Invisalign clear aligners are a very convenient and nearly undetectable orthodontic treatment option. Unfortunately, they aren’t for everyone, and children are typically better off with more traditional orthodontic treatment options.
Here at Greater Vancouver Orthodontics, we're sometimes asked by parents why we don't prescribe Invisalign clear aligners for children. These are usually the parents of kids who are very worried about how their braces will look, or who think their kids may struggle to maintain the proper level or oral hygiene with metal braces.
But there are a few very important reasons that Invisalign isn't really suitable for young children.
The main reason that we don’t prescribe Invisalign to children is their maturity level, and their ability or willingness to be responsible with these removable aligners.
Firstly, kids being kids, they’re more likely to remove their aligners when they shouldn’t. If they feel uncomfortable or sore, they’re more likely than adults to become frustrated and just take their aligners out.
This is a problem for a couple of reasons. The most important one is that it can severely curtail their treatment progress, and even damage their teeth.
Just because Invisalign aligners are removable, doesn’t mean that the treatment process is less carefully calibrated and scheduled for the best results. Invisalign aligners are meant to be worn full time, and only removed to eat, or brush and floss teeth. Any time they are removed otherwise can slow down or even reverse the progress being made.
Children are also a bit more likely to lose or damage their aligners during play. Lost or damaged aligners will again mean that the progress of treatment will get off track.