Inivsalign Teen Toronto: Mom Blogger Straight Talk #InvisalignTO

What a wonderful event hosted by Mom Central Canada and Kathy Buckworth at Brassaii on King West.  I had the opportunity to speak to about 25 mom bloggers from all over the Toronto area about Invisalign Teen.

My treatment coordinator in the Stouffville office, Mandy, joined me for the evening, along with our President's Circle Invisalign representative, Craig MacIntyre.  I was also fortunate enough to have a few patients and their mothers join us in case the bloggers wanted to ask questions about their experiences.

We started off with some technical difficulties in getting the projector to work, but after switching a few laptops and ultimately, a cable, all systems were a go.  After a half eaten, but great dinner, it was showtime.

I know a lot of speakers for Invisalign and many of them tout aesthetics, generating income from new patients, and getting that movie star smile without braces.  Unfortunately, the marketing for Invisalign is far ahead of the training and skill level of most doctors.  Certainly aesthetics are an important part of Invisalign treatment, but as health care professionals, we have to remember that there are health aspects to orthodontic treatment that cannot be overlooked, just because our patients are seeking a specific treatment type.  My goal was to present an analytical and informative session so that parents can make the right decision for their teens, rather than basing it on smoke and mirrors.

Here are the key points from the evening:

• Invisalign has been used with over 1.4M patients
• Invisalign Teen was developed in 2009 with specific needs of teens in mind
• Benefits of Invisalign Teen include improved oral hygiene, no restrictions on eating, superior aesthetics, and the opportunity to teach teens responsibility.
• Orthodontic consultations are recommended at age 7.  Generally, this is when the upper front teeth have come in.  Dental development, rather than chronological age is the more important determining factor
• Many orthodontists offer complimentary consultations
• A referral from a dentist is not required to get an appointment with the orthodontist
• When thinking about medical procedures, everyone would prefer to go with a specialist for specialist work.  The same should apply to dental procedures, including orthodontic treatment.
• Orthodontic insurance will cover Invisalign and braces.
• It's more correct to ask "Can you correct my teeth with Invisalign?" than to ask "What can Invisalign correct?", since the skill and experience of the doctor will determine your final results.
• Invisalign isn't only for Teens.  If your teeth, gums, and bone are healthy, it is never too late for orthodontic treatment.
• Excellent dental resources include the Invisalign website, American Association of Orthodontists, Canadian Association of Orthodontists, your primary care dentist, online forums, and the Toronto Invisalign site.

I really enjoyed meeting a number of the mom bloggers and it was nice to be asked to work on future segments with them.  I learned a few things about parenting from them and will also be looking at a Disney cruise on the advice of Jen Reynolds :).  Overall a great evening!

-Dr. Tam