Ready to Align Your Teen’s Smile? Clear Aligner Tips for Teens

Kids are easy to please; a fun game of catch, an afternoon spent building a pillow fort, or a mellow bedtime story, they are every bit the sweet bundles of joys as you’d expect. But the transition from a kid to a teen is all but a golden brick road. Teenagers, for the most part, are an enigma; mysterious and notoriously difficult to get on with. Today, it might be even more complex to acknowledge their unique problems.

Social intricacies are a crucial part of any teen’s life, especially in this modern age. Teenagers love taking pictures on their smartphones and much of their social presence is dictated by the way they look and perceive themselves. Gone are the days when chunky metal braces were viewed as “rites of passage” for any teen entering high school. In the last few years, clear invisible aligners have become increasingly popular among teens.

Clear aligners have widely been popularized among adults in recent times. However, the teenage segment has dominated the global clear aligners market for the last few years with a market share of a whopping 71% in 2020. Invisalign, one of the big players in clear aligner technology has also reported that almost three million teens are currently using Invisalign clear aligners.

Clear aligner packages for teens

Invisalign was one of the first brands that launched their clear aligner package for teens in July 2008. Invisalign Teen carries all the exclusive features of the Invisalign Adult package with some additional features specifically for teens. This teen-friendly package addresses the unique issues of teens that adults do not face, particularly problems with compliance.

Teens love the flexibility of removing their aligners to snack on their favorite foods or when they go out to hang out with their friends. As a result, most teens tend to forget to place their aligners back on. Since compliance is critical for the overall success of the aligner treatment, Invisalign formulated the Invisalign Teen aligners with in-built indicators. These indicators turned blue when the aligners were not worn and turned clear as they were being worn. This specialized feature helped dentists and parents alike monitor the duration of wear by the teens.

Teens were also found to be prone to losing or breaking their aligners. Align Technology, the company behind Invisalign includes six free replacement aligners in the Invisalign Teen package in case one goes missing or gets damaged. The aligners can be replaced in just a matter of days so that the orthodontic treatment does not get prolonged and the desired results do not get compromised.

Tips to help your teen be compliant with clear aligners

Clear aligner treatment is highly reliant on the compliance of the patient as well as the proper oral hygiene measures taken by the responsible. Parents who have chosen clear aligners for their teens can take into account a few measures to gain optimal results from this process.

• Make a schedule: Clear aligners should be worn about 20 to 22 hours a day for the treatment to work effectively. Therefore, your teen must agree to wear the devices knowing that they will be wearing them for the majority of the day. Fix a routine for your teen and discuss if they would be comfortable with wearing them without fail.
• Explore other options: If your teen is not comfortable wearing the aligners willingly for most of the day, you should openly discuss these issues. You might want to approach your dentist to explore other options for orthodontic treatment. If you observe a low level of compliance, your dentist might recommend a fixed appliance for your teen. However, if your teen complains that the aligners are uncomfortable for their bite, your dentist can immediately fix the aligners for them.
• Encourage your child: With each week, your child will receive a new set of clear aligners to keep up with the progress of their teeth’s new positions. Celebrate every milestone to keep your child motivated to boost their compliance. You can also track their progress with photos. Always be supportive to help them be focused on the expectations of the treatment.

A successful clear aligner treatment is an open partnership between the parents, the dentists, and the teens. As a parent, every bit of your encouragement matters to help your teen achieve an effective and comfortable aligner experience.

Today, most clear aligner brands offer teen-specific options or plans that provide flexibility to this age group of patients. If you are looking for an affordable clear aligner brand for your teen, you might want to check out PlusSmile®, a state-of-the-art clear aligner technology that offers incredible options for your ease.