Modern orthodontic treatment looks much different today than it did when we were kids. Middle and high schoolers rarely have bulky metal braces and colorful wires on their teeth.
Instead, clear aligners for kids, sometimes called clear braces, have become an increasingly popular orthodontic treatment option and can add many benefits to your child’s life by improving their smile.
Orthosnap vs Other Aligner Brands
There are numerous clear aligner brands but Orthosnap takes the cake! Most aligner companies use 3D-printed aligners; we don’t. 3-D printing can cause striations in the aligners and aren’t always accurate for treatment. So, when choosing the best clear aligners for your child’s teeth, consider Orthosnap.
Before your child begins clear aligner treatment to straighten their smile, here’s what you need to know: Clear aligners are…
Easier to keep clean
Spinach, broccoli, and other common foods that get stuck in braces will no longer be an issue. Growing children need their vegetables! Clear aligners must be removed while eating, so there is nothing getting in the way during your child’s meal time.
After eating, it’s essential that your child cleans his or her teeth before placing the aligners back in their mouth. This reduces the risk of cavities, bad breath, and the possibility of embarrassment from food stuck in the aligners.
Additionally, to clean the aligners at the beginning and end of the day, during their oral hygiene routine, patients simply use the right tools and products to gently clean the aligner before placing them in their mouths.
With traditional braces, patients need to use specifically designed floss, interdental brushes, and more to make sure their teeth are as clean as possible during treatment.
Of course, good hygiene habits are imperative to avoid cavities and gum disease whether your child has traditional metal braces or clear aligners.
Just as effective as traditional braces
Dental technology has come a long way. Clear aligners work just as well as traditional braces to straighten teeth, correcting issues like crowded teeth, gapped teeth, overbite, underbite, and crooked teeth.
However, patients with severe dental misalignment, overbite, or underbite, may require traditional braces. A trusted, skilled, and experienced orthodontist can help you determine the most effective option for your child.
Time-saving
Clear aligner treatment can also save time for you and your child because they require less maintenance all around. We talked about how easy they are to clean, but did you know that your child may not need to visit the dentist as often during the treatment process?
For starters, you’ll never need to drive to the dental office to have the wires on your child’s braces trimmed or to fix a broken bracket. And, visits to tighten the wires are completely eliminated.
Patients with clear aligners visit their orthodontist to ensure their teeth are moving in the right direction on the desired timeline. Depending on your child’s teeth, these can be few and far between.
The best option for athletes
Growing children love to try new things, including sports.
While the possibility of injury is always present in sports, traditional metal braces can make them more severe. The metal brackets and wires pose more problems if a child sustains an injury to the face since they may cause holes, cuts, and abrasions to the soft tissues in the mouth.
Clear aligners remove the risk of more severe injuries completely because they are sleek and smooth. They won’t prevent an injury, but they certainly won’t make an injury worse! Relieving this worry creates a more positive experience for you and your child.
Confidence boosting
The middle school and high school years are hard enough without the added insecurity of bulky traditional metal braces. Luckily, most children today don’t even know what the term “brace face” means because modern braces (metal and clear) are inconspicuous.
However, there’s no denying that clear aligners are the best option for kids who struggle with self-confidence. Aligners help mitigate insecurity by being nearly invisible as they work to straighten their teeth.
In fact, your child may feel more confident knowing that he or she is gaining a straighter smile every day.
When Clear Aligners Aren’t Right for Kids
After reading all of the benefits of clear braces, you may be sold on them. But wait! There are a few reasons that clear aligners may not be right for your child.
Severely Angled Tooth or Teeth
If your child has a tooth that is rotated more than 45 degrees, clear aligners may not be the best option.
Huge Spaces between Teeth
Clear aligners may not be able to accommodate teeth with a total of 6mm of space in each arch.
Severely Rotated Tooth or Teeth
A permanent tooth or permanent teeth that are rotated more than 20 degrees may require the control of metal braces.
Loses Things Often
Parents know their children better than anyone else. If he or she often loses or misplaced items, clear aligners may not be the best option.
They will most likely spend a lot of time digging through trash cans or waiting for replacement aligners, which will result in lost time and more money spent on treatment.
Not Likely to Wear Aligners Properly
Clear aligner treatment requires that the patient wear the clear braces 22-24 hours per day. If your child is likely to take them off for more than just eating and their oral hygiene routine, treatment will take much longer than necessary.
We recommend either waiting until your child is more responsible or opting for traditional braces.
Before making your decision…
Visit a trusted dentist or orthodontist to determine your child’s true options. He or she may need to wait longer before getting braces, require treatment for cavities and gum disease before getting started, or only have one option.
Additionally, talk to your child about these expectations before jumping into clear aligner therapy. Ask about their concerns and questions regarding traditional braces and clear braces.
Once you have all of the information needed, you can make the best decision for your kid.
Find an Orthosnap Dentist Near You
Orthosnap dentists are highly trained and supported to determine if a child is fit for clear braces. And we offer some of the most effective clear aligners on the market.
Don’t leave your child’s smile in just anyone’s hands. Find an orthodontist who offers Orthosnap clear aligners to create a positive experience for you and your child today.