Recently, we asked Mouths of Mums members to complete a survey about their teeth, their children’s teeth and all things relating to beautifully straight teeth.

Hundreds of Mums completed the survey and we discovered that they had lots of questions!

We also discovered that lots of Mums who are new to the world of teeth alignment wanted to know a whole lot more about Invisalign treatment.

When we asked the team at Invisalign Australia if we could talk to an orthodontist, they introduced us to Dr Brabant who runs an Orthodontic practice that specialises in helping kids and teenagers achieve happy, healthy smiles. He answered the main questions MoM members had in the survey …

1. What exactly is Invisalign treatment?

Invisalign treatment is an orthodontic technique which uses clear plastic aligners to sequentially move teeth into the correct positions. The aligners are manufactured from a digital image of the patient’s mouth. They are worn for a minimum of 22 hours per day and are designed to be changed approximately every week. The number of aligners depends on the severity of the malocclusion.

2. Why would you choose prescribing Invisalign aligners over traditional braces?

Invisalign aligners have a number of advantages over traditional braces. Firstly, you do not have the rubbing on the lips and cheeks. The ability to take them out for eating and cleaning means that patient can maintain much better oral hygiene during treatment. There are no restrictions on diet. The patient may not have breakage problems as happens frequently with braces. Invisalign aligners create a gentle force each week to move the teeth, unlike braces which usually have a greater tightening every six weeks. There is not the pain of removing the braces at the end of treatment. Invisalign aligners are modern technology, braces are old technology.

3. Is Invisalign treatment suitable for kids and teenagers or just adults?

Invisalign treatment is suitable for kids and for teenagers and for adults. My youngest patient has been six years old and my eldest in their seventies.

“Because of the flexibility of the bone and the advantage of growth, I find that treatment in kids and teenagers can be faster and more effective than adults.”

Sometimes a two phase aligner treatment is used, whereby initial problems are solved while baby teeth are still present, and the final alignment is completed when all of the permanent teeth are present. 

4. Can Invisalign treatment be used for all kinds of alignment issues – simple and complex?

Invisalign treatment can be used for simple and complex issues as determined by the treating doctor. The technological advancements in recent years have been fantastic, making the technique constant and predictable. A three dimensional image is taken of the mouth and the orthodontist uses this to plan the movement of the teeth on the computer and then this is used to manufacture the aligners.  

5. I’m worried that my children may not stick to the plan as well as they should. Will this affect the result?

Compliance in the wearing of the aligners is critical to the success in treatment. In my practice this is not a major problem with over 90% of kids, teenagers and adults wearing their aligners as they should.

“So often parents are surprised to find how responsible their children are in wearing their aligners.”

This is because Invisalign treatment is a much more comfortable and less invasive technique.  

6. How does the price of Invisalign aligners compare to braces?

In my practice I charge the same amount for Invisalign treatment as I do for braces. This is because it is a much more simple process for the patient as well as for myself, but price structure for Invisalign treatment will vary from practice to practice. It is the orthodontic technology of the future.

7. Is Invisalign treatment available all over Australia? I live in a regional area.

Invisalign treatment is available all over Australia including regional areas. Some specialist orthodontists use the technique more than others and are more confident in using the aligners. I belong to a group of about forty orthodontists across Australia who are devoted to the research, education, and advancement of the technique.

8. In your experience, what do patients who have had Invisalign treatment say?

In my experience word of mouth has been one of the most fulfilling benefits of using the Invisalign orthodontic technique. Patients are happier, parents are happier, and the news of this technique is spreading.  

Now I know a couple of little girls who are going to be very excited I now know all about Invisalign aligners! And compared to my experience many years ago, it seems like a brilliant solution for them.

I’m adding a trip to the Orthodontist to my ‘to do’ list right now!

This post is brought to you as part of the Mouths of Mums and Invisalign partnership; After witnessing the dramatic difference alignment work with an orthodontist has made for her oldest son in terms of his overall confidence, MoM Founder Nikki and her daughter Emma have both just embarked on their own alignment journey with an Invisalign treatment.  We will be bringing you a series of articles and videos over the coming months so you can follow their Invisalign journey.

For more information on an Invisalign treatment, visit www.invisalign.com.au

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