Orthodontic Pain: Invisalign vs. Metal Braces

Secondary school may have been years ago, but you haven’t forgotten how much pain your classmates experienced when they started wearing metal braces.

Perhaps it doesn’t seem like much has improved since those days. To you, braces are just as uncomfortable as ever, and having a sore mouth full of metal brackets and wiring isn’t very appealing.

If you think these thoughts, now is a good time to compare Invisalign vs. metal braces. Whilst shifting your teeth will involve pain, you can take steps to reduce it by using clear aligners.

Texas A&M University released a thesis studying people using Invisalign and people who chose to straighten their teeth with traditional braces. The study had some important goals, one of which was discovering if the two groups had different pain levels. Another goal was to see if one group used more pain medication than the other group.

If pain is a factor when considering how to straighten your teeth—or whether you should straighten them at all—then you’ll want to hear the results of this study.

What the Study on Invisalign vs. Metal Braces Revealed

As the report explains, the study selected Invisalign and traditional braces patients before they began treatment. Then, the research tracked their pain levels into the days and weeks after they began wearing braces or clear aligners.

All patients used a pain diary to record the amount of pain they felt, and afterwards the research used statistical analysis to discover any difference between Invisalign vs. metal braces.

The first conclusion of the study showed that Invisalign helped patients experience less pain than if they had chosen metal braces.

According to the study, the pain diaries revealed statistically higher levels of pain for people who wore traditional braces—for both the first days of treatment and the first month.

The study also found some interesting facts on pain medication. As the report explains, only one day in the pain diaries showed a statistical difference in the groups for pain medication usage. However, the study also pointed out that the number of patients with metal braces who used pain medication was consistently greater than the number in the Invisalign group.

If you’re wondering what this has to do with choosing Invisalign vs. metal braces, keep on reading.

What This Study Means for You

If you want to boil the results of the study down, here’s what you’ll find. Using Invisalign to straighten your teeth can make your orthodontic treatment more pleasant than if you use traditional metal braces. There’s even a chance your decision to use Invisalign will mean less pain medication as you adjust to your teeth shifting.

In addition to easing the process of straightening your teeth, Invisalign provides other important benefits, such as…

• Confidence in your appearance: with Invisalign’s clear plastic aligners, your orthodontic treatment is discreet, allowing you to smile with confidence.

• A normal diet: take your aligners out for meals, and eat what you want without the risk of damaging your braces or becoming embarrassed by food stuck between your wires.

• Oral hygiene: keep your teeth shining with Invisalign. Instead of brushing around braces, your aligner comes out so you can thoroughly clean your teeth as usual.

When you consider Invisalign vs. metal braces, clear aligners are your option of choice if you want to ease orthodontic pain and maintain life as normal.

Contact your MiSmile Invisalign provider, and schedule a free consultation so you can get started straightening your teeth with clear aligners.