This was me in 19…whatever.

No, not the adorable baby on the left. The metal-toothed 9-year-old on the right! Yes, I had braces at 9 years old. Big ugly metal pointy braces. I had to have rubber bands in them for a while, too!

While the benefits of having braces that young was that I only had to wear them for a year, I do remember being pretty uncomfortable. I recall the odor in the orthodontist’s office, and the cool oil lamp he had in the corner of the waiting room. I can imagine, now as an adult and mother myself, how expensive and time-consuming the whole process must have been. Not to mention the whining and complaining my poor parents had to deal with from me!

With my own children, I know for sure that at least one of them will need braces. His dentist has been very soothing, assuring me that we have a few more years to “save up” before he’s ready (he is 8 years old now).  Contemplating the prospect, the thing that makes me the most nervous is the discomfort that I imagine my son will suffer during the year(s) he has the braces.

Enter Invisalign.

I knew this clear alternative to braces existed, but I had never really thought about it until I attended a Straight Talk seminar sponsored by the brand. I have to say, after I heard from the brand reps, a certified orthodontist, and 2 teenagers who have used Invisalign, I felt a huge relief because now I know there is another choice.

With Invisalign, the patient gets a series of custom made aligner trays that are designed to gradually realign the teeth. The trays are smooth, clear plastic, so nobody can even see them when they are being worn. They are taken out for eating and teeth brushing. Unlike braces, they don’t hurt. They don’t poke the inside of your mouth. They’re not a danger when you’re playing sports. They’re not in the way when you brush your teeth. And you don’t need rubber bands!

People of all ages use Invisalign instead of braces if they qualify – and there a lot of cases in which it can be used to fixed dental problems. There is a special version called Invisalign Teen that makes the program available to pre-teens and teens. The orthodontist who presented at the event said that every child should have his first orthodontic assessment by age 7, so you can nip the problems in the bud early! It depends on whether enough of his baby teeth have fallen out so you can tell what the shape and alignment of the rest of the teeth are going to look like. For more information about how the clear alternative to braces works, visit the Invisalign website.

The biggest question I would have about my kid using Invisalign is assessing whether or not he can responsible with the tray. If he takes it out at school to eat a snack, my kid would be the kid who would lose it. The Invisalign program does allow for a certain amount of human error, but I’m hoping that once he sees the choice between braces and Invisalign, he would work harder to be responsible because the advantages of the clear, removable aligners are so great.

To be honest, after the presentation I found myself wanting Invisalign for ME. Since I only wore braces for a year when I was really young, there has been a lot of time since then for my teeth to get a little lazy. Many adults actually do use Invisalign as a tune up for their once-braced teeth just for this reason!

Have you or someone you’ve known used Invisalign? And if so, what was their experience?

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.