What age can you have Invisalign clear aligners?
Dental technology has always been evolving and improving. In particular, advances in teeth straightening technology have been significant. In the past, not all patients could have clear aligners to straighten their teeth, and mostly had to have fixed braces.
With Invisalign clear aligners being used since the mid-1990s, the technology now exists for teenagers to have Invisalign clear aligners. For most teenagers, there isn’t a lower age limit, as it’s mostly decided on a case-by-case basis and in discussion with the teenager and relevant parents and/or guardians. It’s also important to understand that case complexity may also have an impact on whether Invisalign will be a suitable treatment modality.
The other thing to ask your dentist or Orthodontist about is compliance indicators. These are small nodules on aligners that help to monitor whether the aligners are being worn for the correct time. These are very useful for teenaged patients. The dots are situated at the back of the aligner (so not visible to others), and start off blue. As the aligners are worn, they colour fades. When worn correctly, the dots should be clear.
Here are the most important factors in deciding if a teenager would be suitable for Invisalign:
- How responsible are they? Wearing Invisalign requires the patient to be compliant and wear the aligners for 22 hours a day. If the teenager doesn’t wear the aligners for the correct amount of time, the teeth will not move adequately, and the treatment is likely to take a lot longer and/or the end result may not be ideal. The aligners will also need to be removed to eat, teeth cleaned, and the aligners replaced after eating. This also takes some extra effort.
- Do they lose things easily? Because the aligners are removable, they also are easy to get lost. Some people tend to lose their possessions more easily. If your teenager struggles with this, you could end up with a lot of extra costs to replace lost aligners. The delays caused by having to replace lost aligners will also mean that total treatment time will be much longer if this happens on a regular basis.
- Are they motivated? Having your teeth straightened (whether with Invisalign clear aligners or braces), takes a bit more effort in terms of keeping your teeth clean. Poor oral hygiene can sometimes result in tooth decay or discolouration (usually white spots) on the teeth which can look unsightly.
There’s no hard and fast rules on what age you can have Invisalign clear aligners. Our Claremont dentists prefer to discuss this with parents and/or guardians, as they know they usually know what would be best.
Do you have questions about what age you can have Invisalign clear aligners? Feel free to speak with our friendly dental team on 6143 5655, or book a consultation online at a suitable time right here.
