BY: ELLE CAVANAUGH

Braces: a misery many teenagers have had to endure. There are so many reasons to hate them. They steal the ability to eat some of your favorite foods, tightening them will leave you sore for days, and finding a color that doesn’t make your teeth look wacky is an underrated task. But recently, a hero arose. Invisalign is a clear tooth mold meant to be worn as your teeth realign themselves while allowing you to keep eating popcorn.    

In November 2020, I received Invisalign. I was told it would be a quicker nine months rather than two more painful years with braces as the orthodontist told me. That second part was a lie, I finished my treatment on February 13th, 2023. While I was overjoyed, it was kind of bittersweet. The team of orthodontists I had working with me were just so kind and supportive and made this journey way more enjoyable than it would’ve been otherwise. 

It was a relief to never again freak out the masses when I yoink my teeth out of my mouth! No longer would people ask if I’m doing tobacco when I whip out my Invisalign case! No longer would I have to decline food because taking out my teeth would be too much work or I didn’t want to risk getting the new set dirty! No more missing out on 90-minute workouts with my team for a 15-minute appointment!

Despite those mild complaints, I have a lengthier pros and cons list for anyone curious about Invisalign. This is one of the cool cases where the pros outweigh the cons! So let’s get the bad things out of the way first:

CONS:

-I was told I would have Invisalign for 9 months, but as we can see, that was not the case. This does seem to be the norm for any braces though.

-Invisalign pinches. Think about biting your tongue for teeth, it’s similar to that. Very close to stepping on a Lego in pain if it happens.

-Just like braces, it can feel awkward. Between feeling the imaginary stares of people watching you take out your trays and the occasional dumb-dumb that asks if your case is a tobacco tin, Invisalign can lead to odd social interactions.

-Instead of getting your braces tightened, you practically get a new set every week or so. Your trash can will be filled with plastic containers, and I doubt all this plastic is good for the environment but I’d have to research that. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the idea that imprints of my teeth will exist for thousands of years if that’s the case. 

Missing out on food can go either way depending on viewpoint. Snacking will no longer be a part of your life, which is sad for your tastebuds but can be good for your body! Invisalign helped me have a more balanced diet because I needed my body to actually be fueled by nutrients, and I was only willing to take out my trays and eat three times a day. I even lost a few pounds.

PROS:

-With traditional braces one has to avoid certain foods, with Invisalign, sky’s the limit!

-An unhealthy way I used to cope with anxiety was biting on my fingers and nails. As you can probably figure out, that made my hands look gross and made my fingers a bit uncomfortable to use. With Invisalign, you physically couldn’t do that. Let me tell you it is way harder to pick at your fingers with your fingers than your teeth so that habit dies fast.

-Even while going through the process of getting your teeth fixed you don’t feel as awkward about your mouth. Invisalign felt really natural with only a couple of brackets on your teeth and no metal or wires in your mouth. Smiling was definitely easier to do because I knew my teeth were looking better as time went on and I didn’t feel ashamed or anything.

-Braces always are priced on a case-by-case basis so this may not apply to everyone but Invisalign typically ends up around the same price as braces. With my family’s dental plan, Invisalign actually ended up being cheaper than braces! My friends with different dental plans found a similar pattern as well. 

-Invisalign is very personalized. It leaves no part of your wild teeth untouched, any sort of problem with them will be dealt with. Braces have a very “one size fits all” type vibe when in reality teeth are as unique as fingerprints! Every set of trays has been uniquely catered towards your teeth and that’s neat 🙂

Overall, Invisalign gets a 4.8/5 and I would highly recommend it!

Of course, this is simply a personal customer review and I would recommend consulting with your dentist first and foremost.