the front seat and as we were chatting I did a double take on his teeth. I asked him if he was wearing Invisalign, and he said, “yes!”. When I asked him for how long, he said, a few months now. Wow. Didn’t even notice. Check out his graduation photo taken during his Invisalign treatments (though he wasn’t wearing them in this photo):
On board to check out Invisalign or Invisalign Teen? Just keep this in mind as you search for orthodontists* in your area:
Not all orthodontists specialize in Invisalign Teen. Visit www.invisalign.com and select “find a doctor” to locate experienced Invisalign and Invisalign Teen doctors in your area.
*Please note that not all Invisalign providers have iTero scanners in their offices and some utilize traditional impressions. There is a symbol used on the Doctor Locator to indicate whether a provider uses the iTero scanner.
Intrigued? Here’s your chance to enter the Straight Talk Sweepstakes for a chance to win free Invisalign treatment. Enter through September 30th!
How to Enter the Straight Talk Sweepstakes for your chance to win an Invisalign treatment:
As a lifestyle blogger, I was asked to host a Straight Talk party for Invisalign and invited other social media influencers to listen to myths and facts about Invisalign and Invisalign Teen from a local, Las Vegas based orthodontist who is an Invisalign provider. All words and opinions are my own.