Can Invisalign First for Elementary School Students Be Completed in One Go? (A 18-Month Case)

Hello,

This is Yonsei Baro Dental Clinic, an orthodontic clinic for children in Apgujeong.

Today, we are introducing a case in which orthodontic treatment through Invisalign First was completed all the way through to adult orthodontics in one go.

Pediatric orthodontics is not simply about “making it look nice now,”

👉 it is treatment that designs the growth process itself.

If the timing is right,

✔ without extraction

✔ without long-term orthodontic treatment

✔ while saving both cost and time

👉 it can create a result that means adult orthodontic treatment is not needed at all.

22.09~24.06

Invisalign First is Invisalign clear aligners for children

What is Invisalign First?

It is a clear aligner system for children,

✔ designed to improve malocclusion that has already developed and

✔ to predict and prevent problems that may arise in the future.

The warranty period is 18 months,

and additional appliances can also be made within that period.

The main purpose is to resolve the malocclusion that has already developed within the treatment period (warranty period) of 18 months, and to predict and prevent future malocclusion in advance.

Eighteen months is a tight timeframe for adult orthodontics, but for children, whose teeth move quickly, it is more than enough time.

Today, I will introduce Invisalign First for an elementary school student.

22.09

At the time, a 9-year-old elementary school student visited in September 2022 for pediatric orthodontic treatment.

There was no major problem; the reason was that the teeth were misaligned, and orthodontic treatment seemed likely to be needed someday.

2022.09

Looking at the X-ray, it was expected that after 18 months all baby teeth would have fallen out and the permanent dentition would be in place.

If things went well, this could be a case in which adult orthodontic treatment for the permanent teeth could be finished in one go.

At the moment, the canine marked by the blue arrow is blocked by the root of the front tooth and cannot descend, but if we expand the arch and improve the tooth axis slightly while properly resolving the lack of space, it is expected to come down well.

For these reasons, we recommended Invisalign First for this elementary school student in Soya Orthodontics.

There were no skeletal problems such as underbite, receding chin, protrusion, or asymmetry.

2022.09

There were six baby teeth remaining, and one loose baby tooth fell out during the appliance fabrication period.

After the decision to start treatment, it took about a month and a half to receive the Invisalign appliances, and the first set began to be worn in November 2022.

This is how it looked after wearing the entire first set for about nine months.

23.06

23.06

The alignment of the front teeth and arch expansion went well, and from this point on, we waited for the premolars and canines to descend properly.

During this five-month period, the final appliance was worn only while sleeping so that the corrected areas would not return to their original position.

After waiting five months for the permanent teeth to erupt, it was November 2023.

23.11

The midline was well aligned, and the permanent teeth had found their places and descended nicely.

23.11

In particular, the canine that had not been able to erupt came down well.

23.11

To eliminate the remaining gaps, we moved on to making additional appliances.

Additional appliance fabrication also required one month.

From December 2023 to April 2024, the second set of additional appliances was worn for four months, and after that, we waited two more months for the molar bite to stabilize, finally completing the orthodontic treatment in June 2024.

24.06

Excluding the break during the 18-month treatment period when we waited for the permanent teeth to erupt, the actual treatment period was about one year.

2022.09~24.06

2022.09~24.06

The molar occlusion relationship is exactly Class I,

2022.09~24.06

A wire retainer is essential for both pediatric and adult orthodontic treatment.

2022.09~24.06

Because all remaining baby teeth fell out and permanent tooth eruption was completed within the 18-month treatment period, this was a case in which adult orthodontic treatment was fully completed with Invisalign First for children.

In other words, it was neatly finished in one go so that orthodontic treatment would not have to be done again once the child became an adult.

2022.09~24.06

2022.09~24.06

The tilted front teeth became upright, and the tooth axis is also favorable.

Invisalign First pediatric orthodontics can achieve a high level of completion if the timing is right, to the point that adult orthodontic treatment may not be necessary.

Invisalign First requires

✔ timing

✔ accurate diagnosis

✔ growth prediction

These three factors must all align to maximize the result.

If you are wondering whether your child is at the right age for orthodontic treatment,

we recommend getting an accurate diagnosis first