Special Considerations for Patients Thinking About Invisalign®
Although there are numerous benefits to using Invisalign®, there are a few reasons why it may not be the best option for every patient. For those with more severe dental misalignments, such as rotated teeth, jaw issues or gum problems, Invisalign® braces will generally not be as effective. There is the option to use “button” adjusters with Invisalign®, but they typically will take away from the invisibility aspect of the braces that many patients find most beneficial.
Because the Invisalign® adjustment trays can be removed so easily, it leaves more room for error if the patient forgets to put the trays back in for an extended amount of time. The success of the process is very heavily reliant on patient cooperation and adhering to the prescribed schedule, so the treatment plan can suffer from simple human error. This can potentially add additional cost or time to the original correction schedule.
Another factor to consider is the overall cost of Invisalign® braces, which is generally higher than traditional braces. The Invisalign® process requires more materials in the form of adjustment trays throughout the course of treatment, so the cost increases slightly over the other options that only need to be installed once. However, the ability of the Invisalign® system to be discreet is a big enough advantage that outweighs the additional cost for most patients.
To summarize, the potential drawbacks patients should consider are:
- Not for patients with severe misalignments or dental issues
- Success is heavily reliant on patient cooperation
- Generally more costly than traditional metal or ceramic braces
