So your child needs orthodontic treatment, but you’re not too familiar with the benefits of clear aligners for kids yet? Invisalign® entered the market in 2000 and Spark™ entered the U.S. market in 2019, which means they probably weren’t treatment options for you if you were in orthodontic treatment as a child.
If you’re interested in hearing how effective and advanced these clear aligners are, you’re in the right place! Our orthodontists have over 30 years of combined experience transforming smiles with clear aligners, like industry-leading Invisalign® aligners and Spark™ clear aligners.
Parents, here’s what you need to know about Invisalign/Spark treatment for kids:
Are braces “better” than Invisalign/Spark?
Spark/Invisalign vs. braces for kids: Which is better?
Braces and Invisalign are very different. While no treatment is inherently ‘better’ than another, it comes down to your family’s preferences and lifestyle. Here are a few differences:
- Clear aligners, like Invisalign or Spark, require fewer in-office orthodontist appointments.
- Clear aligners are removable, which means maintaining great oral hygiene won’t require any additional steps or specialized tools,
- Clear aligners are just as effective as braces in most cases.
Let’s elaborate on some benefits you might not know about clear aligners for kids:
1. We can treat the same conditions with clear aligners as we can with braces.
There’s a common misconception that clear aligners are not as effective as braces. We’re here to debunk that myth!
With Invisalign or Spark aligners, our orthodontists can treat the same conditions of most complexities as we can with braces.
What is the youngest age for Invisalign or Spark? Common orthodontic issues, like bite misalignments and jaw irregularities, crooked teeth, crowded teeth and gapped teeth, can be identifiable at age 6/7 by a highly-trained orthodontist.
While some of these conditions may be present due to the natural structure of the teeth and jaws, many conditions are caused by childhood habits, like prolonged thumbsucking, pacifier use, and tongue-thrusting. Dr. Nease, Dr. Thomas, or Dr. Patrick can treat these complex conditions with clear aligners and prevent challenges (like speech issues, mouth-breathing and jaw pain) associated with bite misalignments.
If your child needs treatment, Spark aligners or Invisalign for 7 year olds is highly effective. Braces aren’t the only option any more!
2. Clear aligners are ideal for children who play sports!
If your child plays contact sports, like football, soccer, cheerleading, basketball or another extracurricular, they will likely feel more comfortable wearing clear aligners.
With no brackets or wires, clear aligners eliminate the risk of abrasions to the mouth when a football, soccer ball or elbow comes hurtling toward your child’s face. It’s still important that your child wears a mouthguard during sports, with or without orthodontic treatment!
3. Clear aligners require fewer orthodontist appointments.
Between your child’s schedule, family’s schedules and your own schedule, it’s a lot to juggle. Clear aligners don’t require as many in-office adjustments as braces, which means you won’t have to drive to our office as often as you would for traditional orthodontic treatment.
This means you and your little one will only have to visit us when absolutely necessary. Every appointment is purposeful. As much as we’d love to see you every month, we know you’re busy! Clear aligners may work better with your schedule and lifestyle.
4. Clear aligners are conveniently removable.
Because clear aligners can be removed to eat, brush your teeth and clean your clear aligners, it can make your child’s oral hygiene routine a lot easier. They won’t have to integrate any specialized cleaning tools into their routine to work around brackets or wires, which can make it easier to help your child develop a consistent oral hygiene routine and commit to habits that benefit them for the rest of their life.
They won’t have to change their diet either! With braces, it’s important to avoid certain sticky, crunchy or hard foods that can damage brackets or wires. With Invisalign, all foods are still on the table.
5. Clear aligners can be customized for a one-of-a-kind smile!
Our young patients love the option to customize their Invisalign or Spark clear aligners with decorative Invisalign Stickables™! Stickables are small, colorful, themed graphic stickers that can be placed on aligners to add a one-of-a-kind pizzazz to your child’s smile.
Stickables make for a great birthday gift, holiday gift or stocking stuffer, and are a great incentive for your little one to wear their aligners! They come in packs of 100 stickers with a variety of themes, like animals, emojis, food, travel, sports, shapes, holidays and more.
6. Clear aligners are more affordable than you may think.
Another misconception about clear aligners like Invisalign or Spark is that they come at a premium cost. But with Nth Degree Orthodontics, Spark or Invisalign treatment for kids can be affordable with our flexible financing!
Help your child smile confidently for a lifetime.
Ultimately, the right treatment option for your child depends on your family’s preferences and lifestyle. We want you to know all of your options and understand the true benefits of Spark or Invisalign treatment for kids.
No matter the orthodontic treatment your family decides on – braces or clear aligners – you’re helping your child achieve a beautiful smile that will boost their self-confidence and improve their health for a lifetime.
On your first visit, one of our friendly and experienced neighborhood orthodontists and our team can help you make the best decision for your little one’s smile.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions in the meantime! We would love to hear from you.
Looking for a trusted family orthodontist in Duncan, West Spartanburg, East Spartanburg, Gaffney or Union, South Carolina? Come meet our team for a complimentary consultation!
