You may stick to your daily brushing and flossing routines throughout childhood and life as a young adult, but you can still end up with alignment issues or gaps between your teeth once your teeth settle into their permanent positions. While children and tweens often require the specific benefits provided by traditional braces, Invisalign is often a better option for older teens and young adults. Decide between braces and Invisalign only after understanding the pros and cons of the modern treatment. Keep reading for the Invisalign pros and cons.

Does Invisalign Work Faster than Braces?

In most cases, using a set of custom fitted Invisalign retainers will result in faster alignment improvements than you can get from traditional metal or clear braces. However, there is a caveat to this benefit. Invisalign treatments are somewhat more limited in how much adjustment is possible, while traditional braces can do a surprising amount of alignment changes over the course of three to five years. If you only want straighter teeth or a little less crowding among your pre-molars, Invisalign is the faster option if you’re concerned about how long you’ll need to deal with the mild discomfort of reshaping your bite pattern, which is less uncomfortable than the discomfort of traditional braces.

How Long Does Invisalign Take?

Traditional braces may need to remain in place for up to five years, and take a bare minimum of two years to achieve even basic improvements. In contrast, Invisalign makes subtle improvements to your smile within the first six months of treatment. For complete re-alignment, you can often complete treatment within 18 months to two years. A shorter treatment time allows you to get a straighter smile before a big event like a wedding or a career change. The shorter timeframe is also helpful if you’re concerned about living with a few dietary restrictions and some extra oral hygiene chores for longer than a couple of years.

What Does Invisalign Look Like?

One of the main reasons older patients choose Invisalign is because it’s hard to tell you’re wearing the nearly invisible treatment trays. They can be removed when you’re eating or brushing your teeth, allowing you to remove food residue without having to fight with your braces or deal with specialty picks and brushes. You can take your treatment devices off for up to six hours a day if your dentist approves it, giving you a break from the slight pressure required to reshape your smile.

Invisalign Problems

Not all Invisalign treatments are as removable as you might think. When advanced alignment changes are needed, the treatment retainers are attached to a few of the teeth with a non-permanent oral cement. You may also find that the trays are less than invisible if you wear them while drinking dark sodas, coffee, wine, and other staining drinks. Additionally, some people prefer not to take a retainer out and clean it before re-inserting it every time they want to enjoy food or drink. Braces come with more restrictions on what you can eat while wearing them, but they stay in place while you eat and don’t require the extra effort for removal and replacement.

If you have misaligned teeth, you’ll undoubtedly feel embarrassed about how they look. You might also find that they can be difficult to clean each day sufficiently. This can make plaque and tartar build up challenging to remove. If left to progress, this buildup can cause gum disease, which can eventually result in tooth and bone loss. Having braces fitted can help to straighten misaligned teeth and reduce the risk of gum disease from developing. But many adults find traditional braces uncomfortable, painful and unattractive.

Thankfully, Invisalign is a popular and effective alternative to traditional metal braces. Their clear and removable aligners can give you an improved smile in no time. Read through the following benefits to see what you can gain from wearing Invisalign braces.

Appearance

One of the biggest benefits of wearing Invisalign braces is their transparent and almost invisible appearance. Even though they can produce fantastic results, traditional metal braces are noticeable and stand out. Food can also easily get caught amongst the wires, which can cause embarrassment and ridicule. This can make the wearer feel even more self-conscious about their teeth than they did before. Invisalign braces, however, are barely noticeable and don’t draw any attention to themselves. They can give you the straight teeth you desire, but without everyone knowing you are wearing them. This can make you feel more at ease and less conscious about your smile.

Safety

Invisalign braces are smooth, easy to fit and don’t include sharp edges. This is a huge comparison from traditional braces which use sharp metal wires and fixtures. These elements can cause injury to your teeth, gums and tongue. The force used to fit them can damage your teeth too, if not done correctly. They can also make it difficult to clean your teeth properly. This increases your chance of contracting periodontal disease and other issues significantly. These are not issues for wearers on Invisalign braces. They can cause less damage to the inside of your mouth and allow the wearer to brush thoroughly. This can then prevent issues such as gingivitis and cavities from developing.

Comfort

Metal braces are renowned for being uncomfortable and sometimes painful to wear. As they are fixed in place, these issues are to be expected and are something the wearer must get used to. Invisalign braces are created using a 3D scan of your mouth to ensure you get the best fit possible. This bespoke design will provide you will immense comfort when worn. So much so that you might forget you are wearing them. Another benefit is that you can remove the aligners too. This feature means you can take them out for short periods such as when you are eating your favourite meal. Invisalign braces have also been found to have faster treatment times. This means you don’t have to put up with years of pain and discomfort, unlike metal braces.

If you’ve always wanted straighter teeth but hated metal braces, Invisalign could give you the results you crave. Make an appointment with your dentist to get a wider and brighter smile today.

Having straight teeth creates a more aesthetically pleasing smile and improves oral health as it makes it easier to clean teeth. Clean, straight teeth and healthy gums reduce the risks of periodontal disease while boosting your confidence in your smile. Braces work to align teeth properly, but traditional braces can be uncomfortable, painful and unattractive, especially for older adults. Thankfully, Invisalign clear braces offer a great alternative to traditional braces and have several benefits.

Better appearance with Invisalign braces

While metal braces are an effective way to straighten teeth, having metal brackets and wires in your mouth can make you self-conscious as you worry about their appearance. Food gets caught easier in metal braces and they’re challenging to clean. Invisalign clear braces live up to their name by being nearly invisible and most onlookers won’t even know you’re wearing them. Even if people do notice your clear aligners, they’re considerably more attractive than other forms of braces.

Invisalign braces are more comfortable and can be removed

Metal braces have to remain on the teeth following attachment by an orthodontist and are removable by a professional only, but Invisalign braces are easy to remove when necessary. If there are times when you want to remove your clear aligners, such as to drink or eat, it’s easy to do so as long as it’s only a short period.

Safer and less damaging than traditional braces

Traditional metal braces have wire and brackets that can irritate and scratch the inside of your mouth and your gums. Invisalign clear aligning trays are smooth, comfortable and custom fit to your mouth. Without any sharp edge or protruding edges, they don’t irritate your mouth and gum tissues. Metal braces can negatively affect decaying teeth and use great force to straighten teeth, but clear braces don’t have the same potentially damaging effects.

Shorter treatment time with Invisalign

With Invisalign clear braces, you can have straighter teeth faster than with traditional metal braces. Achieving alignment with metal braces can take up to 5 years, whereas Invisalign usually only take from 1-1.5 years to straighten teeth.

Easier treatment planning with Invisalign braces versus traditional braces

When you wear Invisalign braces, you know what to expect through the process because your dentist works up a computerized treatment plan. This plan helps you know how long you’ll be wearing the aligner trays before you even put a set on. With metal braces, it’s more difficult to plan treatment times, as there is a lot of trial and error involved as your teeth move into position.

The benefits of Invisalign braces over traditional metal braces make them a worthwhile investment if you’re a viable candidate and have concerns over the appearance and discomfort of normal braces. Invisalign braces pose less risk to teeth and gums, work faster, and are more comfortable than other styles of braces. Learn more about Invisalign braces by contacting Dupont Dental today.