Many of us experienced our awkward teen phases fully equipped with metal braces. We powered through a few years of avoiding hard foods, using floss threaders, and popping ibuprofen for sore teeth. But it was all worth it for that beautiful, straight smile! Well, for a little while at least. It’s very possible that your teeth have shifted again, and that smile is starting to resemble your preteen grin.

Why Might I Need Invisalign After I’ve Had Braces?

The main reason that a patient would want additional treatment after wearing traditional braces is because they forgot to wear their retainer regularly. Retainers are a crucial part of the braces process because our teeth will naturally shift over time. Your perfect smile won’t be so perfect anymore years later if you don’t use your retainers properly. If you’ve had braces as a teen and skipped out on wearing your retainer, you may be pining for straighter teeth again. That’s where Invisalign comes in.

The Benefits

This time around, your treatment won’t include the embarrassing metal grin. Due to the design, Invisalign is virtually invisible, so you won’t be hesitant to flash your pearly-whites during your treatment. Most patients also find that Invisalign is much more comfortable and easier to adapt to than traditional braces. Speaking of which, you won’t need to cut out certain foods in order to avoid discomfort either. Sounds pretty fabulous right?

What to Watch For

If you are going to give Invisalign a go, you’ll have to correct some bad habits. The beauty of the treatment is that you can remove the aligners trays, but if that’s what got you into trouble into the first place (i.e. not wearing your retainers), you’re going to have to switch something up this time. Whether you set a reminder on your phone after every meal or have your spouse do regular check-ins, do whatever you can to keep those puppies in for at least 22 hours a day!

Ultimately, the takeaway from this is to wear your retainers as instructed! But if it’s too late and the damage is done, Invisalign can be a great solution. If you’re debating getting your smile back into shape, we can set up a personalized consultation right away. With a little bit of time, we can get you smiling again!