If you're considering Invisalign treatment for your lifestyle, it's important to understand the potential long-term effects. While Invisalign can be a great solution for many people, it can also cause some serious damage if used for too long. Using Invisalign for more than a year can chip your teeth or cause other long-term damage. Like braces, Invisalign can contribute to gum recession and expose roots.
However, regular visits to the dentist should prevent any damage, as dentists check for these side effects. Aligners that are used for a long period of time can lead to gum health problems such as periodontitis and gingivitis. A study conducted with aligners reported that aligners can weaken tooth roots, which can cause slow resorption of dental roots for some time. With Invisalign, you have to refill every two weeks.
The frequency of new aligners can be a nuisance and cause more pain in the mouth. The discomfort lasts about 3 days each time you change your aligner. The biggest challenge when using Invisalign aligners is creating good oral habits. Getting used to taking them out just to eat and brush your teeth takes some getting used to.
However, these short-term habits can generate long-term benefits. While there are many success stories of patients satisfied with Invisalign, there are also people who have suffered moderate to severe health consequences as a result. Although Invisalign aligners may not be completely invisible, these clear covers fit well over the teeth and are much less visible than the brackets and wires of traditional orthodontic appliances. If you're considering Invisalign treatment for your lifestyle, it could be the perfect solution for you.
Traditional metal braces should be tightened every 2 to 3 weeks, and during treatment with Invisalign, you'll need to update the trays approximately every 2 weeks. A research article published in BioMed Central Oral Health showed that Invisalign was only about 59 percent effective. Removable braces, such as Invisalign aligners, exert more force on the upper part of the tooth, making them less effective at separating the teeth from their base. It would be best to choose fixed braces for long-term alignment, and many orthodontists now offer fixed braces that are transparent and almost invisible.
Transparent supports and cables are subtle and elegant, and their stability and effectiveness will give you a longer-lasting smile than Invisalign. If you have a flexible spending account (FSA), you can also use it to pay some of the costs of treatment with Invisalign. Invisalign doesn't solve all orthodontic problems, and in long-term studies, fixed braces have been shown to keep teeth straight for longer. Talk to your orthodontist or dentist about your teeth, what type of orthodontic treatment you may need, and if Invisalign is a good option for you.
For more information on this, see the Long-term comparison of treatment impacts between Invisalign and fixed treatment therapy. While still limited, research suggests that Invisalign may be more effective for some problems than others.
