Thanks to Invisalign and The SITS Girls I had the opportunity to learn about advancements in teeth straightening via Invisalign Teen Straight Talk. A Mini Bloggy Boot Camp sponsored by Invisalign was held in Los Angeles on April 20, 2013. In addition to learning about ways to better our blogging skills, a group of 50 or so Bloggers were invited to an open forum in which we were able to speak to an experienced orthodontist as well as actual Invisalign Teen patients and their parents.
I am a former two time "brace face". I wore the standard bracket type of metal braces in my teens. As a young adult I stopped wearing my retainers so I opted for teeth straightening AGAIN with adult braces because I feel great when my teeth are straight! I'm more confident, happy, and ready to "smile out loud"! I only wished that I knew about Invisalign then! Far removed from my teen years (at nearly 42 years old): I am looking into Invisalign for myself! Why?! During pregnancy I had some dental issues and will be needing straightening yet again. This time to close some spacing/gap issues. That is another post in itself so I'll touch on that at another time. As a working mom spending 8 hours a day at the office - time is precious. Fewer appointments equals less time missed at work and more time to be at home with my family. If your child needs treatment that would also mean less school time missed to go to the orthodontist.
After hearing about the benefits of Invisalign treatment I am happy that I have options for straightening my teeth. I do not have any plans to be a metal faced mommy! Invisalign is virtually invisible! Looking at my old photos with braces & wire retainers shows just how old fashioned metal bracket braces are...
The teen years were tough for me. I had extremely crooked teeth caused by crowding. I was self conscious when I would laugh & smile. I was uncomfortable to the point that I would very rarely laugh without holding my hand over my mouth. I don't want our son to feel compelled to do that. I'd like to say that my son gets his happy grin from me! Which may mean that he will likely need teeth straightening one day.
This is one of my favorite photos of my son. I'm thankful that my husband captured this moment last summer. I want him to smile this way well into his adult life! I don't ever want him to feel self conscious about his teeth the way that I did. I am excited to know that the options in teeth straightening today are much better than when I was a teen. Generally kids should receive an orthodontic screening at around age 7. According to the orthodontist on hand to answer our questions, treatment for straightening should begin when the majority of permanent teeth have erupted. Our son has many years before his first orthodontic screening but I am prepared.
During the session a pair of teens had the chance to share with us their experiences with Invisalign. These kids were confident, well spoken, and had great smiles! I wish that I had that much poise when I was their age! Their actual before & after photos that we were shown were remarkable! I asked both teens if they experienced any effects on their speech such as lisping - both stated that they did not have any difficulty at all when wearing their plastic aligners.
Braces Then, Invisalign Now |
The drawbacks of metal braces are something that I am familiar with from first hand experience: discomfort with metal brackets, food limitations, brackets popping loose requiring additional appointments to the orthodontist...
I've learned that with Invisalign you can eat normally by simply removing the aligners during mealtime. Food getting stuck in my braces was one of THE WORST parts of having them. Which leads to the issue of brushing & flossing - it took time, patience, and some skill to get the job done! The Invisalign system uses a series of clear aligners made of lightweight plastic that sit smoothly on the teeth allowing for a more comfortable fit and they work as effectively as traditional metal braces.
There truly are so many benefits in choosing Invisalign vs. Braces. I would love to share them all here but there is so much information that I don't think that one blog post would cover it. To learn more about the Invisalign Treatment Process please visit: How Invisalign Works. You can also get in touch with Invisalign on Twitter or Facebook for answers to your specific questions.
There truly are so many benefits in choosing Invisalign vs. Braces. I would love to share them all here but there is so much information that I don't think that one blog post would cover it. To learn more about the Invisalign Treatment Process please visit: How Invisalign Works. You can also get in touch with Invisalign on Twitter or Facebook for answers to your specific questions.
Traditional Metal Braces. Photo taken in 2005 when we were dating. |
Licensed to Wed in 2007 and wearing my retainers |
Whether or not you believe that there are health benefits - one thing that I have learned for certain is that is that I feel so much better with a smile on my face.
There are people out there with naturally straight teeth - are you one of them or did (do) you need help too? Teeth straightening isn't all about vanity/cosmetic purposes. Healthy teeth and gums can affect your overall health & immunity! Teeth that are not aligned properly are harder to clean which can lead to periodontal disease. It can also create abnormal amounts of stress on the teeth and jaws leading to premature wear.
Have you or someone that you know used Invisalign? If so, what was the experience like? I'd love to know your opinions! I have my sights set on having my very own Invisalign Smile!
Overall, this does seem like a really intriguing product. One of the concerns I've heard in the dental community is that if you stop using them the teeth may be more likely to shift back than with traditional braces. It'll be interesting to look into more research on these.
ReplyDeleteOne drawback with invisalign is that kids/teens/adults can lose their braces! Our son has a retainer similar to the invisalign braces and he has already lost it twice. He's had it just over a month.
ReplyDeleteA second drawback, at least for us, is that our dog thinks the plastic smells great. We caught her trying to get to our son's retainer twice already.
He now leaves his in specific places, but not without a couple expensive "oops!"
Hi DelSheree GladdenThank you so much for stopping by. I do believe that a type of retainer is used for after care as with traditional braces. I agree - it would be interesting to learn more.
ReplyDeleteFamily Travels on a Budget I know what you mean! I lost my retainers when I was a teen. According to the presentation the Invisalign Teen version of the product includes 6 replacements in the case they are lost. It's funny that you mentioned your dog - the orthodontist also mentioned that they do seem attracted to the product. I guess the replacement aligners come in handy for that too!
Now you have me curious. My older two have already had metal braces and for sure my 4th and 6th children will need them, so I have GOT to look into this some more.
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon! Check it out! Sounds like you guys are keeping the local orthodontist in business :) Do they have family discounts? That would be awesome!
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling our little one is going to need them too. Both my husband & I had crowding issues. My sister wore braces, I wore braces, I think he told me that his sister wore them too... a family thing?
First I have to say, these are really great photos! I've never had the braces problem but might have a reason to forward this to someone who does.
ReplyDeleteI wore braces, but never wore my retainer..maybe it's time for me to try out invisalign!
ReplyDeleteI never had to have braces. My teeth do need some dental work thanks to my allergies and lack of routine care.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to get braces, invisalign would be my choice.
Jennifer That was my problem. I stopped wearing the retainer when I was pregnant, it just kept making me want to gag.
ReplyDeleteChristy You were one of the lucky ones with straight teeth naturally! I envy you :)
First I have to say, these are really great photos! I've never had the braces problem but might have a reason to forward this to someone who does.
ReplyDeleteLexie Thank you! You have a gorgeous smile! I'm glad that you didn't have to struggle with braces - they are no fun!
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ReplyDeleteExtremely informative. I wanted to thank you for this excellent post. I surely enjoyed each little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out more new stuff you post in the future.
Hello....I would like to say thanks for more interesting post..I am searching it from long time..I read this every day for another new information are posted or not.
ReplyDeleteHi there! I am currently an Invisalign user (36 years old) and I'm really happy with how things have been going. Also a "late bloomer", I have not yet had children but would like to. I'm curious and a little worried after reading that you had some problems that created shifting in your teeth. Can you tell me a little more about this? Is this something common to post braces pregnancies?
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