Ahh the age old question… to straighten teeth with Invisalign or Braces. Okay, maybe it’s not the age old question for everyone but I deal with this every day. It seems like summer time is the time where everyone wants to straighten their teeth. With many people staying at home straightening their teeth with no one looking has become even a bigger deal. Let me try to answer the question of which is better, braces or Invisalign.

Metal and clear braces

These are the classics that have been around for over 100 years. Our founding father, Edward Angle, started this profession and it has grown into a massive industry serving millions of patients yearly. Braces have come from being purely for function to becoming something young and old want for esthetic reasons.

Braces are the tried and true way to move teeth. They have been used for such a long time and every orthodontist knows how to use them well. We feel extremely comfortable moving teeth with braces and we know what will work and what won’t. I always say that metal or clear braces are the gold standard to move teeth.

Invisalign history and attachments

Invisalign has been around for over 20 years and is continuously getting better. They have seemingly endless amount of money to market their product and make it better. It went from a product that was just OK at moving teeth to something that really works amazingly well.

If you had these clear aligners 5 years ago you may not recognize how small their attachments are now. The Invisalign attachments used to be almost as large as braces and now they are so small you can barely see them.

Invisalign is still not for everyone but it’s a great product that can give you great results.

Download my FREE Ortho Guide, made just for you, to answer all your questions about braces and how to give yourself the best chance at a beautiful smile for life.

How much is invisalign?

The price of Invisalign is nearly always higher than metal or clear braces. The cost to fabricate Invisalign trays is very high and that’s why the price of Invislign is so much higher. Insurance can sometimes cover a big chunk of the price but people are often surprised that Invisalign costs more. To go into that a littler further check out the post we did earlier https://allen.thrivedentist.com/how-much-does-invisalign-cost

Pros and cons of invisalign

Like I have said earlier, these invisible aligners are a great product. It allows you to straighten your teeth without people noticing. You don’t have any dietary restrictions because you take out your trays to eat and drink. It’s cleaner because once again you take out your trays to brush and floss.

The biggest downfall of Invisalign is people get bored and stop wearing it. You have to wear Invisalign trays on average 22 hours a day. If you wear it less then that your results will not be good.

Conclusion

Invisalign is a great product that I love to use. I believe it is still not as good as braces but it allows people who would otherwise not straighten their teeth access to something that can help them gain a confident smile.

There are pros and cons with both clear aligners and Braces. Braces may give you a better result but you have to be careful to clean your teeth better and avoid hard, stick chewy foods. Invisalign looks way better but you may get fatigued wearing them all the time.

Thank you for reading this and of course if you have any questions about braces or Invislign post them below and we’ll answer as soon as possible!