It may not sound significant, but allowing your child to play sports without braces is beyond important. Whether they play soccer, basketball, football, lacrosse, etc., sports are aggressive and can lead to mouth injuries – with or without braces. The problem is that if your teen plays with brackets on their teeth, any time that their mouth is touched, they can get a cut. Even if they are mildly and innocently hit, they could end up with a bloody lip. Things that would never cause a sports injury, can when wearing braces. We highly recommend Invisalign Teen® for athletic teens because it is far safer. If they want to remove the aligners and wear a mouthguard, they can. Regardless, there will be no metal brackets to increase their risk of an injury.

B R A C E S

If your teen is tired of living with crooked teeth, now is an excellent time to consider orthodontics. We regularly answer questions about Permanent Braces and Invisalign ® as an alternative to braces for teens. Invisalign Teen® is growing in popularity as more and more teens are transforming their smile without the use of bulky and noticeable braces. We can let you know whether or not Invisalign® is the right solution for your child and how to get started.

Fixed braces

Fixed braces are braces that cannot be removed for eating or cleaning purposes, as they are attached to the teeth. These fixed braces are the type of braces you most commonly see people wearing. Small metal attachments or brackets are bonded to the front of the teeth and are joined together with fine metal wires (sometimes known as “train-tracks”). These braces are the most sophisticated available. They may be the only way that a severe problem can be corrected by the orthodontist.

Clear braces

Invisalign® is an excellent way to straighten your teeth and adults of all ages often prefer it over traditional metal braces. Teenagers and adults love Invisalign® because it straightens teeth without anyone noticing that you are correcting your smile.

How does It work?

Our team straightens teeth using a series of aligners. First, an impression of your teeth is taken so that a series of aligners can be created in a dental lab. The aligners themselves are made out of a thermoplastic material that is strong and at the same time flexible in order to be comfortable when worn for long periods of time. The material is virtually invisible.

The aligners should be worn for 22 hours a day and every two weeks; they need to be switched out with the next one in the series. Over a period of months, the aligners will slowly move teeth into place, making one minor adjustment at a time that is targeted to specific teeth. This helps your teeth to be comfortable as they are moved into position at a manageable pace. Once you are done wearing your aligners, your teeth should be perfectly straight.3