For most people, orthodontics still conjures up the image of metal braces, a somewhat questionable aesthetic solution.
Many people resign themselves to having crooked teeth because they don’t want to wear metal braces for long months – and in some cases, years. This is a particularly common problem among children, who are even more self-conscious about their appearance.
The Invisalign treatment available within NaturaDent's services might be an ideal choice for you, as it is not only an extremely effective solution but also remains completely unnoticeable in the mouth.
It is not by chance that the term invisible orthodontics is used. Although many believe that this method can only be applied to adults, in reality it works very well for children too, under the right conditions.
Here below, we have therefore gathered all the important information about what we need to pay attention to if we wish to use this orthodontic technique on our child.
Invisalign orthodontics for children with Platinum II Provider accreditation
However, before we get to the most important information, we feel it's important to highlight that NaturaDent dental practice uses Invisalign aligners with Platinum II Provider status, which is only awarded to practices with the greatest experience.
This is particularly important for children, as our experience and precision guarantee that we can find solutions even for more complex problems, and that the treatment will achieve its intended goals.
What is invisible orthodontics?
However, the first and most important thing is to clarify the concepts, as there are many misconceptions circulating about invisible orthodontics - particularly concerning what it is and how effective it is.
The foundation of the Invisalign orthodontic method is a brace structure made from an extremely flexible, yet strong and transparent material. The entire process is built upon precise plans, so the patient receives several transparent aligners at once, which must be changed at appropriate intervals.
Each aligner only moves the problematic teeth slightly in order to achieve the desired alignment within a few months. It is so effective that minor discrepancies can be corrected in just 2-4 months, and even with larger issues, treatment times rarely exceed one year.
For orthodontic treatment to be successful, you need to wear the required aligners consecutively at predetermined intervals.
Due to their invisible nature, the aligners can be worn all day, meaning they don't hinder children in their studies, daily activities, or even eating, thanks to their simple insertion and removal.
Mit kell tudni a gyermekek láthatatlan fogszabályozásáról?
While there are relatively few obstacles to using invisible braces in adulthood, the conditions for children are much stricter. It's of no harm to be aware of these before opting for Invisalign.
It is very important that if our child's teeth require straightening, and their bite requires correction, we act as soon as possible. This is because, in childhood, even major irregularities can typically be rectified more quickly and effectively.
The longer we wait, the longer the process will take and the higher the costs involved. In more severe cases, it may be necessary to achieve the desired result through several consecutive successful treatments.
In the meantime, we haven't even mentioned how improper dentition can negatively affect a child's health, speech and craniofacial development, and can even cause eating difficulties.
Let's talk about preparatory orthodontics
It is not uncommon for invisible braces to be used for patients aged 7-10 years old. In such cases, we refer to preparatory correction, which helps to ensure that after all permanent teeth have erupted, the subsequent orthodontic treatment will be shorter and more effective. Alternatively, with its help, we may be able to completely avoid later orthodontic treatment.
Early orthodontic treatment not only has a better dental impact on the child but also a psychological one. This is because self-confidence is important for young children, and a well-aligned set of teeth, along with the improved communication skills that result from it, contribute greatly to this.
The sooner we help children in this area, the easier their teenage years will be later on.
The fundamentals of effective invisible orthodontics, assuming that permanent teeth have already erupted.
The most important prerequisite for using Invisalign braces in childhood is the eruption of some permanent teeth. This occurs in most children between the ages of 8 and 12, but there are individuals who mature earlier or later in this regard.
While the right age can be a very important condition, there are exceptional cases here too. In fact, with very severe bite abnormalities or other problems, orthodontic treatment can be started much earlier – if necessary, even at 5-6 years of age.
Orthodontic treatment started in good time is very effective in correcting bite abnormalities.
Due to the mixed dentition, the result is harder to plan, but experience shows that early invisible orthodontics can be of great help in preventing or correcting crowding, open or deep bite, and gaps.
Szentimentális gondolat, hogy még mielőtt gyermekeink egyáltalán felnőttek volna, már törekszünk arra, hogy tökéletesebbé tegyük őket, és ezért rengeteg pénzt költünk rájuk. Ugyanezt a szemléletet alkalmazva, ha észrejöttük, hogy gyermekeink, akik tökéletesek, de nem tökéletes fogazattal születtek, és gondolkodunk az eljáráson. Elmagyarázzuk, mi történik, és mit kell tennie, mire kell felkészülnie.
Although we have already touched upon some of its beneficial properties above, let us now comprehensively review the positives that favour invisible orthodontics in childhood.
It adapts to children's teeth
The primary and most important advantage of Invisalign braces is that, in addition to comfort and discretion, they are very comfortable and cause no discomfort for children to wear.
This is why braces can be maximally adapted to children's needs in order to support the growth of permanent teeth, which can not only correct existing problems but also prevent those that are developing.
Truly invisible
Children's appearance is more important to them than we might think. Braces are unfortunately a common target for teasing, but with Invisalign, this isn't a problem as they are truly invisible.
Made from completely transparent and easily cleanable plastic, which covers the lower and upper teeth – provided it is applied to both surfaces – it does not cause problems with everyday tasks.
It brings quick results
Invisible braces are not only aesthetic but also produce quick results. Although it depends on the patient in every case, for minor misalignments, 2-4 months may be sufficient for the problems to be resolved.
The condition for this is that the child must wear the brace all day, even at night. It is recommended to wear it for at least 22 hours a day to achieve the desired result. With its help, not only can the position of the teeth be corrected, but also bite discrepancies.
This means that a single device can address multiple problems at once. This could only be achieved with traditional methods using a variety of tools and an entire series of treatments.
Easy to clean and apply
Finally, last but not least, the benefits of invisible braces also include ease of cleaning. The aligners can simply be removed before eating and then rinsed with clean water before being placed back onto the cleaned teeth.
They cannot be fitted incorrectly, as each tooth has its place – otherwise, the child will not be able to close their jaw – it is only in the order of the rails that parents may need help.
Children's orthodontics consultation at Naturadent
The role of parents in their children's use of invisible braces
Although wearing invisible braces does not require parental help for more independent children, it will still be a big task for relatives to ensure a satisfactory final result.
It is therefore a good idea to keep track of how many hours a day the child wears the brace. This is because there may be days when the child wears the appliance in question for only 15 hours instead of the recommended 22 hours.
This isn't fundamentally a problem, but in such cases, the given rail will need to be worn for that much longer before replacement. Children aren't always able to keep track of this, so it's worth parents noting down the duration of wear, as it will be of fundamental importance in achieving the desired outcome.
What parents can still help with initially is the correct cleaning of the orthodontic splint and checking that the child has paid careful attention to proper oral hygiene.
Furthermore, parents are advised in all cases to manage the order in which the splints are applied. This is because the order is important for orthodontic treatment to be sufficiently gentle and effective.
The foundation of everything is precise planning.
This applies to all dental treatments, but at invisible orthodontics, it is especially emphasised that the foundation for success starts with careful planning.
At NaturaDent, for instance, alongside a thorough examination of the child's dentition, we record the specific characteristics of their teeth using a modern 3D scanner. However, for precise planning, photographs and imaging methods, such as 3D CBCT scans, which are easily and conveniently taken on-site, will be indispensable.
This is important not only for the most accurate orthodontic aligners to be made, but also because any potential problems can still be identified at this stage.
If no discrepancies are found during the examination, a complete treatment plan can be prepared, which we always support with a 3D animation so that the patient can see the expected outcome.
This thoroughness is essential for achieving fast and impressive results with invisible braces for both adults and children.
