When people start thinking about orthodontic work, many of them naturally gravitate towards the idea of Invisalign or invisible braces. This is because these two types of orthodontic treatment offer the highest level of aesthetic beauty. For individuals who do not want to have the youthful or potentially unsightly look of traditional metal braces, getting Invisalign or invisible braces can be a huge psychological win and self-esteem boost.
Adults often do not want to have the youthful look that can come about as a result of wearing traditional braces like metal braces and with other options available, it is little wonder that most adults choose to go with something with a higher level of aesthetic quality. But what are invisalign braces and Invisalign? How are they different from each other? Are there benefits and drawbacks to each system? And what do the experts have to say about them?
Invisible orthodontic braces
Let’s start with the last question first – what do the experts have to say about invisible orthodontic work?
Invisible braces and Invisalign may not be as effective in treating very complex cases of malocclusion as traditional metal braces (Ke, Y et al.,2019).
However, aligner technology has improved tremendously over the past few years and claims to be superior in comfort (Ke, Y et al.,2019). It can also now handle both mild and moderate malocclusions just as effectively as traditional braces can.
Patients tend to prefer invisible braces and Invisalign over conventional brackets (Ke, Y et al.,2019). Because of their nearly invisible nature and comfort, they are a great type of treatment for adults and older teens.
Invisalign braces
As you can see, although it may not be the best type for incredibly difficult orthodontic procedures (another perfect reason why you should visit your orthodontic office sooner rather than late), they are increasingly popular with patients and it is little wonder why.
But what are Invisalign braces? What are some of the benefits of using this particular system? Invisalign braces, sometime referred to as invisible line braces, are a very popular type of corrective orthodontic work. The Invisalign system has several key components which help with its greater popularity.
One of the biggest, of course, is the fact that it is nearly truly invisible. The Invisalign system uses a custom-made fitted plastic tray that goes over your teeth. Think of a very thin plastic mouth guard but with the ability to speak freely. It is custom-designed for you to help with your particular orthodontic needs. It will help to push and pull teeth into the correct positions over time. allowing you to have your corrective orthodontic work done without anyone ever noticing.
Transparent brace
Invisalign also comes with another benefit that many adults love and that is the ability to take them out at will. It is important to make sure that you wear your Invisalign retainers for the required 22 hours per day. One of the benefits of the Invisalign system is because they just clip on your teeth they can also be easily clipped off by yourself. It’s important to make sure that you do this when you’re eating, brushing, flossing, and doing things of that nature that you do not want to use your Invisalign for.
This ability to put it on and take it off, it’s near invisalign braces, and the increasing comfort that the Invisalign technology offers have all conspired to help make this a very popular choice. When you then add on the additional fact that the Invisalign system only costs marginally more than traditional metal braces, you may wonder why would anybody pick braces if Invisalign is so great?
Are Invisible Braces More Comfortable Than Invisalign Image by Mark Mook from Pixabay
Invisible line braces
This leads it to its two drawbacks. The first drawback is actually one of its pros and that is again its removability. For individuals who are not as responsible or careful, they may end up losing their invisalign braces. This can be a crucial misfortune as it is important to make sure for your continued orthodontic health that you wear it for a requisite 22 hours per day, otherwise, your treatment will not only not be effective, you may actually begin to revert back and have your teeth shift back to their old positions.
The other thing is if you lose or damage your Invisalign trays, you may need to purchase a new one which can be an extra couple hundred dollars. One other drawback is also associated with its removability and that is because it is easy to remove it can often, and usually does, produce slower treatment times than more traditional braces do. This is because, with the ability to remove it or not get it replaced as often as necessary, treatment times can be slower by several months meaning that you will have more orthodontic treatment for a longer period of time when using the Invisalign system.
But what about another option if you don’t want to go with the transparent brace?
Invisible brace before and after
If you do not want to get the Invisalign system, the other option would be to go with invisible orthodontic braces. If you want to know what your invisible brace before and after will look like, the truth is it will look like nothing, for both systems.
Because Invisalign is almost nearly invisible, for somebody with a keen eye they can only see a minute plastic shine on your teeth. This is different when it comes to actually invisible braces, the most popular of which is the lingual braces. Lingual braces are bracket and wire braces and so they are physically attached to the teeth. However, unlike traditional metal braces which attach to the front, lingual braces attach to the back of your teeth.
By attaching to the back of the teeth, it means that your orthodontic corrective work is actually invisible and unless you are the sort of person who throws your head back for a hearty laugh, no one will be able to tell you are wearing orthodontic braces. The benefits are that it is truly invisible. And compared to Invisalign, it also has a speed benefit because it is physically attached all the time, so these orthodontic braces can actually correct your orthodontic problems far faster than the Invisalign system can.
Invisible teeth braces
However, while you get a minor improvement in aesthetics and a major improvement in the speed of treatment, the drawback is the price. At nearly double the cost of Invisalign, the price for lingual braces can be too high for some individuals. However, with orthodontic insurance, many high-quality offices offer payment plans so you can actually split up the cost of the lingual braces into many smaller payments.
With multiple avenues to be able to pay for the procedure, although it is expensive, it need not hit your finances hard all at once. With the two major options – Invisalign and lingual braces – ready and available for your orthodontic needs, it is little wonder that more adults than ever before are choosing to get corrective orthodontic work done and get themselves the beautiful smile that they deserve.
Summary:
There are many options that patients can access when it comes to orthodontic treatments for straightening teeth and correcting bad bites. Prior to technological advancements, most patients had to use traditional metal braces to straighten their teeth. Although they are quite effective, traditional metal braces can be uncomfortable and can cause irritations to the linings of the cheeks as well as the gums. They are also highly visible which is one of their drawbacks.
Fortunately, with technological advancements, other kinds of braces have been produced to combat these flaws. These braces include Invisalign and lingual braces which are truly invisible or hidden because they are placed behind the teeth.
However, there are still concerns because although the invisible braces are invisible, they may not be comfortable, and although Invisalign is somewhat comfortable, it may not be completely invisible. If you are in the process of choosing an orthodontic treatment for your teeth, you may be interested in finding out which is the best for you and your comfort levels.
Knowing the differences between Invisalign braces and invisible braces will give you a head start.
However, you should speak to your orthodontist near me regarding the types of braces available for you and the advantages and disadvantages of each before you decide which is best for you.
Reference:
Ke, Y., Zhu, Y., & Zhu, M. (2019). A comparison of treatment effectiveness between clear aligner and fixed appliance therapies. BMC oral health, 19(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-018-0695-z
