Invisalign® First

Are you looking for an excellent Lakewood family dentist with whom to discuss orthodontic treatments for your child? At Lakewood Dental Group, our knowledgeable dentists, Dr. Shaun Sigurdson and Dr. Mihir Patel, have years of experience providing Invisalign® treatments for patients of all ages, including kids, teens, and adults.

Did you know that orthodontic treatments for children can (and should!) begin as young as six years old? It’s true! That’s why the Invisalign® First system was designed to straighten kids’ smiles as they grow.

What is Invisalign First?

Invisalign First is a smile-correcting system that is specifically designed to address dental and jaw alignment issues in children aged six to ten. Dental professionals refer to this as Phase 1 treatment. 

Extensive research indicates that Phase 1 treatment helps dentists diagnose and address developmental issues in growing jaws and teeth earlier. This allows kids to avoid significantly more complex and costly dental issues in the future.  

What issues can Phase 1 treatment address?

Invisalign First can treat a wide range of issues, including:

• Narrow dental arches
• Dental crowding
• Large gaps between teeth
• Malocclusions 
• Thumb sucking and tongue thrusting

Early intervention and treatment are key to helping your child get a straight and healthy smile. This is because kids’ bone tissue is much more flexible compared to teens’ or adults’. So, moving children’s teeth and jaws into proper alignment is much easier in Phase 1, which generally leads to better dental development and oral health as they grow. 

My child still has baby teeth–is Invisalign First right for them?

Yes! Patients undergoing Invisalign First treatment usually have a mix of baby and permanent teeth. Invisalign First helps move baby teeth into a more favorable position, which helps incoming adult teeth find a better pathway forward as they erupt.

Additionally, Invisalign First helps broaden narrow dental arches. This reduces the risk of overcrowded or rotated permanent teeth, which can take a long time to fix.

Simply put–Invisalign First fixes alignment issues before they become a major (and expensive!) problem. Because an ounce of prevention is worth much more than a pound of cure!

How long should my child be in Phase 1 treatment?

In general, children are in Phase 1 treatment until they lose all of their baby teeth. After kids lose all of their baby teeth, then Dr. Sigurdson and Dr. Patel may suggest transitioning them into Phase 2 treatment. 

Phase 2 treatment generally starts when kids reach age 11 or 12 and is integral to maintaining proper dental and jaw alignment. Children who do not maintain their alignment after Phase 1 treatment may need another round of smile-correcting treatments into their teen or adult years.

What are other benefits of Invisalign First clear aligners?

Of course, the main benefit of Invisalign First is diagnosing and treating dental and jaw alignment issues early. However, other benefits include:

• Kids can eat all of their favorite foods while on the Invisalign First system because the trays are removable 
• Brushing and flossing is much easier with removable aligners than with metal braces
• Kids can remove their aligners while they play sports or practice a musical instrument
• The clear aligners don’t draw unwanted attention to their smiles
• The smooth aligners are much gentler on the cheeks and lips than metal braces 

Ask Us About Invisalign First for Your Child

Do you want to make sure that your kids have healthy, beautiful smiles for life? Then, you need to see how our Lakewood Invisalign First treatments can help. 

Parents can call Lakewood Dental Group at (214) 827-1885, or they can schedule an appointment online here.