Young man wearing clear braces.

Invisalign vs. Other Forms of Braces – Part 2

by Invisalign

There are so many differences to consider when a patient is looking to get orthodontics. The following are some of the differences there are between the Invisalign and other forms of braces, continued from part 1 (Invisalign vs. Other Forms of Braces – Part 1).

Appearance

Invisalign

As one can tell from the name of the aligners, Invisalign is made so that they are not noticeable by people. They are made from patented clear plastic material so that they can be or are close to being “invisible.” The Invisalign is an option to anyone who does not wish others to see that they are having the treatment done or are concerned about their appearance due to different factors such as their occupation.

Traditional Braces

Traditional braces are the braces that have the metal bracket (the metal square part of traditional wire braces) attached to the tooth at holds the wire in place using elastics. The wire forces the teeth to move and align. If the metal bracket is not something the patient wants, they may consider ceramic braces, where the bracket is made of a ceramic material which gives it a white look, allowing it to blend in better with the patient’s teeth.

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces are like traditional wire braces, but the wire is placed behind the teeth so that they are not noticeable to people. However, they are not an option to everyone as there is a limit to what lingual braces can fix. Because the wires are placed on the inside, arguably, the amount of force that can be put on the teeth is less than that of traditional braces so the speed for treatment times may differ.

Eating

Invisalign

Eating is easy with the Invisalign. One thing to remember when eating with the Invisalign is that the patient needs to take the aligners out before eating. Invisalign patients can eat whatever foods and drinks they want – there are no limitations. After eating, the patient should brush their teeth before putting the aligners back on. When the patient has Invisalign aligners on, they can only drink water.

Traditional Braces (including lingual)

With traditional braces, there is a bit of a limit to the foods that the patient can eat. Patients are asked not chew gum or eat toffees as they can get stuck to the wires and cause difficulty when trying to get them off. Patients are asked to avoid biting into hard and chewy foods when possible as they can cause the brackets to come off. This would result in requiring an extra trip to the orthodontist to have them put the brackets back on, delaying treatment time.

Complications

Invisalign

There are less complications known that come with using the customized Invisalign aligners. There may be soreness and / or discomfort as the teeth move.

Traditional Braces (including lingual)

With traditional braces with the wire, there are more known complications such as root absorption and gum inflammation. This is not to say that everyone gets these complications – everyone reacts differently to any medical procedure and this applies to dental procedures as well.

Consultations / Check-ups

Invisalign

The check-up appointments are more flexible with the Invisalign as the patient is given their trays so that they change the aligners on their own according to the schedule given by the Invisalign specialist. For example, a patient may be asked to change the aligner every week.

Traditional Braces (including lingual)

With traditional braces, there are more limits – the patient has to visit the orthodontist every month so that the orthodontist can tighten their wire. Some patients mistakenly believe that just having the braces without the monthly checkups to tighten the braces will straighten their teeth and skip checkups. Without the tightening every month, the teeth will not move. Skipping the checkup causes delays which adds more time to the overall treatment time and is a waste of the patient’s time.

Discipline

Invisalign

As the patient is in control of taking out and putting in the aligners, it may be tempting to take them out occasionally. However, patients need to remember that to ensure that the Invisalign treatment works, they need to keep the aligners in at all times except when they are brushing their teeth or eating. All other times, the aligners have to be worn.

Traditional Braces (including lingual)

As the wire is on their teeth, patients do not have anything to worry about other than maintaining good hygiene.

Moving

Invisalign

Due to unforeseen reasons, a patient may have to move to a different city or country. With the Invisalign, it is easy to move to different clinics located in other cities or even countries. This is due to the universal system that the Invisalign uses. Thus, transferring between different clinics is easy – to start, the patient must make sure that the new clinic they will move to supports and uses the Invisalign system.

Traditional Braces (including lingual)

As there is not a universal system for traditional wire braces, it is more difficult to transfer to a new clinic. Each doctor places the braces on the teeth differently and a treatment plan is made based on each doctor’s experience; when a patient with traditional braces tries to move to a different clinic, it will be more difficult as the new doctor may think differently from the original treatment plan or they may not be able to follow it. In this case, there is a chance that the patient may need to redo the braces according to the new doctor’s treatment plan.

It is important for the patient to consider the number of differences between the different types of orthodontics before choosing what they feel is right for them.

Close-up of woman wearing orthodontic silicone trainer. Invisible braces aligner.

Invisalign vs. Other Forms of Braces – Part 1

by Uncategorized

When considering orthodontics or braces, there are a lot of factors for patients to consider – the length of time for the treatment, which type to get, and how the type they choose will affect the patient’s everyday life.

How long is the length of treatment with the Invisalign?

There is no set answer to this question. The length of treatment is different according to each patient’s specific case. The average range of treatment time can be anywhere from a year to a year and a half.

Many times, a prospective patient may inquire how long the Invisalign treatment may take to straighten and align their teeth; it is important to know that it is not possible for the Invisalign specialist to give an accurate answer unless the proper testing has been done as this allows the Invisalign specialist to have a clear and accurate idea of the patient’s case. Otherwise, any answer is a guess and inaccurate.

In the instance that the patient is interested in proceeding with the Invisalign treatment, the patient may opt to get the iTero scan and ClinCheck. The iTero scan will allow the Invisalign specialist to take a 3D scan of the patient’s teeth so that the specialist can check the dimensions of the patient’s teeth from all angles as necessary. As for the ClinCheck, it provides a visual simulation of how the teeth will move as the specialist will plan out the steps in which the patient’s teeth will move using the specialized software. This will allow the Invisalign specialist to determine with great accuracy when the patient’s treatment can be completed.

Invisalign vs. Other Forms of Braces – Part 1

(from Invisalign website)

How long is the length of treatment with other forms of braces?

The other form of braces may be grouped into one category as many of them are the variants of the traditional form of braces – the ones with the wires and brackets (metal / ceramic white squares that are glued to the teeth that hold the wires).

With the traditional type of braces, there are not any testing or software that has been developed so far to help orthodontists in estimating how long it will take for the braces treatment to be completed. The only tool that is available is the experience of the orthodontist themselves so the estimation that one patient gets between different orthodontist may differ.

On average, it is said that depending on the patient’s case, braces treatments last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years and a half. The time it takes to complete treatment for patients with traditional braces again comes down to how severe the misalignment is, patient’s bite, etc.

Invisalign vs. Other Forms of Braces – Part 1

(from Invisalign website)

Changes to Patient Lifestyle

Comfort Level

Invisalign

As the aligners are made to fit the patient’s teeth and gums precisely, they may feel more comfortable when worn. There may be some discomfort / a feeling of pressure that is put on the teeth so that they move.

Traditional Braces

As with all forms of braces, with traditional braces, patients may feel discomfort when their teeth move as the pressure from the wire help guide the teeth in place. As the teeth move, the end of the wire on the teeth may poke and cut the inside of the patient’s cheek. The wire is cut, of course, with the movement but until the patient is able to see their orthodontist at their next appointment, this may be a discomfort. Patients need to use wax that is given by the orthodontist and place it at the end of the wire inside the mouth to prevent the wire from poking and cutting them.

 

Oral Hygiene Routine

Invisalign

An advantage with the Invisalign treatment is that patients are able to maintain regular oral hygiene – this means that patients can brush their teeth normally. Patients are to remove their Invisalign aligners and brush their teeth and then put the aligners back in, allowing them to maintain their regular oral hygiene routine.

Traditional Braces

Oral hygiene with traditional braces can be tricky at first. Some differences that the patient would experience would include the movement of their toothbrush when brushing and when they floss. The way that the patient is instructed to brush their teeth is a little different as the movement may feel a little awkward at first. Flossing becomes a little more difficult as the floss needs to be looped through between the wire and teeth.

These of course are not all the differences between the Invisalign and normal braces but are some factors that can be considered when trying to decide between the two types – Invisalign and traditional wire braces.