No matter how old you are, a gap year can benefit you in many ways. High school leavers experience the world, picking up wisdom and knowledge along the way, college graduates have time to decide their next step and the overworked trade their desk for a laptop by the beach. The concept of taking a gap year is now more popular than ever before among Australians.
As well as travel and cross as many items off their bucket list as they can, some people also use their gap year to have dental work done. Straightening teeth with braces whilst traveling the world or the country, however, can be tricky for several reasons.
Traditional Braces Require Constant Adjustments
If you plan to spend your gap year travelling the globe, or even just exploring Australia, a traditional brace is not really practical. Generally, orthodontists see their patients regularly to adjust their braces in order to get the best results out of the appliance. If you are on your gap year then, these adjustments will be impossible.
Ultimately, your treatment may take longer and the results may not be what you had hoped for.
Braces Need Repairs
Whether you opt for a lingual brace or a more traditional brace, there will be times when a bracket comes off, or the arch wire bends or breaks, repairs are necessary. If you are hundreds or thousands of kilometres away, it won't be possible to repair your brace.
Similarly, using another dentist while on your trip is risky since they are not familiar with your case and may do things differently from your own orthodontist.
Invisalign is the Answer
If your gap year will take you out of the country for a year, Invisalign is the ideal solution to the problem of straightening teeth in a gap year. The trays are removable, invisible and don't interfere with your oral hygiene practices. What makes Invisalign so ideal for gap years is that you can carry your course of Invisalign with you.
All you need do is remember to keep the aligners in for 20 to 22 hours a day, and move to the next aligner every two weeks to gradually straighten your teeth. Another great thing about Invisalign is that you can have your dentist create some extra Invisalign trays just in case you lose an aligner while traveling.
If you want to travel and straighten your teeth during your gap year, Invisalign can help you do so without the need for regular appointments.
