Invisalign First That Kids Prefer More @ Daechi-dong Orthodontic Clinic, Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic

Hello. This is Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong.

In a recent post, I wrote about how, to preserve the space where my son’s permanent teeth could erupt and improve the eruption angle, we first extracted his baby teeth and made a removable appliance that he could take in and out, so he would wear it only while sleeping at night.

My son recently came to the clinic to visit, and after watching an Invisalign promotional video that was playing in the waiting room, he suddenly said he wanted to get orthodontic treatment with Invisalign too. I had only vaguely been thinking that I would need to straighten the alignment of his lower front teeth someday because they were not neat, but since he actively said he wanted to do it, of course we should go ahead! Haha. So we immediately took an oral scan with iTero and prepared for an orthodontic diagnosis.

After the oral scan and preparing for Invisalign treatment, I realized it would have been a big problem if we had started even a little later! The right canine had not yet erupted, and there were still several baby teeth remaining, but if we had extracted the remaining baby teeth, he would not have qualified for Invisalign First. In that case, he would have had to get Invisalign Teen instead of Invisalign First. Invisalign First is a clear aligner treatment for children aged 6 to 10 who have a mix of baby teeth and permanent teeth, and one advantage is that it is about 40% less expensive than adult (teen) Invisalign. His height is almost as tall as mine, and yet he can be treated with Invisalign First—how appealing is that!

Other than the 18-month treatment warranty period, Invisalign First is no different from other Invisalign treatments. The warranty period for Invisalign treatment means that within that period, additional appliances can be made without extra cost if needed.

As the name “First” suggests, Invisalign First focuses on primary orthodontic treatment: aligning already erupted permanent teeth and creating space so that permanent teeth that have not yet erupted can come in properly. It first straightens the currently crooked teeth and creates space for permanent teeth to erupt, then waits for the unerupted permanent teeth to come in. Of course, treatment may also end with only the first phase, but if you want to use the remaining warranty period, a new additional appliance can be made before the 18-month warranty period ends to further improve the alignment of the remaining teeth.

Mandibular Advancement

And Invisalign First has the advantage of being able to perform growth orthodontics and tooth alignment at the same time. In cases of a small lower jaw, or a retruded chin, treatment is performed during the pubertal growth spurt after checking the growth plate. The concept of growth orthodontics is to use the pubertal growth spurt to improve the position and shape of the upper and lower jaws through primary treatment first, and then align the teeth neatly through secondary treatment. Because control of jaw growth and improvement of tooth alignment are separated in this way, the overall treatment period tends to be longer than adult orthodontic treatment.

Wrist radiograph and VUNOmed growth plate test

However, Invisalign First helps expand the jaw skeleton and dental arch of growing children through primary treatment, securing enough space for newly erupting permanent teeth and making secondary orthodontic treatment easier and faster. In cases of a small lower jaw, a device called Mandibular Advancement provides appropriate force to bring the lower jaw forward, helping skeletal growth. Because it can improve the position of the lower jaw while also aligning the teeth at the same time, the treatment period is shortened compared with traditional growth orthodontics. It is also very aesthetic because it is not bulky like growth appliances and there is no visible part when worn.

Class II malocclusion growth orthodontic appliance (Class II Activator & Head Gear)

Advantages of Invisalign First

1. Because oral scanning is performed using the 50% smaller wand of the iTero Lumina™, children do not need to endure traditional dental impressions.

2. It is removable, so it causes almost no inconvenience in daily life or when growing children eat.

3. Visits are required only once every 2 to 3 months, so the number of dental visits is low, and emergency visits caused by problems such as appliances coming off or wires poking are rare, which does not interfere with children’s schoolwork.

4. The appliance is soft and flexible, so active growing children do not have to worry about getting injured because of their orthodontic appliance.

You often see people around you saying that even if they got braces when they were young, everything shifted again and they had to redo it as adults...

If they’ll have to get braces again when they grow up anyway, isn’t it better to just do it later?

When talking with parents, I often hear questions like this. Some ask whether it’s just making children suffer for no reason by straightening their teeth when they will have to do it again later anyway. I always emphasize the importance of retainers. After orthodontic treatment is finished, if you maintain the results with both a fixed retainer attached to the inside of the teeth and a removable retainer that can be taken in and out, and if you think of the fixed retainer as something that should stay on for life (even though it has been almost 20 years since I finished my own orthodontic treatment as a resident, I still have my retainer on and have no intention of removing it until I die!!), then teeth that have been straightened once will never shift again.

Also, the earlier orthodontic treatment is done, the fewer side effects there are, and if treatment is done with Invisalign First while making full use of the warranty period, the possibility of needing orthodontic treatment again as an adult is significantly reduced. Even if orthodontic treatment is needed again in adulthood, the likelihood of needing extractions can be greatly reduced. In particular, if growth orthodontics is done in childhood, it can help improve jaw position by using jaw growth, which can also reduce the possibility of future orthognathic surgery.

If treatment with 20 to 30 sets of appliances can be completed in less than a year, increasing the likelihood that orthodontic treatment won’t be needed again later, wouldn’t that be an appealing option?!

To make full use of these advantages of Invisalign First, you must not miss the golden time for pediatric and adolescent orthodontic treatment! A hand-bone growth plate test can show the current stage of growth and the remaining amount of growth ahead, and based on this, the optimal timing for children’s orthodontic treatment is determined and the treatment method is chosen. Therefore, I recommend visiting a nearby orthodontic clinic for a detailed examination around the age of 7.

Director Yoon Jeong-won, who is in charge of the orthodontics department, has specialized exclusively in orthodontics for more than 16 years and has extensive experience with many high-difficulty cases. Therefore, effective treatment is possible for various orthodontic cases such as malocclusion, protruding mouth, and underbite.

If you visit Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic specialty clinic in Daechi-dong, you can accurately understand your current condition through a simple oral examination at no additional cost, and you can also hear explanations about various orthodontic appliances during the orthodontic consultation, so please feel free to contact us for an appointment.

At Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, we have all the latest equipment needed for orthodontic treatment, including the 3D intraoral scanner iTero Lumina, growth plate testing, and pre- and post-treatment simulation using the Morpheus facial scanner, allowing for more precise and systematic orthodontic care.

Those considering orthodontic treatment due to protruding mouth, crowded teeth, malocclusion, underbite, or other concerns likely have many worries about orthodontic appliances.

If you were burdened by the visibility of orthodontic appliances, or if you already know about Invisalign and have decided in your mind which appliance to choose, it may be a good opportunity to start treatment without pressure. Even before a detailed diagnosis, we provide face-to-face consultations at no cost regarding whether Invisalign is appropriate, so please visit with peace of mind and receive a consultation.

During the consultation, you can compare various appliances such as Clarity, Clippy C, and Invisalign with your own eyes and hear detailed explanations of their pros and cons, so we recommend calling or visiting for a consultation without hesitation.

Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic is close to Samsung Station, Hakyeoul Station, Daechi Station, and Hanti Station, so if you are looking for an orthodontic clinic in Samseong-dong, Daechi-dong, or Gaepo-dong, it is very convenient to visit.