What are Invisalign® Express and Teen?
Align Technology, Inc. offers a couple of variations of their standard Invisalign® program. Two of these are the Express and Teen systems.
Each of these alternatives allows the dentist more flexibility in accommodating the unique treatment needs of a specific subgroup of patients.
Invisalign® Express
The Express program makes it possible for a dentist to treat relatively minor orthodontic cases for a lower fee.
Instead of the standard 20 or 30 sets of aligners, this system only involves the use of 10 or fewer, which reduces the dentist’s overhead costs.
(See the chart below for further comparisons between Express and standard Invisalign®.)
a) What kinds of cases can Express treat?
Invisalign® Express is most suited for treating relatively simple cases. This would include those involving minor tooth crowding or rotations, and small midline corrections (teeth aligned off-center). Some common applications include:
- Correcting minor alignment issues for front teeth.
- Correcting relapse that has occurred following previous orthodontic treatment (like that caused by the patient not wearing their retainers).
- Making minor alignment changes in preparation for other dental work, such as placing veneers.
b) Alternatives to Express®.
There are competing clear-aligner systems that can be used to treat many of these same types of cases. One of them is AOA Orthodontic Laboratory, Inc’s Simpli 5® clear aligner system. Details. Because this system is even more basic than Express® (it uses an even more limited number of aligners), it may provide your dentist with a way of providing your treatment at an even lower cost.
Invisalign® treatment isn’t usually begun until a patient’s second molars have come in.
Invisalign® Teen
a) When is it used?
The issue.
Much of the difficulty associated with treating younger children with Invisalign® has to do with managing their permanent teeth as they come into place (erupt) during the treatment process.
b) What age group is Teen used with?
The transitional period described above can take place at a different age with different children.
- The last of a child’s baby teeth usually fall out between ages 10 and 12.
- The 2nd molars have usually come into place by age 12 to 14.
- This places the treatment time window for Teen somewhere between 10 and 14 years.
c) What’s special about Invisalign® Teen?
Teen includes all of the features of standard Invisalign®. But it’s different due to the fact that compensation for tooth eruption is factored into the treatment.
It also includes an allowance for the replacement of up to 6 lost or damaged aligners, something that might be important in treating the potentially less responsible patients that comprise this age group.
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A comparison of Invisalign® systems – Express, Teen and standard.
Note: Teen® includes the same features as standard Invisalign®.
| Standard / Teen | Express | |
|---|---|---|
| Case complexity. | Mild to moderate. | Mild. |
| Intended use. | Full orthodontic treatment. | Minor tooth alignment. Orthodontic relapse. Before other dental work. |
| Number of sets of aligners. | 20 to 30, but can be more. | 10 or fewer. |
| Treatment time. | 1 year. | 6 months. |
| Aligner wearing time. | Around the clock except when eating or brushing. | Around the clock except when eating or brushing. |
| Checkup interval. | 4 to 6 weeks. | 4 to 6 weeks. |
| Estimated patient cost. | See our Braces Costs page. | See our Braces Costs page. |
| Dentist price per case. | See our Braces Costs page. | See our Braces Costs page. |
| Does dental insurance cover treatment? | Usually to the same extent as traditional braces. | Usually to the same extent as traditional braces. |
A comparison of applications for Invisalign® Express, Teen and standard.
This next comparison table shows that each system can be used to treat a similar range of conditions. But because Express involves the use of fewer aligners (see above), the total amount of tooth movement that can be accomplished with it is less.
Related pages: 1) Invisalign® case selection. 2) Examples of how the basic tooth movements listed below are incorporated into treatment plans.
| Standard / Teen | Express | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum tooth crowding. | Less than 6 mm. | 2 mm or less. |
| Maximum tooth spacing. | Less than 6 mm. | 2 mm or less. |
| Maximum rotation of incisors. | 45 degrees or less. | 15 degrees or less. |
| Maximum rotation of cuspids. | 30 degrees or less. | 10 degrees or less. |
| Maximum midline correction. | 2mm or less. | 2mm or less. |
| Maximum arch expansion. | 2 to 4 mm. | 1.5 mm. |
Page references sources:
Malik OH, et al. Invisible orthodontics Part 1: Invisalign.
All reference sources for topic Orthodontic Treatment.