Advantages and Disadvantages of Invisalign

Advantages and Disadvantages of Invisalign

Invisible orthodontics with Invisalign

What are the benefits of Invisalign?

Benefits of Invisalign

  • Aesthetics: You get clear aligners that are nearly invisible compared to conventional braces. A trained eye can tell from a conversational distance if someone is wearing these aligners or not. It all depends on the person you’re talking to. I had a patient who underwent treatment with Invisalign and it took her husband a full month to notice she had something on.

  • Speed: Often, some Invisalign cases can be quicker than conventional braces by nature of the design since they can move many teeth at once.

  • Comfort : There are no metal wires and sharp corners as with normal braces.

  • Result: Invisalign can move teeth in ways braces cannot.

  • Reduced risk: With Invisalign, there’s less risk of shrinking of teeth roots due to the excessive force that can be applied with conventional braces. While with Invisalign the forces are distributed more evenly throughout your treatment. This puts less stress on your teeth and ligaments coupled with it usually being shorter treatments.

  • Time savings: There are fewer dental visits than conventional braces.

  • Better breath: It is almost impossible to completely clean around conventional braces which leaves you with “braces breath.” With Invisalign, you can remove your aligners completely to floss and brush normally. There’s also less risk of gingivitis and hyperplasia (gums growing up over the brackets) because you are able to clean your teeth better.

  • Help TMD: Invisalign can help relieve myofascial and TMD symptoms. If worn minimum 20 hours per day, the aligners act like a splint to potentially relieve pain. But it can also, usually temporarily, worsen symptoms as your bite changes.

  • Aligners with multiple purposes: Your Invisalign aligners can double as whitening trays or a mouth guard during treatment.

What are the disadvantages and risks of Invisalign?

Disadvantages of Invisalign
The disadvantages of Invisalign are few compared to conventional braces:

  • Speech issues: Because your teeth are covered with a thin layer of plastic, you’ll likely find yourself lisping when you speak for the first 2-4 days. This is normal. The good news is that if you are concerned about this—say, for an important meeting, you can just take out your liners and wear them for longer to compensate.

  • Discomfort: Despite being far more comfortable than conventional braces, the aligners can still at times irritate your gums, tongue, and lips. The first aligner is usually the most uncomfortable which can be noticed when for example chewing hard things like carrots and apples. Then every aligner change after that usually only produces anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours of discomfort.

  • Allergic reactions: This is extremely rare. Invisalign offers a full refund should this occur. I have never seen this with any of my patients.

  • Cost: Invisalign should cost about the same as conventional braces. Some cases we have noticed it actually being cheaper.

  • Needing to remove aligners prior to eating: Allow for time to remove and store aligners before meals or snacks. In the beginning of the case, if your teeth are crowded, the aligners can be difficult to remove. But this is seldom an issue if you use the proper technique that we always show you on delivery day.

  • Potential weight loss: Of course, this can also be an upside! Many of my patients lose weight while they do Invisalign, since taking out your aligners forces you to stop and think before snacking.

    Read more here about what happens after your treatment!

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