hi my daughter is getting invisalign braces and she is only 12 are they good for kids her age or should she get regular barces please write back so im not waisting my money on these

If I were you, I'd consider getting another opinion. Most practitioners will not offer Invisalign to patients this young. The reasons for this are twofold:

1. Compliance - the aligners need to be worn faithfully 20 - 22 hours per day. Many young people may lack the self-discipline to stick properly to this (heck, no small number of adults lack that sort of self-discipline!) Add to that the fact that kids can often be more apt to lose something like this when they do take it out, such as for meals. Remember too that you can't snack with these things in the mouth - really all you should consume with them in the mouth is plain water (fizzy drinks would be extremely bad, as the acidic drink would tend to remain for a protracted period in contact with the teeth, so weakening the enamel)

2. At her age, it is possible that some of the teeth are not even completely erupted - this is held by many practitioners to be a contra-indiaction for Invisalign. For this reason, it is commonly felt that this mode of treatment is not suited to most kids under about 14 years.

Beyond this, I feel I ought to ask who is providing this treatment? Is it an orthodontist, or is it a general dentist? Some general dentists will do a great job with many cases, and a small few will competently handle even the more complex cases. But generally speaking, a dentist will not have the same depth of diagnostic training and experience as an orthodontist, and as a result will sometimes recommend and render treatment that might not really be suitable, especially for more complicated cases. Of course, since the doc feels your daughter's case is suited to Invisalign, it is possible that hers might be a more simple case, but if this is a general dentist rather than an ortho, it's also possible that the treatment plan is not the best possible one for her. Be sure before you move forward.

Of course, I am not a dental professional.

Good luck.

i am 13. and i am getting invisalign soon.
i am super excited about it!

i think they are a great choice!

No, I do not think this is a good idea. Besides, she is 12 I'm sure she is pretty or cute. She will look cute with braces!

I say traditional braces for her!

Here are my 2cents on the subject:

Invisalign is not really a good idea for non-adults because the aligners are removable, which means your child has the opportunity to take them out and lose them, or just not wear them properly because they may become a nusance after the initial novelty wears off. It's hard enough to get your kid to keep track of a retainer that is only worn at night. Keeping track of aligners that are worn 24/7 for a year or two could get complicated for even the most responsible child.

Invisalign is not recommended for people with complicated cases where extractions are needed or there are severe bite issues. There are many people who have posted on this board over the years who have started out with Invisalign and have ended up in traditional braces anyway. Some people who didn't have bite issues before Invisalign wound up having bite issues afterward.

Dentists and orthodontists make an investment in offering Invisalign to their patients. This doesn't mean that it is the best method for straightening the teeth. A good orthodontist will recognize this and NOT offer it when it is NOT appropriate. Also, understand that a dentist who has "been trained in Invisalign" may not have all the proper training in tooth movement and bite correction that an orthodontist does.

Please don't think that I'm totally anti-Invisalign -- I'm not. It does work for adults who need only MINOR corrections, under the supervision of an experienced ORTHODONTIST (not a dentist who "does braces.")

If I were you, I'd get 2 or 3 additional opinions. If your daughter and her orthodontist are dead set on Invisalign, you should find out what would happen if it wasn't working (if she kept losing the aligners or not wearing it properly). Would the orthodontist switch her to regular braces for no extra charge -- or would it cost you extra?

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I'm the owner/admin of this site. Had ceramic uppers, metal lowers ~3 years in my early 40's. Now in Hawley retainers at night!

I totally agree with what others have said, especially when it comes to compliance. Is your daughter mature enough to handle Invisilgn braces?

I know that as an adult, I still don't do everything perfectly. I don't always brush and floss when I'm supposed to - I'm human. I drink soda and don't brush and if I floss a couple of times a week, it's a great week! Invisilgn come with more responsiblity almost than traditional braces.

I can't say you are making a mistake, but I wouldn't recommend them for a 12yr old.

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Hi everyone i am the 12 year old and i got mine a week ago so far the process is going good i have no trouble with them because i am pretty organized. I don't forget to take them out to brush or eat and i always remember to put them in but i am worried because next week tuesday i start school and i wont be able to brush my teeth in school any suggestions.

1. stop telling lies (either this more recent post or your first is plainly a lie, and that's rude to us)
2. it's not impossible to brush your teeth at school.

Exscuse me i am not telling lies,i am telling the truth and if you do not believe me or my mother then i can't help the fact that you don't believe me

Quoted for truth.

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They're off!
My condensed story: http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtop ... 687#276687

Ah, so the first post was your mum, but you've taken over the account? In that case I most certainly do apologise. But I am sure you can see where it appeared as if there'd been some "sleight of hand" ("aha gotcha - it's not really a parent posting but the kid in question") That said, it's technically a bit naughty, as you're under 13.

Point 2 stands though. There's no reason you can't brush at school. Make up a little portable kit (travel brush and travel paste in a small bag) and take it with you. Make sure your aligner case is also in the bag so you've somewhere safe to stash the trays whilst you eat.