I went to my dentist in order to ask him about Invisalign.  But, he said that Invisalign was meant for teenagers and not adults. His suggestion is that I get traditional braces. He has an orthodontist who he can give me a referral to. I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed. I’m also confused about his answer because I have a friend who used Invisalign and it worked for her quite well. Is it possible my dentist is confused?

Lori

Dear Lori,

Your dentist is either mistaken or did not want you to go to another dentist who does offer Invisalign. For the sake of erring on the side of grace let’s assume he’d fallen for a myth about Invisalign. I’ll go over the truth as well as a few other myths that have crossed into advice given.

Myth 1: Invisalign is not for Adults

I honestly don’t know where this started. The true fact is that Invisalign was made for adults. The use in teens came later. It is meant to be invisible “braces” that enable adults to straighten their teeth in a way that will not have a negative impact on their appearance.

Myth #2: Braces Work Better and Faster

While there are a few cases that require traditional braces, these are pretty much the most complicated type of cases. In most scenarios, Invisalign would be a better choice. As for faster, that is just an outright falsehood. Invisalign traditionally works in half the time of braces.

Myth #3: I Can Order the Same Thing Online

Can you order aligners online? Yes. Is it the same thing? No. You will not have the care of a dentist. Your original mold will not be thorough and accurate, which will affect the treatment. The thing to understand about this is that if things go wrong, you can literally lose your teeth.

I hope this helps you. Find an Invisalign dentist and get those teeth straightened the way you want.

This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan