Invisalign treatment for children (Phase One Orthodontics) who have primary (baby) teeth has become more prevalent, since most children greatly benefit from Phase One Orthodontics. Early creation of space allows for the normal eruption of teeth that may be blocked. Additionally, jaw orthopedics during growth can create a better face profile and a better bite. If the child’s dental problems might be addressed easily later, you might wait, but these opportunities during a child’s early growth and development expire with time.
Previously, Phase One Orthodontics was performed with a mix of braces and removable appliances. Typically, expansion was performed first with an expander which was either cemented in or used as a removable device. To influence jaw growth in the front-to-back dimension, a variety of other devices have been used including headgear and larger plastic appliances (jaw orthopedics) that fit inside the upper and lower arch to stimulate or inhibit jaw growth.
Benefits of Invisalign with Evenly
Invisalign with Evenly is remarkable in that it has the capability of doing everything at the same time. Aligners are excellent at expansion and general arch development, while at the same time utilizing the resultant space to resolve crowding. Moreover, rubber bands work much faster with aligners than braces because the rubber bands are connecting to an entire arch instead of a single tooth.
Aligners preserve or increase space for new teeth and can also guide the normal eruption of teeth. Braces can’t do that. When new teeth come in, Evenly can have the aligners remade at no extra charge.
Since treatment is first performed on Evenly’s computer model, it is hyper-efficient, with no wasted movement, and every small amount of movement is highly targeted to achieve 100% of its predetermined goal. With braces, nothing is measured. Braces require a series of estimated movements, adjustments and re-evaluations.
Effectiveness & Compliance: Invisalign vs. Braces
Sometimes, parents have concerns about Invisalign for 7- to 12-year-olds. Some parents find it hard to believe that plastic aligners can work as well as the metal hardware on braces. Although metal braces look more powerful, teeth move faster with the gentle force of aligners. In fact, aligners far out-perform braces due to lighter, more biological forces. More controlled force fully enveloping each tooth and computer modeling combine to provide faster and more accurate treatment as compared to the series of estimated movements and adjustments with braces.
Another concern of parents is aligner loss, since Invisalign is a removable appliance. Actually, aligner loss is rarely an issue. Since the patient has a box of sequentially numbered aligners and the intervals between each aligner is very small, if an aligner is lost, the patient can usually just move on to the next aligner.
Finally, some parents don’t think a 7-year-old child will be as compliant with wearing aligners as adults; however, kids actually do better. Additionally, the bone biology at these early ages is so robust that in many cases consistent nighttime wear is sufficient. In fact, braces require much more compliance, including brushing around each bracket and being cautious about biting into anything hard which may dislodge a bracket. Also, there are many extra office visits and even emergency visits with braces, due to loose brackets and painful poking wires. Inadequate brushing with braces leads to decalcification of the enamel, leaving permanent scars on teeth.
Braces Cause Unnecessary Office Visits
Evenly can manage variable wear, which is the norm, with the Evenly Track management mobile app. This high-tech app enables Evenly to check patents every week to see if they are ready to go to the next aligner, greatly reducing the need for in-office visits. As a result, Evenly can keep younger patients on track with the fastest, most predictable outcomes. Kids also love to track their progress on their mobile phones – it is a fun and easy way to keep them engaged in their treatment. Traditional in-office orthodontist visits every few months are too infrequent, and patients often fall off track and lengthen their treatment times by months and even years. The Evenly Track mobile app solves this problem.
The Evenly team of experts has used Invisalign for kids and teens for more than 10 years because it outperforms braces in most cases. Orthodontics in kids ages 7-12 years old results in better, more accurate treatment, facilitates the normal eruption of teeth, and reduces the need for extraction of permanent teeth later in life.