Invisalign is a highly popular orthodontic treatment for adults and older teenagers, but is it the right choice for children? Not usually, no.
While any patient who has all of their permanent teeth can wear Invisalign aligners, it’s not typically our first recommendation for children. Part of what makes Invisalign so attractive is its removable trays, and this feature can create a strong temptation to keep your aligners out more often than you should.
Your smile will only straighten as you wear your Invisalign trays as directed, which means at least 22 hours each day. And because Invisalign is only as successful as the compliance of the patients who wear it, we don’t encourage young children to go through the program.
Patients who choose Invisalign in Concord, NH need to wear their aligners all the time, both during waking and sleeping hours, except for when they’re eating or cleaning their teeth. Additionally, patients need to wash and rinse their Invisalign trays frequently and to keep track of how long they’ve worn each tray before moving to the next one.
While some teenagers with more developed mouths may be good candidates for Invisalign, our dental team will recommend traditional braces to younger patients and all patients who would struggle to take their aligners in and out throughout the day.