Advantages of the Invisalign Technique

Invisalign Advantages

Absence of emergencies caused by detached braces and sharp wires
No need for monthly visits. Possibility of in office appointments every 3 months or even more
Absence of monthly adjustments/activations intraorally. Instead of the orthodontist changing wires and/or elastics every month at the clinic, you can change the aligner by yourself every 5 days at home
Unhindered oral hygiene, without the tendency of decalcifications caused by glued-on braces
No "prohibition" of certain types of food (which is the case with glued-on braces) such as hard cereal, nuts, popcorn, etc.
Unhindered continuation of the Invisalign treatment even during the pandemic and periods of strict quarantine, military service, pregnancy, professional obligations abroad, etc., without the possibility of emergencies or other types of needs
Less time spent at the orthodontist's office, without the need for time-consuming adjustments, as is the case with fixed appliances and especially lingual braces
Fewer appointments at the doctor's office in total, avoiding unnecessary travel
Clearly better (more discreet) treatment on the aesthetics aspect, as compared to treatment with labial transparent ceramic braces
Possibility to perform a head and neck MRI in case of an urgent medical need/indication

Possibility of orthodontic treatment in dentist-phobic patients, in patients with diabetes mellitus, and in patients with nickel allergy. In general, the treatment is indicated in patients with a medical history that would not allow the use of a fixed device ("glued-on braces") or medical conditions that do not allow for repeated visits to a doctor's office
Possibility of orthodontic treatment for singers and professional musicians playing wind instruments
Orthodontic intervention fully compatible with the new facts and needs caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Very discreet, but still rather obvious to others
Effective when remaining placed in the mouth, with the need for absolute cooperation (at least 20 hours a day).
Certain dental movements are not possible or so predictable without the help of auxiliary means (resin attachments, partial arches, orthodontic implants, etc.)
Need to remove the appliance during any meal and place it again afterwards.


	LABIAL (external braces)	INVISALIGN (transparent braces or clear aligners)	LINGUAL (internal braces)
Aesthetics	Clearly visible to third parties	Slightly visible/Discreet	Not visible to third parties
Adjustment Duration	5-6 days	2-3 days	10-14 days
Oral hygiene	More difficult/Risk of visible decalcification	Unhindered	Difficult
Diet	Unhindered, but banning consumption of any hard food	Unhindered/Need to remove at every meal	Unhindered, but banning consumption of any hard food
Speech Unhindered	Unhindered	Adjustment necessary (a few days)	Adjustment necessary (a few weeks)
Cooperation	No need for cooperation	Removable device/Need for constant cooperation	No need for cooperation
Orthodontic movement	No restrictions	Certain movements are only possible to a limited extent	No restrictions
Appointment at the doctor's office	Monthly	Every 10-12 weeks	Monthly
Emergencies/Events	Probable	None	Probable
Cost	Low laboratory/moderate medical	High laboratory/low medical	High laboratory/high medical

Advantages

All dental movements are possible regardless of their range and "difficulty" (any case of extractions, midline shift, etc.).

No impact on the patient's daily life after an initial adjustment period (no need to remove the device during eating and repositioning it afterwards, as is the case with the respective Invisalign braces)

Disadvantages

A visit to the doctor's office is absolutely neccessary for all adjustments and arrangements.

The time required for arrangements is slightly increased per appointment as compared to other devices.

There is a relatively small percentage of orthodontists with active involvement with this technique (less than 10%).

Advantages

Possibility of orthodontic treatment with minimal visits to the doctor's office (ideal for those who wish to have a "remote" intervention).

Virtually no time for oral adjustments per appointment, as compared to other devices (mainly taking intraoral photos or progress scans).

A higher percentage of orthodontists and even general dentists with active involvement with this technique.

Disadvantages

Effective when remaining placed in the mouth, with the need for absolute cooperation (at least 21 hours a day).

Certain dental movements are not possible or so predictable without the help of auxiliary means (resin attachments, partial arches, orthodontic implants, etc.)