A few weeks ago I was invited to attend a blogging workshop sponsored by Invisalign. Free food and drinks at a swanky hotel, mingling with other FAB bloggers, learning some awesome blogging tips, the opportunity to find out about a great product and write a sponsored post? Oh yes, Yes, please!

As far as braces go, I was lucky. I was blessed with straight teeth and never had to wear them. (Of course I received the curse of having more cavities than I can count no matter how much I brushed -and I brushed a lot- but that’s another story.)

My son – not so lucky. When he was around seven or eight years old we were told that he would definitely be needing braces. For more than half of his middle school years and the first few months of high school my son’s smile looked like this:

His teeth look fabulous now. He has a beautiful smile. But when he had braces he was in pain every time they were tightened and did not like having restrictions placed on what he could eat. (And I was not such a fan of cutting corn off the cob in the summertime.) At Halloween he would end up giving almost half of his candy to his sister. He was a good sport, but not a very happy camper.

I think he would have been a much happier camper (and I could have left the corn on the cob) if Invisalign had been an option for him when he got his braces.

Invisalign has been around since 1999 and started their Invisalign Teen line four years ago, just about the time Chandler was getting his braces. His orthodontist uses Invisalign now, but I don’t think he did back then. And don’t worry that Invisalign is too new and not tested out – there are more than 2 million Invisalign cases in treatment or completed worldwide.

Invisalign uses a series of practically invisible removable aligners that gradually move teeth over time. The aligners are changed every two weeks. This means you don’t wear them when you eat or brush your teeth. And there is an indicator that changes color so Invisalign wearers know when to switch to the next set and  alerts the orthodontist as to whether or not the wearer has been wearing them for as many hours a day (20 – 22) as they’re supposed to. (Pretty tricky!)

Does Invisalign really work?  After hearing from the brand reps, a certified orthodontist, and 2 teenagers who have used Invisalign (and their parents), I’m convinced that it does.

If your child has crooked teeth, an overbite, underbite, gapped teeth or various other dental problems, Invisalign might be an excellent alternative to traditional metal braces.

Sounds fantastic right? But how much are these invisible braces going to cost? Amazingly enough, about the same as regular braces. The range is from $3,500 to $8,000, with the national average being around $5,000. (I paid about $5,500 for my son’s traditional braces.)

To be honest, after the presentation I found myself thinking that Invisalign might be perfect for my husband. He really should have had braces as a child but didn’t. I think he’d be even cuter if his bottom teeth were straighter. (And he’s pretty cute!)

Did you know Invisalign was a clear alternative to braces? What do you think about them?

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.