Invisalign Teen's compliance indicators help make Invisalign treatment easier for teenagers. Here's how they work.
Invisalign Teen’s compliance indicators are small blue dots that are located in an inconspicuous spot on each set of aligners.
Over two weeks of fully compliant aligner wear, the blue dots will slowly fade away until, at the two week mark, they have completely disappeared. This lets your teen know that they are done with this set of aligners, and can move on to the next set.
How does this help teens?
Invisalign treatment is a full-time commitment, just like metal braces. Aligners must be worn for 22 hours a day, every day, in order to ensure that treatment timing stays on track, and that the teeth are in the correct position for the next set of aligners after each two-week period of wear.
Teens tend to be a little less compliant with their treatment than their adult counterparts. Compliance, in this context, refers to the extent to which patients follow their doctor’s orders when it comes to aligner wear.
Teenagers tend to take their aligners out more frequently, and leave them out for longer periods of time, than they’re supposed to. This means that they may not get a full 22 hours’ worth of wear every day.
As a result, it can be hard for teens to keep track of how much longer they should wear a given set of aligners in order for their teeth to be in the proper positions for the next set. Moving on to the next set too early can cause problems, and may result in treatment setbacks.
The compliance indicators make it easier for teens to know exactly when the required hours of wear have gone by, making it easier for them to get back in the game!