"No More Wire Braces . . " kept running through my head in some silly bunny trail as I listened to a thorough and quite convincing presentation about Invisalign clear braces for teens this last weekend as my traveling blogger buddy Jo-Lynne and I enjoyed a trip to NYC for this very purpose.

The original line "No more wire hangers" was made infamous by Faye Dunaway in "Mommy Dearest" in 1981 as she played screen queen Joan Crawford, a woman depicted as abusive to her daughter Christina Crawford, creating a traumatic upbringing for her and her siblings.

As we have all come to realize, metal braces are traumatic in and of themselves for many kids who smile less, cover their mouth when they speak, and in general, experience pain in a variety of ways as they deal with the "joys" of metal brackets and wires. I remember when clear braces first came out. I thought they were GREAT because of all the reasons I grew up with -the embarrassment I saw in my brother, sister and mom who wore braces all at the same time. My teeth were "okay" enough to go without. (Though, I might reconsider getting a little correction after learning more about Invisalign now.) I just remember the wax piled on to prevent ulcers and rubberbands springing loose and stained teeth that needed whitening later as my family endured the torture and I praised the Lord that mine didn't need them.

But right now, I have kids and I have to get them through their orthodontic trials — so I attended the event hoping to learn about an option for my 11 1/2 year old who cried when the orthodontist told her to come back in a year. She has a small gap between her front two teeth and she is getting much more sensitive about it!

ONE problem: for the same reason that the orthodontist originally told us to come back later, we can't start Invisalign because my daughter has ELEVEN baby teeth still in her mouth and all of them have to be gone to get started. The adult ones don't need to be in fully yet but the babies have to be out of there. My daughter is a late dental bloomer (which I hear is great for reducing cavities but not great if we want to start clear braces). On our last trip to the doctor's, we were told that all of the baby teeth should be coming out in the next year – except the one that has no permanent tooth under it. Tooth Fairy, dear, where are you?!

So, I know this is coming but I also saw the doubt in the ortho's eyes when she wondered aloud if my daughter would even qualify for Invisalign. (Doctors are still coming up to speed on the new features!) After this weekend, I can't see why not – unless we have an issue with one of the adult teeth growing in funny which I am aware could totally happen – with ten still to appear. Apparently, the only issue they haven't been able to correct with the clear tray-like braces is extrusion which is when a teeth needs to be pulled down into the mouth.

 
According to the incredibly lovely Dr. Jacqueline Fulop-Goodling who spent her entire Saturday with us, new technology has been added to the Invisalign braces to deal with teen mouths. New features include:

• Compliance Tabs – are they really wearing the aligners? A blue dot made of vegetable dye will show wear as they are used.
• Eruptions tabs – Making room for those pesky erupting 12 mo. molars
• Power Ridge Technology – Working to push teeth in that are protuding

According to the information given to us and the case studies we saw, the braces can correct issues like intrusion (pushing the teeth up into the gums to make them even), overbite, underbite, crossbite, widely-spaced teeth and overcrowded teeth.

What I also learned was that the trays can be taken out when you eat which is AWESOME for kids at school (as long as they don't lose them on their lunch tray). They can also be used as whitening trays and they don't hurt as much if a sports player gets hit in the mouth. Liking them; no, loving them!

Just so you understand the process, Invisalign users get a series of aligners every six weeks, created with state-of-the-art digital imaging and manufacturing technology. Every two weeks, the user inserts a new set of aligners on their teeth. The doctor creates the final result on the computer and the technology helps create the steps that lead up to it. The whole process takes about a year, in most cases; but as we are all unique individuals, complex issues could take longer. A final set can be used at night as a retainer and reduce the effects of grinding if it is a problem (not to mention ongoing use as whitening trays with dental bleach prescribed by your dentist). I was truly amazed.

BEST PART: National average price is about the same as metal braces and most insurance plans cover it. Didn't see that one coming. (Average price = $5,500).

The doctor also encouraged moms to bring in their child for a first consult by age 7 in case any expansion issues need to be addressed before the bone fuses. 

 
Invisalign Chief Marketing Director, Sheila Tan and Senior Vice President of Syndicated Research with TRU, Michael Wood also spoke at the event, sharing with us statistics about teens today.

Sheila shared that teens want to have a good smile but have a negative impression of braces. 

From his teen research, Michael shared that teens today are "into" conspicuous reduction – rather than conspicuous consumption and take pride in how they save money (and give it away). They also have a strong sense of self and are dealing with entitlement issues. In my viewpoint, I see my child thinking she'll get braces automatically. What if the time comes and we can't afford them? I see gaps in people's teeth that are adult (Hello, Lauren Hutton). I hope we can do it but honestly, we'll have to assess it in a year and see where we are.

We also learned that preferred providers who have a certain level of experience with the relatively new technology ("preferred" equaling at least 10 cases within the year) can be found on the Invisalign Teen website.

Since the presenters included fun movies and statistics, I thought I would add in one of them here for your viewing pleasure: Click over to here for the whole segment on YouTube: Marcia Brady and her braces experience

Thank you, Invisalign, for making our incredible trip to NYC so awesome! Pictures are coming of the fun we had with our fellow bloggers and the ladies from the PR firm. I just have to hijack them from those with awesome cameras once they are posted! Networking and connecting with other amazing women is half the fun!

(F
or disclaimer purposes: Our travel and some entertainment expenses were covered but we were not required to post about the event or use the materials given to us in exchange for our experience.)