Is Invisalign suitable for kids?

Doctor's Answers 3

As with most orthodontic treatment, there is no age limit for Invisalign treatment. In fact, Invisalign has developed new features that work great on growing children to help to correct jaw size discrepancies in conjunction with correcting the overall alignment of teeth.

Ultimately, whether a young patient can be successfully treated using Invisalign will depend on the teeth/ jaw condition as well as the compliance of the patient himself/ herself as the optimal hours of wear needed will be 22 hours. At our clinic, the youngest Invisalign patient we have treated is 11 years old.

Dr Enrica Sham

If you have time, do give my article on Invisalign in Singapore a read.

It will tell you everything you need to know about Invisalign so that you and your parents can make a good decision on whether Invisalign is the right system for you. Being able to wear the aligners enough hours a day can be challenging.

For teenagers, Invisalign Teen has blue dots on the aligners, which fade after 2 weeks. This also helps to check if you have been wearing your aligners enough. Invisalign Teen also has special features for youths, and can still work for you even if all of your permanent teeth have not erupted yet. The advantage about Invisalign is that you can eat whatever you want, and it looks great.

I have to agree with Dr Enrica, that there is no age limit for being able to be treated with Invisalign. Having said that, different doctors also have their own preferences, with regards to what type of cases they are comfortable treating with Invisalign. As a mother of 2 boys, I can see that it can be challenging for some youths to commit to a removable device for so many hours a day for 1-2 years. Cost wise, Invisalign is also more expensive than fixed braces.

Have a good discussion with your parents and your orthodontist to decide which system is the best for you. :) Hope this helps!

Warm regards,

Dr Geraldine Lee

While there is no age limit for Invisalign (my youngest Invisalign patient is 8 years old), there are a few prerequisites before treatment can take place:

  • Eruption of all permanent incisors and first molars
  • No significant tooth damage or decay
  • Discipline to wear aligners for at least 20 hours a day (including brush after every meal before wearing the aligners)

Invisalign aligners are removable, therefore it is much easier for kids/teens to maintain good oral hygiene, play sports and look good at the same time. Nonetheless, that also means that there are more chances for the aligners to be misplaced as well.

It is advisable that together with your parents, you discuss the pros and cons of Invisalign and traditional braces with your orthodontist so that he/she can recommend the best option for you.

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