How is Invisalign Better Than Braces
To establish an understanding of how does Invisalign have an edge over the conventional braces therapy, let's get into the basics of how teeth move and why should you choose Invisalign for the correction/straightening of your teeth over the traditional metal/
ceramic braces.
When we talk about moving a tooth from one place to another, it's not just the crown of the teeth that move. The root structure of each tooth that’s embedded inside the soft bone that provides it necessary nutrition and housing play a vital role in this.
Whenever any force is applied on a
single tooth or a set of teeth, the bone that houses the root of the teeth remodels and changes its structure. Based on the number of forces applied and the direction of the force, the tooth reacts and starts to move accordingly.
On a molecular level, some chemical mediators and cells bring about the necessary changes to the bone surrounding the teeth and hence the teeth moves.
For over 100 years, traditional orthodontics relied upon metal braces and wires to exert these forces onto the tooth structure, in turn bringing about the teeth movement. The process with the metal braces and wires controlled and dictated the way the teeth would move and the precision with which they would move towards the desired locations.
These changes are completely under the control of your orthodontist and you must rely on the skills and expertise of your orthodontist for providing you with an exceptional result.
In today's times, adult patients seeking
orthodontic treatment are increasingly motivated by esthetic considerations. The majority of these patients reject wearing braces and are looking instead to more esthetic treatment options, including lingual orthodontics and Invisalign appliances. Since Align Technology introduced the Invisalign appliance in 1999 in an extensive publicity campaign, the appliance has gained tremendous attention from adult patients. The transparency of the
Invisalign Aligners enhances its esthetic appeal for those adult patients who are averse to wearing conventional labial fixed orthodontic appliances (Braces).
Since the introduction of the Invisalign technique in 1999, only a few clinicians would probably have bet on its rapid success. The number of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with
clear aligners, both adults and growing patients, has been increasing every year since then.
This signals that there have to be features and aspects that are better than its metallic counterparts, so to say.
Let’s compare each of this one by one,
a) Metal/Ceramic Braces are fixed in nature, which means once they have been placed onto the teeth, they are usually only removed once the treatment is completely over. This means that for the duration of the treatment which may be 1 year, 2 years or even more, these metallic systems are fixed onto the teeth and are not removed by your clinician.
On the other hand, Invisalign provides you complete freedom in this regard. As the Invisalign Aligner System is removable and hence at your convenience and will, you can wear and remove them. Social events, Official commitments, Meetings, etc are no longer embarrassing with Invisalign as our patients do not have to wear the Aligners all the time and when required can remove them.
b) Invisalign Aligners are almost transparent, inconspicuous. From a non-intimate distance, it's very difficult to establish if one is wearing Invisalign Aligner trays. The transparent nature of these aligners is one of the most important and desirable advantages here as adult patients are quite conscious and particular about what is visible to the outside world and this feature provides an opportunity to bring about changes in their smile in an Invisible way.
With braces, it's needless to say, the bulky and metallic appearance is found repelling too many and affects the self-esteem of the patients adversely.
Research suggests that teens undergoing orthodontic treatment show two times better self-esteem with Invisalign Aligners than with Metal Braces.
c) As the Invisalign Appliance is removable, you can easily clean and maintain your teeth by regularly brushing all surfaces and getting rid of all the food debris and micro-organisms. This way the maintenance of the teeth and the gums are exceptional with Invisalign Aligners.
In comparison with metal braces, there is unavoidable food lodgement and bacterial growth in and around the brackets and the wires. This leads to inflamed and bleeding gums and bad breath. Hence for the maintenance of the gums and the teeth, Invisalign is the preferred choice amongst specialists and patients alike.
d) Dental Emergencies when it comes to breakage of brackets and wires among patients is quite frequent with braces whereas there are absolutely No Dental Emergencies with Invisalign Aligners.
e) Several visits required for monitoring the treatment progress with Invisalign Aligners are less than half that with the braces. Even the chairside time is reduced by 90% with the Aligners and the patients can enjoy faster checkups and better progress assessments.
f) One another significant advantage with Invisalign is that it is completely customizable and highly accurate. A unique treatment plan is devised for each patient that provides pre-determined results that the patient pre-approves of, even before starting the treatment. Whereas with braces, one needs to rely on the promises of their clinician as to how good a result that would be achieved.
g) Invisalign Aligners are less likely to put any undue strain and stress on the jaw bone and the joints whereas fixed orthodontic mechanotherapy with braces can do a lot of harm to the temporomandibular joint if performed improperly.
h) There is NO special diet protocol that the Invisalign patients need to follow during their treatments. So you can enjoy and consume what you wish with these Invisalign Aligner Systems whereas, with the braces, one has to be cautious with the food items they eat. Usually, it's recommended that with the metal braces present, hard food should be completely avoided as it leads to the breakage of the fixed appliance.
The list of Pros is virtually endless when it comes to Invisalign when compared with traditional braces. But a very important tip here is that the Invisalign Aligner system is a tool and how your clinician has planned and customized it for your needs is the most crucial step in the success of your treatment with Invisalign Aligners.