How do Invisalign and braces differ?
Braces are brackets bonded to the teeth and joined by a wire, which is adjusted at visits as the teeth move. Invisalign is a series of clear aligners, each moving the teeth a little further than the last, planned in advance from an iTero scan.
Both move teeth with steady pressure over time. The practical difference is that aligners come out and braces do not, and most of what follows comes from that.
Can people tell you are wearing them?
Aligners are clear, and the small tooth-colored attachments often bonded to some teeth are far less noticeable than brackets. Braces can be made less obvious with tooth-colored brackets, but they are still there in every photo.
For adults at work, and for teenagers who would rather take them out for a game or a school photo, that is often what decides it.
Eating and cleaning with aligners or braces
Aligners come out for every meal, so you eat what you like. They go back in afterward, once you have brushed, and plain water is the only thing to drink with them in.
Braces stay on through meals. Nothing has to come out, but hard and sticky foods can break a bracket or bend a wire, so popcorn, hard candy and caramel are off the menu.
Cleaning follows the same pattern. With aligners out, you brush and floss as normal. With braces, food and plaque collect around every bracket, cleaning under the wire takes time, and plaque left there can mark the teeth in a way that shows once the braces come off. Either way, keep up your cleanings and exams.
The 22-hour habit
Aligners only work while they are in. They are worn about 22 hours a day: out for meals and brushing, in the rest of the time. The result follows the hours, and this is the single thing that decides whether treatment works.
Braces do not depend on remembering. If you know that you, or your teenager, will leave aligners in their case on the kitchen counter, braces may be the better tool, and it is fine to say so.
When are braces the better choice?
Aligners suit many cases of crowding and spacing. We offer Invisalign, not braces, so if your scan shows braces would do the job better, we will tell you and refer you to an orthodontist rather than stretch aligners past what they do well. Braces are often the better tool for:
- Badly rotated teeth, especially rounded ones that give an aligner little to grip.
- Teeth that need to move a long way up or down.
- A tooth stuck in the bone that has to be brought into place.
- Bites where the upper and lower jaws themselves do not line up.
How to find out which suits you
Start with a scan and a consultation here in Pearisburg. You see the intended finish before you commit to anything, which also means you can see when aligners are not the right tool for your bite.
If they are, you get the plan and the fee in writing. See what Invisalign costs for what decides the fee, and Invisalign for adults if you are weighing it up for yourself.
Questions patients ask
Is Invisalign as effective as braces?
For many cases of crowding and spacing, aligners do the job well, as long as they are worn about 22 hours a day. For some bite problems braces are the better tool, and a scan and consultation tell you which kind of case yours is.
Is Invisalign faster than braces?
Not reliably. How long treatment takes depends on how far your teeth have to travel and how consistently the aligners are worn, and anybody who quotes a number before looking at your teeth is guessing.
Do you offer braces?
No, we offer Invisalign. If braces would serve you better, we will say so plainly and refer you to an orthodontist.
Does Invisalign hurt less than braces?
Each new aligner feels tight for a day or so, which is the teeth moving. Braces can ache after the wire is adjusted, and brackets can rub the inside of the lips at first.
Can teenagers wear Invisalign?
Yes. For teenagers the appeal is usually that aligners come out for a game or a photograph. The catch is the 22 hours a day, so they suit teenagers who will actually keep them in.