While Invisalign® clear aligners have many positive benefits for teens, one of the main concerns parents have is whether their teen will wear them consistently. Invisalign® clear aligners should be worn all the time, except when eating, brushing, and flossing. If you have a teen who may be less compliant, you may need to discuss with them metal braces as an alternative.
Teens may sometimes not be honest about how much they are wearing their clear aligners. Fortunately, Invisalign® has a solution to this problem. Their Invisalign® trays for teens have a blue dot on the inside that cannot be seen when the aligner is being worn. Like a usage marker on a toothbrush, the blue dot will fade in a consistent manner when worn properly. This way, we can monitor whether the teen is wearing their clear aligners as often as they should. If not, we can discuss alternatives. However, most teens will understand the importance of wearing their Invisalign® clear aligners and, knowing that they will be monitored, develop good habits.
Traditional metal braces often need to be worn for one to three years. Invisalign® clear aligners are similar in terms of time, and treatment time will vary based on your teen’s unique case. Each set of clear aligner trays is worn for two weeks prior to your teen “graduating” to the next set.
