Braces or Invisalign for teen's Orthodontal Phase 2
Our 14 year-old now needs to start phase 2 of his orthodonture and the orthodontist says we have the option of braces or Invisalign. The cost (close to $6K Yikes!) is comparable and my son would prefer the less painful and visible Invisalign but I'm concerned about whether the outcome with Invisalign is as good as with braces. The orthodontist himself felt like braces were old technology but I would love to hear from parents who have had to make this decision and what your experiences with Invisalign vs. braces were and if you had any problems with your teen wearing or keeping track of all the Invisalign retainers. Thanks!
May 29, 2018
Parent Replies
I was about to submit this exact same question! Can't wait to hear the answers - my research thus far seems to show little to no difference, but would also appreciate anecdotal evidence.
My son had the invisilign and it went very well. I was amazed at how quickly they worked on his teeth. He's at the very end of wearing them now and it's hard to get him to keep
going in the homestretch but overall I would highly recommend them.
I recently got Invisalign for myself. After a month of wear, I strongly advise against it - especially for a teen. First and foremost, you cannot eat or drink with the liners in (except water). This turned out to be a big problem for me, as I am constantly removing the liners in order to have tea or eat a snack. You have to clean them each time you take them out and put them back in. For a teen, I can't imagine the inconvenience of this being tolerable. I hate it. The liners pool saliva; it is gross and they have to be cleaned several times a day to avoid a smell. Regarding the aesthetics, your kid's liners may not be invisible at all. I thought mine would be, and imagined a clear retainer-like thing. But, in order to grip my teeth, the ortho had to punch out bumps into the liner to allow it to grip. It turned out to look like a lumpy and visibly shiny plastic piece over my teeth. I would rather just have gotten clear braces. Hindsight is 20/20.
Both of our daughters used Invisalign and it worked well and quickly. They have to be committed to following the regimen but this is also a good experience. I was impressed by the imaging technology and how it adapted to the progress being made.
I had Invisalign and my 14 year old son had braces, now Invisalign. My experience with them was great. Some people never noticed I had them on. The process was fast. My son is also experiencing the same. He likes them better then the braces he has had previously. He does a good job cleaning them and neither of us have had issues with smells. He is old enough to know that if he doesn’t wear them, it will make the whole process longer.
We recommend Invisalign as a choice.