The Best Ages for Invisalign

Having a beautiful, healthy, aligned smile does more than meet the eye. A smile you can be proud of, looks gorgeous, enhances your confidence, will give you a better quality of life, and can even improve function – such as eating or speaking. Dr. Susan Ellison specializes in Smile Design and loves giving patients the smile of their dreams. While patients over the age of 7 have opportunities to straighten their teeth and fix alignment issues, not every patient is a good candidate for clear aligners. Here are our thoughts on the best ages for Invisalign or other clear alignment systems.

The Right Ages for the Best Smile

The beautiful thing about Invisalign is that it works amazingly for almost all ages once we have our adult teeth. Our adult teeth start to come in around ages 5-7 and there are times when it is beneficial to start the first set of Invisalign in the early growing years.

Invisalign for Young Patients & Teens

Starting your children with Invisalign may seem too early, but there are many benefits. Early orthodontic intervention promotes the proper growth of the jaws, especially if the misalignment of the teeth is constricting the forward growth of the lower jaw and the expansion of the palate. This can also make a huge difference in some patients’ facial structure and bone development. After the initial expansion to allow proper growth, we wait until the permanent teeth are fully in and then do a second round of Invisalign to finish the alignment of the teeth. Combining these 2 phases is very important for some children and can be very beneficial in how their overall face develops. If these are not concerns, we typically start Invisalign around 13-14 years old when the permanent teeth are all in.

It is a double-edged sword, however. Clear aligners like Invisalign are removable but need to be worn for a minimum of 22 hours every day, although our team recommends keeping these aligners in for 24-hours per day, even when you eat. While you can remove the aligners to eat, brush, or for pictures or speaking engagements, they need to be replaced as soon as possible. Eating in your aligners is the best and is extremely beneficial in getting the movement of teeth in the direction we want and helps the teeth to obtain their final position sooner.

Invisalign is an excellent choice over braces for all ages since it can usually be done in one-fourth to one-half the time of traditional braces. For young patients and teens playing sports, they offer less chance of getting cut or hurt while participating and act as a guard. Sports guards that are required can easily be made to go over the Invisalign aligner as well.

How Old is Too Old for Invisalign?

We are glad you asked! Our oldest patient to do Invisalign at our office was 90 years old. He came in complaining at his cleaning that his teeth have gotten more crooked in the front and it is making it harder for him to clean and asked if there was something that could be done about that. He had excellent results with straightening those teeth in less than 6 months of wearing Invisalign. He now has a permanent retainer on the lower to hold them into place – this choice for him was a desire to improve his overall gum health, and it was a success!

We have also had several Invisalign patients in their 50s and 60s who complain that they are too old to fix their alignment but experience recession along with deep notches in the teeth and gum line – both issues that result from misalignment. Preventing further damage could be prevented by proper alignment.

Common Invisalign Misconceptions

A lot of our patients are surprised when we tell them that Invisalign or a clear alignment system can fix their dental issues and enhance their life. They are pleasantly surprised when they finish their treatment with us and find that to be true! Here are some common misconceptions we hear all the time (and the truth of the matter):

• I am too old to straighten my teeth . You are NEVER too old for Invisalign.
• The wear and damage to my teeth is caused by old age – many issues are actually caused by misalignment
• The hole in the tooth at the gum line and the recession is caused by brushing too hard – again, these issues can be caused by misalignment
• It costs too much – we have a great, all-inclusive deal on Invisalign treatment and financing options available
• It takes too long – Dr. Susan Ellison offers fast, successful treatment with Invisalign with most patients reaching their dental goal within 6 months

You are never too old to straighten your teeth! However, there are certain medical conditions or gum disease conditions with severe bone loss that may prevent you from being a candidate for Invisalign, scheduling a consult with our office is the best way to diagnose these issues and find a solution that is right for you.

Why Choose Dr. Ellison for Invisalign

No patient is the same, and no smile is either! While we recommend patients be older than 16 to begin a clear alignment system, there may be exceptions. Dr. Ellison encourages teens and children to opt for traditional braces, however, as they provide amazing results and are more cost-effective for budget-conscious parents.

Our pricing is about half that of most offices that provide Invisalign so that we can make it available to as many patients as possible. Not only is the price only $3,499 if paid in full, but you can also do it in monthly payments as low as $188/mo! Most Invisalign cases in our office can be completed in ONLY 6 MONTHS! WOW! And if you have minor crowding or shifting from not wearing your retainers, this can be done in just a few months.

If you are an adult looking for a way to discreetly straighten your teeth, we encourage you to schedule a consult with Dr. Ellison and her experienced dental team in Houston. Together, we can find the perfect choice and get you started on your journey to a smile that makes you proud!