Invisalign has become an extremely popular method of correcting the alignment of teeth, because they do not affect the aesthetics of the teeth. Over the past two decades since this treatment entered the market, millions of adults have straightened their teeth with Invisalign. But, can children also wear Invisalign? Find out more below.
What Are The Requirements?
Although there is no actual age requirement for a child to get started wearing Invisaligns, there are certain conditions that first have to be met in order for the treatment to be effective. Firstly, the child must have lost all of their baby teeth. All permanent incisors and first molars must have erupted. The second and third molars (i.e. wisdom teeth) do not have to be erupted yet, as Invisalign trays can allocate space for them to come in later. There must be no significant tooth decay or damage, and of course, the child must be mature enough to comply with the treatment, which requires the retainers to be worn 22 or more hours per day. Dentists often see teenagers as young as 11 or 12 years coming in for treatments, depending on the situation and the child, and girls are likely to be eligible sooner than boys as they typically mature faster.
What Is The Risk?
Some parents may be concerned that their child’s teeth have not all fully emerged yet, and if this would affect the treatment. Due to the Invisalign trays being able to allocate space for these teeth to eventually come into place, this is not an issue at all. The first step of the procedure will be to perform an X-ray on the patient’s mouth, to determine the position of all the teeth. With this X-ray, the dentist can determine how much space is needed for the remaining teeth to erupt past the gum line. This means that not all the teeth need to come out before starting treatment. During the consultation, an orthodontist would be able to give you their assessment of whether or not your child would be able to go ahead with the procedure. This would be the time to determine your child’s suitability, based on the expert opinion of the orthodontist, and any risk would be minimized.
Why Should My Child Wear Invisalign At A Young Age?
Especially if you start to notice already at a young age that your child’s teeth are not growing straight, it is best to start them on Invisalign as their adult teeth start to grow out, so that they are easier to shape without waiting for the teeth to settle in place first. With Invisalign, your child can still eat their favorite foods, do sports and other extracurricular activities which can be a danger for braces wearers.
Invisalign can greatly improve the life and well-being of your child, allowing them the freedom of their childhood while also correcting their misaligned teeth. Bring your child in for a consultation with Dr Alex, an experienced orthodontist specializing in Invisalign treatments today!