Although the future of your child’s smile begins at birth, it’s often easy to disregard the importance of baby teeth as they are replaced naturally as your child grows.
But the position and development of these teeth are important and will influence how your child’s jawline and permanent teeth grow up to adulthood. Early treatment is the best way to ensure your child’s smile is healthy.
Before children start orthodontic treatment, it’s important parents understand available options. With everything from traditional braces to clear aligner treatment available, you’ll need to know the difference.
In this article, we’ll look at a new way of treating the teeth of growing children; the Invisalign First system. We’re excited to offer this innovative children’s version of the popular Invisalign clear aligners.
This guide is a resource for parents, providing an informative introduction to the benefits and how you can ensure your child gets the most from early treatment.
The Benefits of Early Orthodontic Treatment
Problems with the position of your teeth, such as gaps, overcrowding, misalignments, and bite issues, don’t just appear when you’re a teenager. Our dentition begins developing before birth and continues while we still have our primary (baby) teeth.
Additionally, many children develop habits such as thumbsucking, which can cause narrow dental arches and affect tooth position.
Growing teeth benefit from orthodontic treatments that:
- Improve the size of the dental arch
- Guide adult teeth
- Reduce the risk of tooth decay
- Improve ability to bite and chew
- Boost self-esteem
What Is Phase 1 Orthodontic Treatment?
Sometimes referred to as interceptive treatment, phase 1 treatment is used to correct the position of a child’s teeth between the ages of six and ten.
Traditionally, this treatment would involve a removable upper brace (URA) with expansion. This appliance uses a combination of metal wires and plastic to extend the dental arch and give your child’s upper jaw enough space to comfortably accommodate their complete set of incoming adult teeth.
The URA needs to be adjusted twice weekly at home using a key to expand the arch. However, problems can arise when you don’t turn the key correctly or forget to adjust.
Although phase one orthodontic treatment with a URA is effective, the appliance can feel bulky, particularly in the small mouth of a young child. Young patients often complain of discomfort as the URA rubs against the cheeks. In addition, URAs cause some children to speak with a lisp during treatment. In some cases, inserting and removing the brace can cause it to loosen too, which reduces its effectiveness.
Following treatment with a URA, your child may also need additional treatment with traditional fixed braces bonded across the upper four incisors and the first permanent molars. Fixed braces work similarly to URAs, applying gentle pressure across the teeth to make gradual tooth movements.
Some children don’t require a URA and may start phase one treatment with a fixed brace. However, just like with URAs, children often face issues with this type of appliance:
- The sharp edges of the brace’s brackets and wires can rub against the inside of the mouth, causing discomfort.
- The pressure across the brace’s wire can cause pain as the teeth move.
- Keeping a fixed brace clean can prove challenging as food debris can become trapped, impacting your child’s diet and increasing the risk of tooth decay.
Fortunately, there is another way to address orthodontic issues in young children; Invisalign First.
What Is Invisalign First?
Like other Invisalign aligners, Invisalign First aligners are removable, comfortable, and transparent. Invisalign First is specifically designed for children aged under ten years of age. The typical age for this treatment option is between 7-10 years.
Clear aligners don’t hide a child’s smile during treatment like fixed braces might; however, they still achieve the same results as URAs or fixed braces.
Invisalign First uses SmartTrack, a patented transparent aligner material that’s smooth and comfortable in your child’s mouth. The custom-made Invisalign aligners are designed to gently apply pressure to a child’s teeth, gradually achieving the desired arch development and tooth movement.
The Invisalign First Treatment Process
To begin your child’s Invisalign First treatment, we’ll take digital scans of their teeth and jaws. These scans help us check whether Invisalign First is the right option for your child.
Next, we’ll use these scans to create a complete treatment plan mapping out every stage of your child’s smile new smile journey. As long as the treatment plan is followed correctly, Invisalign’s advanced digital planning software will predict the outcome with superb accuracy, allowing you and your child to preview the results before starting.
We’ll send the digital scans to the lab, who will make your child’s initial set of Invisalign First clear aligners. This process usually takes a few weeks.
After the aligners are ready, your child’s Invisalign First treatment can start. To achieve the best results, your child must wear their aligner as much as possible — ideally between 20-22 hours each day. Because the aligners are so comfortable, your child can sleep wearing them.
The aligners should be thoroughly cleaned whenever your child brushes their teeth. However, Invisalign First aligners are easy to remove, so this part is easy!
During Invisalign First treatment, your child will replace their aligner every week. Each new aligner is slightly different to the last and progresses the tooth movement to the next step.
Treatment times vary between 6-12 months, depending on the case. In more severe cases, attachments are fitted to improve retention. After treatment with Invisalign First aligners, your child must wear a retainer to preserve the results into adulthood.
What Can Invisalign Aligners Treat?
Invisalign First custom aligners can help:
- Anterior or posterior crossbite – when the child’s top and bottom arch do not align properly
- Expansion – to reduce crowding and create room for incoming adult teeth
- Mild incisor crowding
- Tipping upper incisors back slightly in cases of pronounced overjet
- Breaking habits such as thumbsucking
- Open bite – when teeth slant outwards and don’t meet when closed
The Benefits of Invisalign Treatment
Invisalign treatments help combat many early dental problems and prepare the jaw for incoming teeth. Here are some of the many benefits of Invisalign First:
- Compared to URAs and fixed appliances, Invisalign First is comfortable. There’s less irritation, with no sharp parts to scratch against the cheeks and other soft tissues. After a short adjustment period, the smooth, lightweight material is barely noticeable.
- Invisalign First is removable, making it easy for your child to eat and maintain their hygiene routine.
- Replacement aligners are easily replaced. If a child loses or breaks their aligner, we can obtain a replacement quicker than a new URA. Additionally, your loved one can continue wearing their old aligner in case of loss so they won’t lose valuable progress time.
- There are no uncomfortable adjustments. Instead, your child will simply receive a new aligner each week.
- It’s easy to keep an Invisalign First aligner clean, reducing the risk of tooth decay.
- The transparent aligners are subtle and barely noticeable to others. In particular, there are no brackets and writes to hide the smile you love to see so much!
How Do You Care for an Invisalign First Aligner?
We all know that children can struggle to take care of their possessions, and you may worry that their Invisalign First aligner may break or get lost. The great news is that the aligner material is durable enough to withstand most things a youngster can throw at it.
Whenever you’re given a new aligner, hold onto the previous one.
If an aligner does get damaged or lost, call us immediately, and we’ll get a replacement. While waiting for the replacement, have your child wear their previous aligner to ensure you don’t reverse the progress they’ve made so far.
Because the aligner is in your child’s mouth all day and night, it will pick up food debris and bacteria—the major cause of decay and cavities. But don’t worry—Invisalign First aligners are really easy to clean.
Just use liquid soap and a separate soft-bristled toothbrush to the one your child brushes their teeth with to clean the aligner thoroughly under running water twice daily.
At mealtimes, ensure the aligner is put in a case. Leaving it on a table, wrapping it in tissue, or putting it in a pocket will mean it picks up bacteria and is a surefire way to lose the aligner!
Getting Kids On Board With Their Invisalign First Treatment
Getting kids excited about a trip to the orthodontist can be challenging—let alone encouraging them to wear aligners, braces, or other appliances. One of the great things about Invisalign First is children can customise their aligners.
Invisalign Stickables are accessories that stick to your child’s aligners, allowing youngsters to customise their smile and positively engage with their treatment.
What Parents Need to Know About Invisalign First
Children and young people make up around half of Dr Kyi’s patients, and she has a profound clinical understanding of early development. She is experienced in facial-led orthodontics that ensures continued health and aesthetics throughout the development of children’s jaw and facial structure into adulthood.
At the time of writing this article, we’re currently starting to treat patients using Invisalign First at Park Lane Orthodontics—and already seeing outstanding results.
In the unlikely event that Invisalign First isn’t suitable, the expertise of our specialist orthodontists and early-years experts means plenty of alternative options are available.
Some may opt for a combination of appliances and techniques, with Invisalign as part of the overall treatment plan. We can discuss your child’s individual needs at their initial consultation.
Invisalign First at Park Lane Orthodontics
Invisalign First is a revolutionary treatment that ensures a smile grows without developing malocclusions. Left untreated, many of the minor issues young jaws face could lead to more problems later in life.
With Invisalign, we give children the best start at oral health. Get in touch today to schedule a consultation with a specialist orthodontist to learn more.