From what age we can do aligner treatment?

Clear aligner therapy (CAT) is a popular orthodontic treatment option that patients around the world have grown to love in recent years. Its advanced technology, brilliant diagnostics, high product quality, ease of use, and of course its aesthetically pleasing look have added to its popularity.

As part of the clear aligner consumer, you must be committed to wearing your aligners up to 22 hours a day every two weeks when a new set will be given to you. The total treatment duration may last for around 1 to 2 years or longer in difficult cases. Unlike fixed braces, you’ll be fully responsible for taking care of your aligners and wearing them all day long, only removing them to eat or brush your teeth.

It can be easy to come on board with the clear aligner trend but given that you can remove them whenever you can, it can be tempting to remove them more often than you’re supposed to. And although there is no official minimum or maximum age for people to get aligners, it will be important to assess the maturity and willingness of the patient to actually carry around these aligners and still follow the routine.

Let’s break down clear aligner systems in different age groups to find out what age would be the best to get them.

How young is too young? – Clear aligners in children

Children begin to lose their first teeth around age 6 when their permanent teeth start to erupt. All baby or deciduous teeth will be replaced by permanent adult teeth before the child is 12 or 13 years of age. This transitionary stage when baby teeth gradually wobble (and eventually fall off) and the permanent teeth are still erupting is known as the mixed dentition stage or the ugly duckling stage.

This is when kids are often seen with gap-toothed smiles and lopsided mouths. Ideally, experts do not recommend giving orthodontic care to a child younger than 7 because in most cases, their teeth will fall in place when all their adult teeth erupt. Their jawbones are also constantly changing and lengthening so it would be disruptive to the normal process of introducing orthodontic care.

While it is common for kids to receive orthodontic treatment only when all of their primary teeth fall off, it isn’t quite unheard of for children to get aligner therapy early on. In fact, around age 6 to 10 might be a good time to start orthodontic treatment under the strict supervision of an orthodontist. This phase of treatment is referred to as phase 1 and can help in the correction of pre-existing bite problems, straighten teeth, and assist in getting rid of unhygienic habits like thumb sucking.

According to Invisalign®, “the goal of Phase 1 treatment is to develop young jaws and/or arches to make room for existing teeth and for incoming permanent teeth.”

Clear aligners for teens

Although the growth timeline varies from child to child, most develop a fully-formed adult jaw by the time they hit their teens – typically around 12 to 14 years of age. This is also when most of their adult teeth have erupted and therefore, they make for great candidates for getting orthodontic treatment with aligners.

At this pre-adult stage, teeth respond well to gentle force movement produced by aligners as these teeth are not as tightly affixed to the gums as adult teeth. So, achieving ideal teeth positions with aligners can be easier during the teenage years. Additionally, wearing clear aligners around this time can greatly help build self-confidence as their smile begins to improve. It is also much easier to brush and floss their teeth as compared to metal braces, so oral hygiene will not be of grave concern.

All that being said, it is crucial to remember that clear aligners yield the best results only if they are worn for at least 20 to 22 hours every day. Teenagers usually tend to skip routines so maintaining discipline and consistency will be of prime importance if you want clear aligners to work for your kid.

Clear aligners for adults

There is no maximum age limit for smile correction when it comes it adults. No matter if you’re 20 or 60, you can still choose to undergo orthodontic treatment with clear aligners. The total treatment duration may vary because tooth movements are easily achieved in younger adults but regardless of how fast you may be done with the treatment, you can still reap the full benefits of aligner therapy.

Key benefits like aesthetics, easy removability when eating, low maintenance, and superior comfort, to mention a few, may persuade you to get the sparkling smile of your dreams. Your orthodontist will let you know if you are a good candidate for clear aligners or give you other options to alter your smile.

Takeaway

No matter what age you are, you still deserve to feel comfortable and brilliant in your smile. Choose clear aligners to get the smile you’ve always wanted.