Braces vs. Invisalign®
Braces
- Permanent, highly visible brackets and wires
- Appointment intervals every 5-7 weeks last 30-40 minutes
- Pain or discomfort after adjustments can last 2-3 days
- Requires excellent oral hygiene to avoid decalcification leading to permanent stains on teeth
- Must avoid eating hard, sticky, and chewy foods to minimize risk of broken appliances
- Requires additional time and effort to properly clean
- Appointments to fix broken brackets and poking wires are unexpected and often inconvenient
Invisalign® Clear Aligners
- Nearly invisible, removable
- Appointment intervals every 12-16 weeks last 15-25 minutes
- Mostly comfortable (pressure and discomfort sometimes present at the start but very minimal when advancing to next aligners)
- Precisely-controlled tooth movement
- No risk of permanent stains (white spot decalcification) from poor hygiene
- No food restrictions
- Brush and floss teeth as normal
- More suitable for patients with crowns and other dental work (bridges, fillings, etc.)
- Can be used as mouthguard for most sports
- Clinically shown to have shorter treatment times
- Ideal for open bite correction