Do you think you’re too old for Traditional Braces? Sure, there’s some misaligned teeth and gaps in your smile you’d like to fix. But does the idea of committing to two years of metal in your mouth make you uneasy?

Maybe you’re fearful about the idea of walking into work and looking like a teenager. In our experience, many adults decline to get Braces because they’re worried about looking immature or inexperienced.

Well, now there’s a way to help fix your smile without anyone noticing you’re in Braces. At Antoine Dental Center, in Houston, TX, we offer the Invisalign system of short-term adult orthodontics. In today’s blog post, we’re going to discuss Invisalign so you can decide for yourself it’s something you’d like to pursue.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a relatively new, state-of-the-art, teeth correcting system. This treatment performs many of the same functions as Traditional Braces, without the need for uncomfortable metal braces.

Invisalign uses a system of custom designed clear aligners, which you wear in your mouth like a retainer. Each aligner is worn for about two weeks, and each subsequent aligner works to realign your teeth gently and quickly.

We start by using 3D imaging technology to create a treatment plan, along with a clear picture of what your teeth will look like when you finish treatment. With Invisalign, you don’t have to guess how your smile will look, you’ll know before you even begin.

What Advantages Does Invisalign Have Over Traditional Braces?

Invisalign allows you to keep your braces a secret. The aligners are transparent and most patients tell us that no one even notices that they’re wearing them. Even better, there’s no harm in removing your aligner before an important meeting or date.

This tends to come as a relief to working adults as they can stroll into an important presentation at work without anyone knowing they’re in Braces. It can also make the prospect of a first date with the cute barista from the coffee shop a lot less intimidating.

For teenagers especially, this can be a huge advantage. Many teenagers complain to us to that they are bullied or teased for wearing Braces. Invisalign allows them to navigate the halls of their high school with confidence; and self-confidence can make all the difference in high school academics and athletics.

Invisalign Advantages With Foods

In addition, Invisalign allows you to eat without fear of damaging your Braces. With Traditional Braces, a lot of everyday foods you enjoy are off the menu.

Candy can become stuck in between the brackets and wires, leaving you at risk for tooth decay. This may be an easy enough restriction for an adult to follow, but a hormonal teenager? We noticed at the office that they’re prone to ignoring this restriction completely.

Well-cooked meats such as steak and pork chops can also be problematic with Traditional Braces. Chewing the meat can cause the wires to loosen over time; this destroys the effectiveness of the Braces and can cause your gums to become irritated and swollen.

Even hard crusty breads such as pizza crusts or bagels can be difficult to eat for the wearer of Traditional Braces. The crust has a tendency to completely knock brackets off of teeth. This is not only painful, it can be time consuming as it will require another trip to the dentist office.

With Invisalign, you simply take out the aligner to eat. This means that all the food in the world can be on your menu. This is a far easier process that maintaining a strict diet, and also keeps you from being the annoying person at dinner that can’t eat what everyone else is having.

The biggest advantage

Finally, and probably the biggest advantage Invisalign has over Traditional Braces, is that it’s easier to maintain good dental hygiene. Wearers of Traditional Braces have to spend longer brushing their teeth, as they have to remove the bands from the braces before brushing, and take great care to reach the exposed areas of their teeth. Needless to say, this can be a difficult process.

Worse yet, wearers of Traditional Braces sometimes end up with yellow spots where the brackets were placed. These spots can be removed with Professional Teeth Whitening, but can be extremely frustrating when all you want to do is show-off your new smile.

With Invisalign, you simply take out the aligner before brushing. You can brush and floss like normal, and thus have new fear of yellow spots or stains on your teeth.

Make An Appointment

Want to learn more about Invisalign? Then click here to contact the Antoine Dental Center in Houston, TX.